Plants in Central Massachusetts

These pages show plants in the central Massachusetts area. These pictures were taken over the spring and summer, to follow the plants through their lifecycle. Over the fall and winter I hope to add more pictures and descriptions. If you have any suggestions, or particularly if you can identify any of the "unknowns", please let me know!

You are responsible for what you eat!

Many edible plants have lookalikes that are extremely poisonous. Be very sure you have correctly identified a plant before eating it. A good rule of thumb is to use three references (books, the web, etc.) to identify the plant, because different references sometimes emphasize different features. Even then if you are not sure, don't eat it!

Some edible plants are poisonous when raw, and need to be cooked or otherwise specially prepared to become safe to eat. You must know how to prepare them before eating them. Finally, you may be allergic to some plants. If you have not tried them before, try just a little bit the first time.