Invasivores Andy and Matt take a perfect spring afternoon to collect burdock, Chinese mystery Snails, and garlic mustard.

A Subaru of edible invaders. Photo Credit: A. Deines

At the end of a long semester, the Invasivores needed some field work.  We are, above all, ecologists and there is no lab work for self respecting ecologists on this kind of day.  We couldn’t have asked for a better one to kick-start a summer of collecting edible invasive species.

First target: Phragmites

One of the first species we were able to collect last year was phragmities, a common perennial reed in wetlands.  Munching dandelion heads, we came several weeks later this year than last and with the much earlier spring, the forest underbrush was thick.  Stinging nettles turned us back to the path.

Target two: burdock

Chaco’d feet and short-bared legs stinging, we looped back and spotted the large leaves of burdock tucked at the margin of the grass and trees.  Success! We knelt and with gentle probing, large portions of the starchy tap-root revealed themselves.  Roots and comical leaves like elephant ears in tow, the sun and sweat propelled us toward the lake.

Target three: Chinese Mystery Snails

Kayakers and bass boats floating nearby, we stepped down into Worster Lake.  The Chinese mystery snail was our first featured species at Invasivore, and we were excited to give them another go.  The shallow water was warm on bare feet and soothing on still stinging and nettled skin.  Though not at the extreme densities of many mystery snail invasions, we found a meal’s worth with only a few minutes of searching.  Success! Aquatic ecologists to the core, we turned some rocks to find a few crayfish, though we couldn’t positively identify whether they were invasive or native.  Another meal for another trip with a trap, perhaps.

 Target four: Garlic Mustard

What a love-hate relationship we have with garlic mustard. While my ecology students may never forget garlic mustard relish, my friends will never forgive me for garlic mustard ice cream.  Garlic mustard is ubiquitous this time of year in the midwest, so we thought for sure we would find a bundle.  It turns out that the park has an active program to remove garlic mustard and we found only a few plants.  Such a failure is truly a rare success!

Overall, it was quite a successful trip for these invasivores.  Keep an eye out for some recipes describing what we did with our delicious harvest!

It was a pleasant early spring day when I first knowingly encountered Phragmites.  Our afternoon was rather tame with few surprises.  Should you find yourself with the desire for such an excursion or a hankering for some freshly harvested Phragmites “Cossack asparagus,” here are some notable collecting strategies.

Young shoots, valuable targets

Harvesting young Phragmites shoots early in the growing season provides multiple benefits.  They are tender and lend themselves well to meals, and their harvest will also decrease the reproductive potential of the plant and may help prevent additional colonization.  Shoots grow from the terminal nodes of the rhizomes underground and mature into reproductive bodies.  Throughout the growing season, they will produce seeds that are blown away to colonize another patch, and though seed viability of Phragmites is somewhat low, harvesting shoots before they have a chance to produce seeds can prevent spread!

As previously stated, plant roots sequester heavy metals from soils so do not collect from areas in which there may be industrial runoff in the environment.  If you have any uncertainty about the quality of the soil or the identity of your Phragmites (native vs. invasive), please do not hesitate to contact your local Department of Natural Resources representative.  When they hear you are looking to do some invasive species control, they will likely be eager to assist and advise you.

Wetter is better!

Phragmites australis grows in the wetlands and is easiest to collect when the ground is completely saturated.  With the ground almost muddy, it is easy to stick your hands in and feel around for the rhizomes and stolons.  These are soft and fleshy stems underground from which new buds grow on the terminal nodes.

Wear gardening gloves

If your hands are like mine, with thin skin and weak fingers, you’ll need the extra grip for pulling and protection from herbaceous neighbors with potentially sharp thorns (there was an unknown Rubus species near our collection site that was particularly ornery).  If you are collecting in the late winter or early spring as we did, the area will have just thawed so the wet earth will also be cold and gloves will enable you to harvest for a longer period of time.

Limit your impact

In most locales, invasive Phragmites is the predominant species but may also have competing native neighbors; so try to minimize the collateral damage.  Your collection site should look the way it was when you arrived minus Phragmites.  Once you have finished collecting, be sure to properly destroy your unwanted collections as colonization by rhizomes is a dominant form of transmission!

Phragmites australis awaiting harvest and surrounded by local flora. Photo credit: S. Sim

Happy harvesting!