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ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND NEVER EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY. CONSULT AN EXPERT FIRST!

I have seen more gorgeous flowers, plants, mushrooms, critters, birds, and bugs on the mountain this past year than I can believe. I am using the free version of the PictureMushroom and PictureThis plant identification app to identify some of these beautiful flowers and plants. 

Here are some hidden gems I ran across and am learning about this week:

Hoary Mountain Mint

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a gorgeous lilac-colored flowering plant with silvery green leaves growing along the trail. To my surprise, it is “Hoary Mountain Mint.” It smells incredible. 

I’m still researching, but it looks like it may be used to make a delicious mint-flavored tea. Once I am absolutely sure this is what this plant is, I am going to give it and try. 

Wild Bergamot

This beauty was growing next to the mountain mint, and come to find out, this wildflower is also a perennial herb in the mint family! It has a cluster of lavender petals that looks like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

I also found out that numerous Native American tribes used to crush dried flowers and leaves from this plant to perfume their clothing. Super cool fact, I thought! 

False Sunflowers 

The name sounds odd, but the beauty of these wild sunflowers is real. Not only are they gorgeous to look at, but they also are fantastic flowers for pollinators. 

Bees and butterflies partake in the nectar, and birds utilize the seeds for food. I even got to see Golden Finches enjoying these sunflowers. 

Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms

We stumbled upon some massive clusters of what we believe was Chicken of the Woods mushrooms. Again, NEVER EAT ANYTHING unless you consult an expert or can properly identify the mushroom yourself. There are different types of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, and other look alikes, so be very careful. 

According to allrecipes.com, these mushrooms are quite delicious. They say it has a “mild lemony note” and tastes like, well…chicken. We didn’t eat these this time because we wanted to be sure they were Chicken of the Woods mushrooms. However, I hope to see more soon because they sound delicious.

Forest Foraging

My goal is to start learning about all the different plants, mushrooms, and mint and start foraging. I really want to try making various teas and cooking with different edible plants and mushrooms. 

It’s quite amazing that there is an abundance of edible plants that no one knows about. If you blog or know about foraging, drop a comment on the Simplicity & Sunshine Facebook page!