Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- The purpose of this guide -- Why gather wild plants? -- How to identify plants using this book -- The scope of the field guide -- Navigating the individual plant accounts -- Foraging safely and responsibly -- Plant conservation and gathering -- Produce and processing: Turning plants into food -- Fern-like plants, palms, and horsetails -- Succulent leafless stems (cacti and glassworts) -- Plants with fruit composed of multiple small fruitlets -- Needle-leaved trees and shrubs -- Trees or shrubs with nuts -- Trees or shrubs with large fleshy fruits (over 0.8”/2 cm) -- Trees with small fleshy fruits (less than 0.8”/2 cm) -- Broadleaf trees; fruit small and dry, wind-borne, or a pod -- Low or trailing shrubs or vines with leathery, evergreen leaves --Broadleaf shrubs with orange to red berries -- Broadleaf shrubs with berries - not orange to red -- Broadleaf shrubs with dry fruit, nutlets, or pods -- Woody vines and creepers -- Aquatic plants with grass-like leaves or tubular leafless stems -- Aquatic plants - not grass-like or tubular -- Linear, entire, onion-scented leaves -- Linear, entire leaves - not onion-scented -- Flowering stem leafless, basal leaves entire -- Flowering stem leafless, basal leaves toothed or lobed -- Flowering stem leafless, basal leaves compound -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves paired or whorled -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate and entire -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate and toothed -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate, some lobed or divided, sap milky -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate, some lobed or divided, sap not milky -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate, once compound with distinct leaflets -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate, multi-compound with distinct leaflets -- Basal leaves present, stem leaves alternate, multi-compound and fern-like or lacy -- Herbaceous vines -- Basal leaves absent, leaves whorled -- Basal leaves absent, leaves paired, stem square, minty-aromatic -- Basal leaves absent, leaves paired, stem square-not minty-aromatic -- Basal leaves absent, stems not square, leaves paired, entire -- Basal leaves absent, stems not square, leaves paired and toothed, lobed, or compound -- Basal leaves absent, leaves alternate and entire -- Basal leaves absent, leaves alternate and toothed -- Basal leaves absent, leaves alternate and lobed -- Basal leaves absent, leaves alternate and compound or divided -- Poisonous and confusing plants -- Plants not included -- 11 important plant families for gatherers -- Finding edible plants by habitat and season -- Illustrated glossary -- References -- Regular old boring index -- The best index -- Photography and artwork credits -- Other books by Samual Thayer -- About the author.

The most comprehensive field guide to the edible wild plants of eastern North America, by the region's leading authority on edible wild plants. Covers 678 edibles, with over 1,800 color photos, detailed descriptions, and 625 range maps.