Some white-crowned sparrows enjoy the tasajillo or cholla pencil cactus (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis) — also called turkey pear, Christmas cactus, and desert Christmas cactus — growing in a fenceline. Tasajillo is most recognizable by its small, bright fruit in late fall and early winter. The fruit is edible. GINGER COLEMAN/Wilson County News

Here’s Part IV in our “Mystery plants revealed” series!

For the past few weeks, we’ve been revealing the “stars” of the Wilson County News Mystery Plant/Plant ID contest held earlier this year, leading up to the South Texas Home & Garden Show in March.

Some plant fans may have guessed what the nine plants we featured have in common — each is a Texas native or an introduced species that has naturalized here, is beneficial in one or more ways to pollinators and other wildlife, and has one or more edible parts, whether flower, stem, leaves, or roots.

So far, we’ve introduced you to purslane, American beautyberry, goldenrod, stinging nettle, and yaupon holly. Meet two more of our “stars”!

Smartweed (Polygonum spp.) includes the Lady’s Thumb (Persicaria maculosa, Polygonum persicaria) featured in mid-February.

The leaves of smartweed (Polygonum spp.), including the Lady’s Thumb (Persicaria maculosa, Polygonum persicaria) pictured here, can be used raw in place of lettuce, dried and brewed as tea, or sautéed or boiled and eaten as greens. The seeds also may be eaten raw. GINGER COLEMAN/Wilson County News

As you may have guessed, the name “Lady’s Thumb” pretty much describes the shape of the flower clusters of this plant — individual spike-shaped clusters of tiny flowers growing on stalks that rise above the leaves. In full bloom, a “thicket” of Lady’s Thumb may look solid pink. It is often found growing near water; however, it adapts well and also will be found along roadsides, growing in a variety of soils and moisture conditions.

According to wildfoods4wildlife.com, “upwards of 65 different bird and mammal species eat smartweed seed.” It serves important insects, as well, including honeybees; beeculture.com states, “One of the best species for bees, this [Lady’s Thumb] is a very good honey plant. It typically yields 100 to 200 pounds of honey per colony.”

Lady’s Thumb’s tasty leaves are best harvested while they’re young and tender, beginning in early spring. They can be used raw in place of lettuce or dried and brewed as a tea; seeds also may be eaten raw. You’ll find a number of recipes for sauteed or boiled leaves with a little butter and garlic added. A reminder here that all greens, especially if eaten raw and especially if found growing next to waters, must be washed thoroughly.

Tips for growing — This plant broadcasts its seeds and spreads quickly, so the location of your Lady’s Thumb should be carefully chosen. Seeds may be most abundant during September and October. From newlifeonahomestead.com, “It is a highly adaptable plant that can learn to thrive in a deeper level of shade, as well.” Lady’s Thumb is not picky about soil quality. It has been known to grow successfully in ground that is composed of heavy clay, sand, or even gravel.

Cholla pencil cactus, or tasajillo (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis), often remains inconspicuous until late fall and early winter, when its bright red fruits stand out in stark contrast against the browns and golds of surrounding trees and grasses. During the rest of the year, tasajillo sometimes seems to appear out of nowhere when you happen to brush against it and come away with one of its long slender spikes attached to your clothing or skin. Even its small yellow flowers are tough to spot, since they almost always wait until late evening to open.

Tasajillo’s favorite habitat is beneath or intermingled with other vegetation, where it can form a sort of thicket that provides nesting sites for birds, and food for white-tailed deer, small mammals, bobwhite quail, wild turkey, and other birds. The tasajillo that is sharing a section of my barbed wire fence with some berry vines hosted a healthy family of white-crowned sparrows this spring.

There is one edible part of tasajillo — its fruit, gathered while it’s young in October-November, properly prepared. Personal opinion: This is more of a “survival” food than a snack, since preparing it is quite an undertaking and it produces tasty but tiny bits to eat. It may be a better idea to leave it for the wildlife. One method of preparation is described at the Hunter Angler Gardener Cook website of Hank Shaw, who is known for his “field to table” recipes, among other accomplishments. Other methods can be found online for preparing it outdoors.

Tips for growing — Tasajillo is an ideal evergreen ornamental for a xeriscape when properly placed, and also benefits birds and other wildlife. It readily selfpropagates as it drops or otherwise loses small stem segments, and it also can be grown from seeds. It requires a neutral soil pH and prefers sandy soil, but also can handle some heavier soils and poor soils with good drainage.

Watch for Part V in a coming issue of the Wilson County News!

Words of caution, ethics, and more

If you plan to eat plants found in the wild, you must be diligent to positively identify the plant before using or ingesting any part of the plant.

If you have any doubt whatsoever about the identity of a plant, you must assume it’s not edible — some edible plants have lookalikes that are toxic. Don’t consume plants that have been contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals. If you have health conditions that restrict your diet, or if you are pregnant, first check with your doctor. Consume only a small amount when trying it first, in case of allergies.

There are laws and ethics in place for collecting native plants and seeds; for general guidance consult the Collection Policy of the Native Plant Society of Texas at npsot.org/wp/resources/collections policy/ and “Foraging Ethics” at foragingtexas.com.

Many common foods and especially leafy greens, whether foraged or cultivated, contain oxalic acid, which should not be consumed in large quantities at one sitting; large quantities may cause various health issues. See “Some notes on oxalic acid for foragers” at eatthatweed.com.

For help with identifying plants — in addition to the resources in this article — iNaturalist is an excellent citizen science app that not only helps individuals learn, but also contributes valuable research data. Visit iNaturalist.org or see “Learn about iNaturalist at South Texas Home and Garden Show workshop,” March 9 Wilson County News.

Wilson County News 1012 C Street/Floresville, TX 78114 830-216-4519 reader@wcn-online.com

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