



Photographer: Rick Stankiewicz

Summary Author: Rick Stankiewicz

Edible seasonal delights abound in the woods of North America, if you know when and where to look. While hunting white-tailed deer last fall in the hardwoods of southern Ontario, I happened upon this beautiful specimen of Chenopodium capitatum. More commonly known as Strawberry Spinach, Strawberry Blite or Blite Goosefoot, because of the shape of its leaves, this native plant is useful in many ways including its edibility. Both the leaves and berries can be eaten. The berries look like pulpy strawberries, although not nearly as sweet. However, like spinach and rhubarb, the leaves are heavy in oxalates and can be toxic in large quantities.

The potential use of its flowers as dye lead to it being called India Ink. This colorful plant is a welcomed sight in the normally brown forests of the fall. Photo taken on November 9, 2013 in Otonabee Township, Ontario, Canada.

Photo Details: Camera Maker: Panasonic; Camera Model: DMC-TS3; Focal Length: 4.9mm (35mm equivalent: 28mm); Aperture: f/3.3; Exposure Time: 0.025 s (1/40); ISO equiv: 400; Software: Adobe Photoshop 7.0.