Here is the shortlist of books I have on my shelf for reference on hikes, while camping, or just in case that little voice in the back of my head is not just overly paranoid and it ends up that I need to go full medicine man and start treating topical wound infections with powdered Usnea foraged after a storm. Bought all at once it can be pricey, but then they just sit on a shelf.

As a note of caution it is important to be sure of what you are about to eat. This book list is a little redundant at times but that is because having a cross reference, specially for the medicinal plants, can be crucial. Always use caution and good judgement.

I’m too busy with kids to figure out how to make a public amazon list to share, or to setup affiliate links. These links take you to the amazon listing, but the ISBN numbers will help you immensely if going into a brick an mortar or other bookseller.

Finally this list is definitely US Pacific Northwest focused since that is where I live. Having regional references is going to be much more helpful. The books on this list that do not specify region list plants that followed colonists during migrations. They took them as crops and medicines and kept them in their gardens for medicine and food. Because of that they became invasive weeds across the world.

Stalking The Wild Asparagus – Euell Gibbons – ISBN-13: 978-0911469035

Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest (A Timber Press Field Guide) – Steve Trudell – ISBN-13: 978-0881929355

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate (The Wild Food Adventure Series, Book 1) – John Kallas – ISBN-13: 978-1423601500

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness – Scott Kloos – ISBN-13: 978-1604696578

Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alaska Blueberries to Wild Hazelnuts (Regional Foraging Series) – Douglas Deur – ISBN-13: 978-1604693522

How to Eat in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Foraging, Trapping, Fishing, and Finding Sustenance in the Wild – Bradford Angier – ISBN-13: 978-1631910128

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast – Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon – ISBN-13: 978-1772130089

Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West 1st Edition – Michael Moore, Mimi Kamp (Illustrator) – ISBN-13: 978-0890135396

The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World – Sandor Ellix Katz – ISBN-13: 978-1603582865

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, 2nd Edition – Sandor Ellix Katz – ISBN-13: 978-1603586283

“Never memorize something that you can look up.”

― Albert Einstein

As a caveat if you look something up often enough you will find that you have in fact memorized it by accident. I hope this helps.

Chris