Foraging California

Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods in California

Christopher Nyerges

• Publisher: Falcon Guides
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 3
• eBook ISBN:
  9781493084210
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Botany
• Index: Biological Sciences

“This amazing book catalogs in clear, direct language the full range of wild edible plants found in California. Organized by ecological region and latest scientific family, it teaches not only a plant’s place on the land but also its essential botanical attributes. More than that, Christopher Nyerges’s lifetime of ‘dirt time’ experience makes him an expert on the edible and nutritional properties of this wonderful flora, so easily overlooked but at our disposal everywhere. I have followed Christopher on endless plant walks and never failed to learn something new and important. Now, at last, it’s all in one brilliant guide!”
—Paul Campbell, author of Survival Skills of Native California

From acorns, cactus, and yucca to mesquite, manzanita, and lamb’s quarter, this fully updated third of Foraging California guides readers to the edible wild foods and healthful herbs of the Golden State. Organized by plant families, this book is an authoritative guide for nature lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and gastronomes.
INSIDE YOU’LL FIND Foraging California provides all of the information you need about wild foods in the region:

• Species ranging from herbs to trees
• Forager notes and expert advice on identifying, preparing, freezing, drying,
• storing, and cooking wild edibles
• Tools, techniques, and foraging etiquette
• Recipes to prepare at home and on the trail

MEET YOUR LOCAL EXPERT Christopher Nyerges has taught survival and self-reliance skills since 1974. He’s authored over a dozen books, and thousands of his articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines. He resides in Southern California.

Cover images by Christopher Nyerges

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Plants Listed by Environment Type
• Collecting And Harvesting Wild Foods
• How Much Wild Food Is Out There, Anyway?
• Are Wild Foods Nutritious?
• MUSHROOMS
• SEAWEEDS
• FERNS
• GYMNOSPERMS
• MAGNOLIIDS
• EUDICOTS
• MONOCOTS
• Other Edibles
• Getting Started
• Test Your Knowledge of Plants
• The Dozen Easiest-to-Recognize, Most-Widespread, Most-Versatile Wild Foods of California
• Staff of Life: Best Wild-Food Bread Sources
• Sweet Tooth: Best Wild-Food Sugars and Desserts
• Useful References
• Index
• recipe Index
• About the Author