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Foraging in Nebraska

Foraging is an excellent way to explore nature, eat healthy, wild-grown foods, and get some exercise while you’re at it.

Morel season is a well-known — and loved hobby — in Nebraska. Some might just be waiting the entire year for the first spring rainfall with the hopes of a bumper crop. But Nebraska is also know for a variety of plants that grow wild and can enhance your dinner plate.

Morel mushrooms rest in cupped hands.

Edible mushrooms

You’ve probably heard of morel mushroom hunting, but did you know there are other types of edible mushrooms in Nebraska you can forage for? In the fall, you can hunt for chicken-of-the-woods, oyster mushrooms and giant puffball mushrooms. And in the spring, look for the dryad’s saddle as well as morels.

A pile of chicory roots and dandelion roots on a table.

Edible plants

A wide array of plants can be foraged for consumption – everything from berries and asparagus to lesser-known options like cattail roots and water cress.

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Find additional plants and recipes to use them in on our Nebraskaland site.