Forests Deciduous Forests

The tree canopy blocks out much of the sunlight in deciduous forests, especially in summer, making the foraging opportunities rather sparse. Spring and fall, however, offer many edible options, from early wild herbs like ramson and sweet woodruff, to late summer's selection of berries and edible flowers, to autumn's wealth of mushrooms, fruit, and nuts.

In a deciduous forest, take note of the soil conditions, the amount of sunlight, and the degree of moisture. These three factors will tell you which edible plants you can hope to find—and where.

Soil conditions

There are two types of soil in deciduous forests: mull and mor. Completely different plants and trees grow in each. You can figure out which type of soil you've got by checking the leaves on the forest floor. If the forest floor is soft and covered in a thick layer of decomposing leaves, with dark humus at the bottom, the soil is mull. Richly packed with nutrients, mull soil feels soft and spongey when you walk on it and has the unmistakeable scent of forest floor. Here, earthworms help organic material decompose into humus. Many different kinds of hardwood trees grow in mull soil, as do ramson, sand leek, stinging nettles, wild strawberries, raspberries, and hazelnuts. If the forest floor is firm and covered with dead leaves that don't look like they're decomposing, you're standing on mor soil. Mor soil is acidic, and in many places hard, slightly sandy, and bare; atop it, the wind will stir up dry leaves. Mor is too acidic for earthworms, leaving mushrooms to take care of the task of decomposing organic matter. Forests with mor soil are especially welcoming to beech and oak trees. They are less so for edible plants, but you will be able to find Karl Johan, chanterelle, black trumpet, and hedgehog mushrooms. Er skovbunden blød og dækket af et tykt lag blade, som er ved at formulde i flere stadier og nederst bliver til sort muld? Så står du på muldbund. Jorden er fed og næringsrig og føles blød og svampet at gå på. Her står regnormene for at nedbryde plantematerialet til muld, og din næse fanger en umiskendelig duft af klassisk skovbund. I skove med muldbund finder du planter som ramsløg, skovløg, brændenælder, skovjordbær, hindbær og hasselnødder. Er skovbunden hård og dækket af visne blade, der ikke ser ud til at formulde? Så står du på morbund. Jorden er sur og mange steder nøgen, hård og let sandet uden meget beplantning, og vinden hvirvler de tørre blade rundt. Morbund er for sur en jordtype til, at regnorme kan leve her, så det er svampene, der står for at nedbryde det døde plantemateriale. I skove med morbund finder du kun få spiselige planter, men en del svampe som karl johan, kantareller, trompetsvamp og pigsvamp.

Sunlight

In a deciduous forest, the canopy blocks out most sun, and plants and trees compete for the remaining light. The sunny and less sunny zones support different kinds of plant life. You’ll want to focus on those areas—along paths, at the forest’s edge, and in clearing— where the sun’s rays break through the canopy.

Moisture

Varying degrees of soil moisture also influence what grows in different parts in a deciduous forest. Some plants need a lot of water and grow close to streams or lakes. Others fare best in drier soil. And if you're after mushrooms, rainfall will be critical. Mushrooms require water, and since it takes time for the forest floor to absorb it, your best chances of having a productive mushroom hunt will come one week after a good rain.

Temperature, available light, and precipitation change tremendously over the course of the year, creating a wide variety of conditions for plant life. When you forage in a deciduous forest, use the season to interpret the landscape.

Spring

Before trees’ leaves open, sunlight reaches the forest floor easily and fosters good growing conditions for wild herbs, onions, spring mushrooms like common morels, and edible flowers like violets. In spring you can forage anywhere in the forest.

Summer

As tree crowns develop over the course of summer, they steal most of the sunlight. The herbs of spring wither and die, and sunlight becomes the most important factor to keep in mind while foraging. In shady parts of the forest you’ll find wood sorrel and garlic mustard, while wild raspberries and sweet woodruff grow in clearings, and wild strawberries populate wide open glades. Beginning in June, golden chanterelles pop up in small clearings. Foraging is especially good along forest trails, near fallen trees, and where the forest meets fields and meadows.

Late summer, fall, and winter

In fall, the deciduous forest offers mushrooms, nuts, and fruit. In areas with full sun or a bit of shade you can find ripe blackberries, but once the leaves fall you should set your sights on mushrooms in particular. Keep an eye on temperature and the dampness of the soil—these will determine where mushrooms grow—and remember that mushrooms emerge in the wake of a good rain. Many mushrooms stick around until the first frost sets in, and winter and oyster mushrooms even endure in December.