Wild Edible Plant Families

Learning plant family patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of species around us. North America has over 4,000 species of edible plants of which many hundreds reside in Western North Carolina. The class will engage in a walk and talk around the Arboretum in order to delve into the major wild edible plant families of the area. Students will reinforce plant identification skills by observing family patterns such as leaf, flower and fruit types. Participants should dress for walking outside on Arboretum property. Please note the liability waiver on registration. This class fulfills three hours of elective credit for the Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate.

An ethnobiologist, Marc Williams has taught hundreds of classes about plants, people, other life forms and their interface. His training includes a bachelor of arts in environmental studies/sustainable agriculture and a master of art in Appalachian studies/sustainable development. He is the executive director of Plants and Healers International and has spent more than 17 years working at various restaurants and farms. He has traveled throughout 24 countries in North/Central America and Europe and all 50 of the United States.