Mormon Tea. Green Ephedra. (Ephedra viridis)

Family: Ephedraceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late winter. Form: Upright or erect.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet flavour. — A bitter flavour, it is roasted and ground into a powder and used to make a bread or mush.; A delicious tea is made by steeping the green or dried twigs in boiling water.; The flavour is said to be improved if the stems are roasted first.

Habitat & North American Range

Dry rocky slopes, gravel terraces and canyon walls, often on limestone, at elevations of 800 - 2500 metres. (Zone 5)