Horse Brier (Smilax rotundifolia)

Family: Smilacaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Bloom Color: Green, White, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Shoots, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Rich in starch. — The root can be dried and ground into a powder that is used in making cakes, puddings, sweet drinks etc, it can also be made into a jelly or eaten in soups.; A beer resembling root beer or sarsaparilla is made from the roots.; Young shoots - raw or cooked.; They can be added to salads or cooked like asparagus.

Habitat & North American Range

Moist to dryish thickets and woods. Considered to be an obnoxious pest in America. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)