Best foraging books for New England
A foraging guide is only as good as its match to your area. These books are written for New England. Always confirm an ID with two sources before you eat anything, and learn the deadly look-alikes first.
Written for New England
Foraging New England
Tom Seymour · New England
A regional guide to wild foods across the New England states.
beginnerNew England
Broader guides that also cover this area
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America
Lee Peterson · Eastern & Central North America
The Peterson guide to wild foods, keyed by flower color and plant type. Compact and long trusted.
beginnerEastern & Central North AmericaField guide
Mushrooms of the Northeast
Teresa Marrone, Walt Sturgeon · Northeast US
A beginner-friendly mushroom ID guide for the Northeast, organized by shape and features.
beginnerNortheast USField guide
Northeast Foraging
Leda Meredith · Northeast US
120 wild edibles of the Northeast from beach plums to wild greens, with harvest calendars.
beginnerNortheast US
Sam Thayer's Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America
Samuel Thayer · Eastern & Central North America
Thayer's compact field guide covering a large number of species, designed for use outdoors.
beginnerEastern & Central North AmericaField guideThe Forager's Harvest
Samuel Thayer · Eastern & Central North America
Samuel Thayer's in-depth guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing wild plants. Known for careful, first-hand accounts.
intermediateEastern & Central North America
Incredible Wild Edibles
Samuel Thayer · Eastern & Central North America
The third of Thayer's foraging books, with 36 more plants covered in depth.
intermediateEastern & Central North AmericaNature's Garden
Samuel Thayer · Eastern & Central North America
Thayer's second book, covering more wild edibles in the same detailed, honest style.
intermediateEastern & Central North AmericaPeterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America
Steven Foster, James A. Duke · Eastern & Central North America
Identifies medicinal plants of the East and Midwest with photos and cautions about toxic look-alikes. Pairs ID with traditional uses.
intermediateEastern & Central North AmericaField guide