Summer Foraging on Long Island:

Tools, Tips, & Seasonal Finds

Summer Foraging on Long Island is a fun hobby, but it’s also a return to traditional knowledge, a way to connect with the land, and a chance to gather wild food and resources hidden in plain sight. Long Island’s forests, fields, and shorelines offer a surprisingly rich bounty when looking to fill your basket with edible greens, wild herbs, or materials for crafting and building… especially in early summer.

In this guide, we’ll walk through some of the most common and useful plants you can find across Nassau and Suffolk counties, explore ethical foraging practices, and recommend tools that make your foraging trips more productive and respectful. We host regular workshops throughout the year, so we’ve spent a lot of time exploring these ecosystems—here’s what we’ve learned.

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What to Expect When Foraging on Long Island

A Rich, Overlooked Ecosystem

Long Island might not look wild at first glance—but from pine barrens and hardwood forests to tidal marshes and forgotten edges of suburbia, the island is bursting with useful plants. Early summer is a peak time for tender greens, young shoots, and some of the best-foraged ingredients of the season.

Foraging Legally & Responsibly

Before heading out, know that most public parks prohibit plant harvesting unless explicitly allowed. Look for public lands where foraging is permitted (like some trails in the Pine Barrens) or seek permission from private landowners. Some parks offer foraging tours, such as those we host with Ranger Eric from CEED at Long Island parks such as the Sands Point Preserve, the Vanderbilt Museum, and at CEED. When in doubt, ask.

Early Summer Wild Edibles on Long Island

Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album)

One of the most nutritious wild greens available, lamb’s quarters are often found in disturbed soil, garden edges, and along sunny trails or field margins throughout Long Island. Also known as wild spinach, the plant is high in vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron, making it a valuable staple for foragers.

Look for leaves that are shaped like a goose foot—broad at the base and narrowing to a point, often coated with a silvery, powdery bloom especially near the growing tip. The underside of the leaves often looks slightly whitish, which can help distinguish it from lookalikes. The plant grows upright and can reach over 4 feet tall by mid-summer.

The young leaves and tender stems can be eaten raw in salads, or sautéed, steamed, or added to soups and stews just like cultivated spinach. Later in the season, its seeds can be harvested and cooked similarly to quinoa, though this requires some processing.

There are few serious lookalikes, but it can occasionally be confused with young pigweed (Amaranthus species) or deadly black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) if one isn’t careful. The telltale powdery coating on lamb’s quarters and the goosefoot-shaped leaves are helpful identifiers. Always double-check with a guide before consuming anything unfamiliar.

Recommended Gear:

• Canvas Foraging Belt Bag – Easy to wear, keeps your hands free
• Folding Foraging Scissors – Clean cuts encourage regrowth

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Garlic mustard is one of Long Island’s most prolific invasive edibles and a forager’s ally in controlling ecological spread. You’ll find it thriving in shady woodlands, roadside edges, and the understory of suburban parks, especially in late spring through early summer. It emits a strong garlic-like scent when crushed, which gives it its common name.

The leaves are heart- or kidney-shaped with scalloped edges, and they grow in a basal rosette in the plant’s first year. In its second year, it sends up a flowering stalk with small, four-petaled white blossoms. By early summer, the seed pods form—long and slender like little green beans. All parts of the plant are edible, though the leaves are the most commonly used.

Garlic mustard leaves can be eaten raw in salads or blended into pestos and sauces for a punchy, garlicky kick. The roots, when dug early enough, resemble horseradish in both flavor and function. The seeds can be collected and used as a mild mustard spice once dried. Since this plant outcompetes native flora, foragers are encouraged to harvest generously.

While garlic mustard is relatively easy to identify, be cautious around other white-flowered plants like Queen Anne’s lace or hemlock, especially when the garlic scent isn’t obvious. Cross-reference leaf shape, scent, and growth pattern when in doubt.

Recommended Gear:

• Hori Hori Knife – Ideal for uprooting without damaging surrounding plants
• Durable Work Gloves – Protect your hands while removing tough root systems

Mulberry (Morus alba and Morus rubra)

Red and white mulberries grow wild across much of Long Island, especially near old homesteads, wooded paths, and field edges. These small trees often go unnoticed until the fruit starts ripening in early summer, usually beginning in June. Their leaves have a distinctive mitten shape (some with lobes, others without) and the berries resemble blackberries but grow individually rather than in clusters.

Look for fruits turning dark purple or nearly black—these are fully ripe and have the sweetest flavor. The berries can be eaten raw, dried for trail snacks, turned into jam, fermented into wine, or baked into pies and crumbles. They’re incredibly versatile and stain-prone—harvest with care and wear clothes you don’t mind dirtying.

The leaves of the mulberry tree are also useful. While best known as food for silkworms, they can be dried and steeped into a mild, slightly earthy tea. The tea is said to support blood sugar regulation and contains antioxidants, though it’s best consumed in moderation. Only harvest clean, healthy leaves from trees you’ve positively identified.

Mulberries drop easily when ripe, so one great technique is to place a sheet or tarp under the tree and gently shake the branches. This minimizes damage to fruit and saves time.

Recommended Gear:

• Extendable Harvesting Basket – Great for reaching high fruit without climbing
• Mesh Produce Bags – Allow airflow and prevent crushed berries

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

While not a food source, yarrow is one of the most respected wild medicinals found during summer foraging on Long Island—and beyond. It’s a flowering perennial herb with a long history of use in Indigenous medicine, European folk healing, and battlefield triage. You’ll find it in dry, open fields, along trails, and at the edges of forests, especially in sandy or gravelly soils.

Yarrow is easily identified by its feathery, fern-like leaves and its umbrella-shaped clusters of small, usually white (sometimes pink) flowers. The leaves contain volatile oils and tannins, and when crushed, they give off a distinct, almost spicy aroma. Harvest yarrow during dry weather when the plant is in bloom, and focus on the flowering tops and upper leaves.

Traditionally, the fresh leaves were used to help stop bleeding and disinfect minor wounds, earning it the nickname “soldier’s woundwort.” Dried flowers and leaves are commonly steeped as a tea to support digestion, reduce fevers, and ease cold symptoms. It’s also a valuable companion plant in gardens, attracting pollinators and repelling some pests.

Use care when harvesting—yarrow can sometimes be confused with wild carrot (Queen Anne’s lace) or even poison hemlock when not flowering. Double-check for the finely divided leaves, distinctive scent, and flat-topped flower heads.

Recommended Gear:

• Pruning Shears – Snip delicate stems cleanly
• Small Glass Jar Set – Store dried yarrow or make infusions on the go

Reed Grass (Phragmites australis)

This tall, invasive grass is commonly found in coastal marshes, drainage ditches, and along roadside wetlands throughout Long Island. While often considered a nuisance species due to its aggressive spread, phragmites offer a surprising range of useful properties for the informed forager and traditional crafter.

The long, hollow stalks are incredibly strong when dried and have been used historically for making arrows, blowgun tubes, woven mats, thatching, fencing, and even the framework of shelters. Harvest green stems in early summer for maximum flexibility if weaving or binding, or wait until fall for dry, rigid stalks that can be used structurally.

In addition to its value as a building material, phragmites also provide some lesser-known edible parts. The underground rhizomes (tubers) can be dug up, peeled, and cooked—often roasted or boiled like other starchy roots. In the right conditions, the stalks exude a sweet sap near the base, which can be scraped or cut for a small energy boost. Seeds form later in the season and can be collected and ground into flour pr boiled as a porridge, though they are tiny and labor-intensive to process.

When harvesting phragmites, focus on areas where it is invasive and avoid disrupting patches of native wetland plants. Always check that the site is clean and free from contaminants, as roadside phragmites may accumulate runoff pollutants.

Recommended Gear:

• Compact Folding Saw – Makes cutting stalks fast and safe
• Bank Line Cordage – Bind and carry bundles easily

Ethical & Sustainable Foraging Practices

Know Before You Pick

Never harvest anything unless you’re 100% certain of its ID. Poison hemlock, nightshade, and false look-alikes abound. Use multiple guides and apps, and when possible, learn from experienced local foragers.

Recommended Resources:

• Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants
• Northeast Foraging by Leda Meredith

Harvest with Respect

Follow the rule of thirds: take no more than one-third of any patch, leave one-third untouched, and make sure one-third is left to go to seed or feed wildlife. Be gentle—don’t trample or rip up soil unnecessarily.

Choose the Right Locations

Avoid roadsides, sprayed fields, or polluted zones. Long Island’s many nature preserves, utility corridors, and old farmland edges can be much safer and richer in diversity.

Building Your Forager’s Kit

Whether you’re out for an hour or the whole afternoon, these tools help make your foraging safer, cleaner, and more productive:

• Hori Hori Knife – Dig, cut, and scrape with this all-in-one tool
• Foraging Belt Pouch – Carry harvested goods while keeping hands free
• Pocket Field Guide – Always have a quick ID reference
• Gardening Gloves – Avoid thorns, nettles, and gritty roots
• Drawstring Mesh Bags – Keep greens and berries fresh with airflow
• Spray Bottle – Lightly mist greens in the field to reduce wilting
• Waterproof Notebook & Pen – Record plant sightings and habitat notes

Final Thoughts on Foraging Long Island

Summer foraging on Long Island is a way to reconnect—with the land, with your body, and with the seasonal cycles that still govern so much of our world. With a few good tools, some basic plant knowledge, and a deep respect for sustainability, you’ll find that even the edges of a parking lot can offer something edible, useful, or beautiful.

If you’re eager to learn more, keep an eye out—we run seasonal foraging workshops throughout the year and love sharing the traditions of the land with newcomers and experienced wildcrafters alike.

We also offer private workshops for schools, community groups, homeschoolers, nature centers, and clubs. Whether you’re interested in edible plants, ancestral skills, or hands-on crafting, we can customize a Forgotten Skillz experience to suit your group’s interests and schedule. Visit the “Host a Workshop” page to learn more!

Happy foraging!

Michael A Evans is a passionate advocate for preserving and reviving ancestral knowledge through modern applications. As the founder of Forgotten Skillz, he is dedicated to teaching the skills of self-sufficiency, bushcraft, and sustainable living, drawing inspiration from historical practices to empower individuals in today’s world.

Michael’s work extends beyond survival skills; he also leads Vision Martial Arts in Patchogue, NY, where he guides both adults and children in realizing their potential through martial arts. Additionally, Michael contributes to the educational field as a collaborator on the “Little Laurie Science Stories” book series and the Ninja Née Science Education Program.

With a background in therapeutic massage from the NY College of Health Professions, Michael continues to provide holistic care as the lead therapist at Massage LI.