Elderberry plants grow from 3 to 13 feet tall and contain a large pithy center that is removed for food. Edible parts of the plant include its white flowers, which grow in June and July, and its fruit, which ripens in late summer and can be used in pies or jellies. Elderberries can help to lower cholesterol and improve heart health, are eaten for their antioxidant power and are beneficial against the flu, common colds, and viral and bacterial infections.
The shagbark hickory is a slow-growing tree found in the dry uplands and moist valleys of Ohio. It can grow to be 100 feet high and 40 feet wide when found in the open. Its timber is used for many things, including the crafting of tools, furniture and construction timbers. The shagbark also produces a "green wood," or wet wood chips, which are used in smoking meats. Edible parts of the shagwood hickory include its nuts, which fall from the tree in September and October.
Persimmon is a deciduous tree that grows to 25 feet in height and equally as wide, with drooping leaves that give it a tropical appearance. The persimmon is typically only a male or only a female plant, rarely producing flowers from both gender, and when in bloom, it bears cream-colored female flowers and pink-tinged male flowers. Persimmon plants produce both astringent fruits and nonastringent fruits, meaning the astringent variety may only be eaten when jelly soft and the nonastringent can be consumed when crisp. The persimmon fruit is ready to eat when it has orange, wrinkled skin and a soft interior.
Sassafras is a medium-sized tree that produces yellow flowers and egg-shaped fruits ranging from blue to black in color. Distinct to the sassafras are its three different types of leaves: one oval shaped, one mitten shaped and one with three lobes, all of which smell like root beer when torn or cut. Sassafras is mainly consumed in a tea, made by boiling the leaves or roots in water to extract the flavor and essential oils from the plant.
