This is because most plants can only be accurately identified when they are flowering and the edible plant parts are produced outside the flowering season. The most fool proof way to identify a plant is to do so while it is flowering and then watch it through the season until you are completely familiar with it. When this is not possible there are plants, trees and berries that will supply a nutritious meal in an emergency. Roots and tubers are high in carbohydrates and an excellent source of wild food. They can be roasted, baked, boiled or in some cases, eaten raw.
Squaw root is found along woodland edges and in meadows of the Pacific states of the United States.
It is a perennial plant with an unbranched stem that can grow up to 4 feet tall. The leaves are sparse, thin pinnate leaves with 3 to 7 leaflets and tiny white or pinkish flowers. Any member of the rose family is edible. These would include blackberries, raspberries, salmonberries, dewberries, cloudberries and thimbleberries. Most of these berries can be found in the woods or along woodland edges.