How to Identify Foxtail Grass

Foxtail grass grows abundantly throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world. It, like other grains, is sometimes grown as a food crop. Foxtails also appear in the wild. You have probably even picked the hairlike grains out of your socks after a hike. What you may or may not have known is that foxtail grass is an excellent survival food if you know how to identify it.

Instructions

    • 1

      Search for foxtail grass in a sunny and open area, a marshy area, a roadside or the edge of a field. Sometimes, you may be able to find a whole field of foxtail grass. Foxtail grows in the U.S., Europe, western Asia and tropical Africa.

    • 2

      Look for a tall, weedy grass. On top, it will have a narrow head with many long, hairlike fibers protruding from it. This dense, cylindrical head contains many small seeds.

    • 3

      Rub the seed heads between your palms. This will break the head apart, revealing the tiny seeds. Carefully blow the remains of the head from your palm, leaving behind only the seeds.

    • 4

      Eat the seeds raw or boil them to soften them and make them less bitter.

    • 5

      Peel the stems of the foxtail grass apart. The white part at the base of the plant can be eaten raw.