Porter Square Books, located in the Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White Street in Cambridge, will host author Ellen Zachos, who will speak about her new book Backyard Foraging: 65 Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat, on Tuesday, May 14, beginning at 7 pm.  Following her talk she will sign copies of her book as well. Ideal for first-time foragers, this book features 70 (not 65 – who knew?) edible weeds, flowers, mushrooms, and ornamental plants typically found in urban or suburban neighborhoods. You’ll be amazed by how many of the plants you see each day are actually nutritious edibles.  Full-color photographs make identification easy, and tips on where certain plants are likely to be found, how to avoid pollution and pesticides, and how to recognize the plants you should never harvest make foraging as safe and simple as stepping into your own backyard.

Zachos leads foraging walks and currently teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, where she received her certification in Commercial Horticulture and Ethnobotany. She writes two blogs, which can be found at “downanddirtygardening.com” and “gardenbytes.com” and has written numerous gardening books and contributed to publications including Horticulture and Better Homes & Gardens.