Edible Plants

Did you know that you may have flowers or plants growing in your yard that are edible?

Cattails: Not only can you eat this plant (inner part of the plant, roots, flower spikes, and pollen), but you can use it to make baskets or mats. The head can be dipped in fat and used as a candle. Look for a brown, cigar-like head on a tall stalk. Generally sweet, but taste varies depending on growing location and environment.

Coneflower: Look for the daisy-like flower that features petals popping out of a prickly center cone. You can eat the leaves and petals of this edible wild plant. Some varieties resemble yellow coneflowers which are not edible.

Dandelion: The entire plant is edible (roots, leaves, and flower). Eat the leaves while they’re still young. Mature leaves taste bitter. Boil mature leaves and the roots before eating. You can drink the water you boiled the roots in as a tea and use the flower as a garnish for your dandelion salad.

Kelp: Also known as seaweed or sea vegetables, kelp has a ton of fiber, is low in calories and is dense in nutrients. All seaweed is edible, but some taste much better than others.

Nasturtium: All parts are edible. The unripe seeds can be used in place of capers and the peppery flower is typically used in salads or stir-fry. The nutrient is known to protect against eye disorders, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Pansies: You can eat the whole thing, from the stamen and pistil to the sepals and pedals. When eaten raw, they taste like a mildly spiced lettuce. Be careful about nibbling on blooms from the florist though. Anything sprayed with chemical herbicides should be avoided.

Prickly Pear Cactus: You can eat the fruit and flesh of this edible wild plant, but you have to remove the spikes first.

Red Clover: It’s in the pea family, and it has a bit of a pea-like taste. Look for pale green leaves with a distinct chevron pattern.

Zucchini (or squash) Blossoms: These blossoms are extremely perishable. If you’re able to get your hands on some, they can be eaten raw, on pizza, battered and fried, stuffed or used to make soup.

Just remember, if you can’t clearly identify a plant and you don’t know if it’s poisonous, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Happy eating!

Nancy Roe
Author