15 Edible Wild Plants

Having knowledge of which plants are edible in your area lets you forage for extra food, which is nice when
you are on a tight budget. It’s not only about stocking your fridge, though. If you’re in a survival situation,
knowing what you can and can’t eat can save your life.

1. Bamboo (Bambusoideae)
Edible parts: The shoots are the edible portion of the plant.
Flavor: The taste varies by variety from savory to sweet, and they’re
a good way to add a crunchy texture to a dish.
Caution: Make sure you know which bamboo type you are eating.
Some contain a toxic amount of cyanogenic
glycosides. Shoots should be boiled before
consuming.
There are hundreds of bamboo species, and 110 of them are edible.
2. Blueberries (Cyanococcus)

Edible parts: The freshly picked berries are delicious on their

own or added to desserts.
Flavor: Sweet and slightly sour.
Caution: Plenty of poisonous berries look like blueberries, so
make sure you are identifying the plant correctly.

he soil in

3. Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Edible parts: You can eat the leaves and petals of this edible wild
plant.
Flavor: This has a perfumed, floral taste and aroma.
Caution: Some flower varieties resemble yellow coneflowers which
are not edible.
Look for the daisy-like flower that features petals popping out of a
prickly center cone.

4. Dandelion (Taraxacum)

Edible parts: The whole plant is edible and contains many

macronutrients, including plenty of
calcium.
Flavor: Younger plants grown in shaded areas have a milder
flavor and are not as bitter as mature plants grown in full
sun.
Caution: Because people consider this a weed, make sure you
are foraging from an area that hasn’t been treated with
y people
nd taste
pesticides.

5. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Edible parts: The entire plant is edible.

Flavor: Garlicky taste. Strong aroma of garlic, too.
 Caution: Multiple doppelgängers exist including ground ivy,
black mustard, and fringecup. You’ll know it’s garlic
mustard if it smells pungent and a lot like garlic.
It has scalloped leaves in a basal rosette, but the surest way to tell that
you’ve found the right plant is to crush the leaves. It will smell like
garlic.

6. Fiddleheads (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Edible parts: Furled-up fern portion of the plant.

Flavor: This edible wild plant has a mild asparagus flavor
mixed with a bit of spinach, as well.
Caution: Remember that ostrich fern fiddleheads are the
edible kind. Some ferns are poisonous, so
identification
is crucial.
ind them
oil.

7. Wood Sorrel (Oxalis)

Edible parts: Leaves and flowers are edible raw, but the flavor
is milder when cooked, and toxic compounds are
removed via the cooking process.
Flavor: Sour flavor thanks to its oxalic acid content.
Caution: Watch out, this edible wild plant, like other sorrel
varieties, contains oxalic acid. This component Look for three joined heart-shaped leaves. Each “heart” will have a
gives it its acidic taste but is also toxic in large crease down the middle. When it is blooming, you can spot it by the
quantities. Not safe for pets to consume. pink, white and lavender flowers.

8. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Edible parts: The tuberous root can be eaten raw or cooked.

Flavor: Delicious, nutty flavor.
Caution: You might confuse this plant with a perennial
sunflower. Young sunchokes can cause
gas.

Also known as a sunchoke, this wild plant is in the sunflower family.

You can spot it by its bright yellow flower and oval leaves growing
in large colonies.

9. Cattails (Typha latifolia)

Edible parts: Inner part of the plant, roots, flower spikes, and
pollen can be consumed.
Flavor: Generally sweet, but taste varies depending on growing
location and environment.
Caution: Don’t mistake this for the blue flag iris. Also known as bulrushes, not only can you eat this plant, but you can
They grow in similar areas. 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.

10. Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus)

 Edible parts: Both wild and domesticated versions of this
plant are edible. You can eat the whole plant,
though some parts are best cooked before being
eaten.
Flavor: Amaranth has a delicious, nutty flavor.
Caution: Be sure to pick from areas that haven’t been
poisoned.
The stem is the easiest way to identify this plant. It is erect, and the
upper part is covered in dense, short hairs that have a reddish tint

11. Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Edible parts: The flowers and fruits are edible.

Flavor: Depending on where they are growing and how
ripe
they are, they can be tart, sweet or tangy.
Caution: Don’t mistake this for water hemlock.
A member of the honeysuckle family, elderberry is grown as an ornamental
in some areas. When fruiting, look for black berries in umbrella-shaped
clusters.

12. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Edible parts: You can eat the leaves, stems, and roots.
Flavor: This edible wild plant tastes a lot like spinach.
Caution: Wear gloves and long sleeves when picking this
plant. Best when they are young. You must cook
them to get rid of the sting.
Caution: Be sure you are picking from safe water sources
and always wash before eating.
Look for the distinctive arrow-shaped leaves with teeth on the edges. You
also know you’ve found it when you feel the bite.

13. Blackberries (Rubus spp.)

Edible parts: Leaves, shoots, and berries.

Flavor: The leaves taste like green tea leaves. Berries
depend on the variety, but they can be anywhere
from sweet to sour.
Caution: Forage away from roads to avoid pollutants.
They look like trailing blackberry bushes, though the fruit isn’t nearly as
sweet as a real blackberry.

14. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Edible parts: The berries.

Flavor: Tastes like an intense strawberry.

Caution: Can be confused with mock or false strawberries.

They look like the ones growing in your garden, but smaller.
15. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Edible parts: Flowers, leaves, and stems.

Flavor: Depending on where they grow, it can be mildly salty
or citrus, like a green apple.
Caution: It can look like spurge, which is poisonous (and a
terrible weed). If you break it open and there is white
liquid, don’t eat it.
You’ll find this succulent weed growing all over cities and suburbs, where
it likes to grow in the cracks of sidewalks and under trees. It’s nutritious,
and you can eat it raw or cooked.