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List of forageable plants

Summary

This article lists plants commonly found in the wild, which are edible to humans and thus forageable. Some are only edible in part, while the entirety of others are edible. Some plants (or select parts) require cooking to make them safe for consumption.

Field guides instruct foragers to carefully identify species before assuming that any wild plant is edible. Accurate determination ensures edibility and safeguards against potentially fatal poisoning. Some plants that are generally edible can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. U.S. Army guidelines advise to test for contact dermatitis, then chew and hold a pinch in the mouth for 15 minutes before swallowing. If any negative effect results, it is advised to induce vomiting and drink a high quantity of water.[1] Additionally, old or improperly stored specimens can cause food poisoning.

Other lists of edible seeds, mushrooms, flowers, nuts, vegetable oils and leaves may partially overlap with this one. Separately, a list of poisonous plants catalogs toxic species.

List edit

These lists are ordered by the binomial (Latin) name of the species.

Trees and shrubs edit

Plant image Part image Common name Binomial name Distribution Edible parts and uses Ref.
    Juneberry Amelanchier lamarckii Naturalized in Western Europe Berries (in June), edible raw [2]
    Barberry Berberis vulgaris Europe, North America, northwest Africa, western Asia Berries (from July), edible raw, dried as a spice or cooked as a jelly [3]
    Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Throughout Europe and parts of Asia; common in woods and parks Nuts (October to November). Chestnuts are edible raw or in any other preparation, such as roasted, boiled, stewed or baked. [4]
    Hazel Corylus avellana In many European woodlands, at the edges of woods or in mature hedges Hazelnuts (from late August to October), edible raw or processed [5]
    Hawthorn, may-tree Crataegus monogyna Native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia; naturalized elsewhere Leaves (when young, in April), edible raw as a salad vegetable

Berries (in autumn), edible raw, or made into jellies, jams and syrups, or used as a flavoring

 [6]
    Beech Fagus sylvatica Europe south to central Italy, and in mountain forests around the Mediterranean Nuts (in September or October), edible raw or roasted and salted, or can be pressed for oil [7]
    Sea purslane Halimione portulacoides Seashores and salt marshes of western and southern Europe, and from the Mediterranean to western Asia Leaves, raw as a salad, or stir-fried [8]
    Hop Humulus lupulus Native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere: Europe, North America, Asia Young shoots and leaves (until May), edible cooked as a vegetable [9]
    Walnut Juglans regia Native to Central Asia, but naturalized in temperate zones worldwide Nuts (ripening in September) [10]
    Juniper Juniperus communis Throughout the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe and Asia Berries, both immature (green) and mature (dark); inedibly bitter when raw, but used as a spice, for beverages, as a jam or roasted and ground as a coffee substitute [11]
    Oregon-grape Mahonia aquifolium North America, occasionally naturalized in Europe Berries, edible raw (though acidic) or made into a jelly [12]
    Crabapples Malus sylvestris and other Malus species Malus is native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, Asia and North America. Fruit (from July), edible raw or, if too bitter, cooked as a jelly (containing much pectin) [13]
    Medlar Mespilus germanica Southeast Europe to West Asia, occasionally naturalized in Britain Fruit (in November), edible after being bletted for a few weeks [14]
    Bog-myrtle, sweet willow, Dutch myrtle, sweetgale Myrica gale Parts of the northern hemisphere, including Japan, North Korea, Russia, Europe and North America Leaves, dried as tea, or raw as roast chicken stuffing

Nutlets and dried leaves, as a seasoning, including for beer (gruit)

[15][16]
    Scots pine Pinus sylvestris Native to Europe and Asia Needles (when young, April to August), can be boiled for tea or soaked in olive oil to yield an aromatic oil

Nuts, tiny and difficult to extract from the cones, but edible raw

 [17]
    Mesquite Prosopis juliflora Native to Southern America, widely found in arid and hot climates worldwide as an invasive weed Seed pods, edible raw or boiled, dried and milled to make flour, or fermented to make a mildly alcoholic beverage [18]
    Wild cherry Prunus avium Native to Europe, western Turkey, northwestern Africa, and western Asia; Found in hedgerows and woods, especially beech Cherries, edible raw [19]
    Bullace, damson, other wild plums Prunus domestica subsp. insititia Prunus species are spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Fruit (ripe from early October), edible raw [20]
    Sloe, blackthorn Prunus spinosa Native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa; also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America Berries, edible raw, but very acidic unless picked after the first few days of autumn frost [21]
    English / French oak Quercus robur Native to most of Europe, and from Anatolia to the Caucasus, and also to parts of North Africa Acorns (ripening in September to October), too bitter when raw, but used chopped and roasted as a substitute for almonds, or then ground as a substitute for coffee. After leaching out the bitter tannins in water, acorn meal can be used as grain flour. [22]
    Golden currant Ribes aureum Native to northwest North America Berries, edible raw but tart [23]
    Wax currant Ribes cereum Native to western North America Berries, edible raw but possibly semi-toxic [24][25]
    Blackcurrant Ribes nigrum Native to north-central Eurasia Berries, used in jams [26]
    Redcurrant Ribes rubrum Native to western Europe Berries, used in jams and kissel [27]
    Flowering currant Ribes sanguineum Western United States and Canada Berries, edible raw and used in jams [28]
    Elder Sambucus nigra Europe, North Africa, Central Asia and Anatolia Flowers (June to July), edible raw, as a salad green, or pickled, or to make tea, or alcoholic beverages

Berries (August to October), edible when ripe (turning upside down) and cooked; raw berries are mildly poisonous

 [29]
    Whitebeam Sorbus aria Central and southern Europe Berries, edible raw once overripe (bletted) [30]
    Rowan, Mountain-ash Sorbus aucuparia Native to most of Europe except for the far south, and northern Asia Berries (August to November), bitter, but can be cooked to form a jelly, or used as a flavouring [31]
    Wild service-tree Sorbus torminalis Native to Europe, south to northwest Africa, and southeast to southwest Asia Berries (from September), edible raw, but hard and bitter unless bletted [32]
    Lime Tilia × europaea Occasionally in the wild in Europe, or commonly grown in parks, on roadsides or in ornamental woods Flowers (in full bloom, June or early July). A tea (popular in France as tilleul) can be made from the dried flowers.

Leaves, without the stalks, edible raw as a salad vegetable

 [33]
 
 
 Wild Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Native to the northeastern North America Berries, edible raw, commonly used in jams and jellies [1]

Herbaceous plants edit

Plant image Part image Common name Binomial name Distribution Edible parts and uses Ref.
  Yarrow Achillea millefolium Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere All parts in small quantity, leaves when young [34][35]
    Amaranth, pigweed, tumbleweed Amaranthus retroflexus Native to the tropical Americas, but widespread worldwide Leaves, boiled as a vegetable, or raw with the shoots if young

Seeds, raw or toasted, or ground to flour

[36]
    Spear saltbush, common orache Atriplex patula Semi-arid deserts and coastal areas in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa Young leaves and shoots, raw or cooked as a substitute for spinach [8]
    Ice plant, sour fig Carpobrotus edulis South Africa and many zones with a similar climate, including Australia, California and the Mediterranean Figs (May to July); edible raw [37]
    Fat-hen, wild spinach Chenopodium album Worldwide in soils rich in nitrogen, especially on wasteland Leaves and young shoots; edible raw or prepared as a green vegetable [38]
  Good-King-Henry Chenopodium bonus-henricus Most of Europe, West Asia and eastern North America Young shoots (until early summer) and leaves (until August). The shoots can be cooked like asparagus, and the leaves like spinach. [39]
    Cogongrass Imperata cylindrica Native to tropical and subtropical Asia, but found worldwide as an invasive species from 45°N to 45°S Young inflorescences and shoots, cooked; roots, edible raw when chewed; ash, as a salt substitute [40]
    Poppy Papaver rhoeas Worldwide, principally in the northern temperate zones Seeds (from September, when the seed heads are dry, gray-brown and holed); edible raw as a spice or flavoring [41]
    Samphire, glasswort, pickleweed, sea beans, sea asparagus Salicornia species Seashores and other salty habitats in the northern hemisphere and southern Africa Young shoots (June or July); edible raw or cooked, also pickled [42]
    Bladder campion, maidenstears Silene vulgaris As a wildflower in the temperate zones of Europe, Western Asia, North Africa and North America, on dry, sunny, calcareous grassland Young shoots and leaves, raw, older leaves also cooked; a local specialty in parts of the Mediterranean region [43]
    Chickweed Stellaria media Worldwide, as an annual in colder climates, and a perennial evergreen elsewhere Stems and leaves, raw or cooked [44]
    Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Native to Eurasia, naturalized elsewhere Leaves, edible raw or cooked when older [45]
    Stinging nettle Urtica dioica Very common in Europe and Asia, less common in North America Young shoots and leaves (until May), edible after soaking or boiling as a vegetable, or as a soup or purée [46]

See also edit

 
Wikiversity has learning resources about Edible plant identification

References edit

  1. ^ U.S. Department of the Army (2019). The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-1-4930-4039-1. OCLC 1043567121.
  2. ^ Mabey (2012), 73
  3. ^ Mabey (2012), 34
  4. ^ Mabey (2012), 44
  5. ^ Mabey (2012), 52
  6. ^ Mabey (2012), 77
  7. ^ Mabey (2012), 41
  8. ^ a b Mabey (2012), 104
  9. ^ Mabey (2012), 37
  10. ^ Mabey (2012), 38
  11. ^ Mabey (2012), 33
  12. ^ Mabey (2012), 85
  13. ^ Mabey (2012), 64
  14. ^ Mabey (2012), 74
  15. ^ Mabey (2012), 97
  16. ^ Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
  17. ^ Mabey (2012), 30
  18. ^ Pieroni, Andrea (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 32. ISBN 0415927463.
  19. ^ Mabey (2012), 61
  20. ^ Mabey (2012), 62
  21. ^ Mabey (2012), 58
  22. ^ Mabey (2012), 51
  23. ^ Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.
  24. ^ Benoliel 2011, p. 163.
  25. ^ Blackwell, Laird R. (2006). Great Basin Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of the High Deserts of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon (A Falcon Guide) (1st ed.). Guilford, Conn.: Morris Book Publishing, LLC. p. 213. ISBN 0-7627-3805-7. OCLC 61461560.
  26. ^ Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1968). Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables. HMSO. pp. 16–23.
  27. ^ "Kisel – Russian sweet drink". milkandbun. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  28. ^ "Red-flowering Currant". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  29. ^ Mabey (2012), 78
  30. ^ Mabey (2012), 72
  31. ^ Mabey (2012), 68
  32. ^ Mabey (2012), 71
  33. ^ Mabey (2012), 57
  34. ^ Tjandra, Cornelia (2019-05-16). "Yarrow, a Delicious and Nutritious Panacea". Eat The Planet. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  35. ^ "Common Yarrow: Pictures, Flowers, Leaves & Identification | Achillea millefolium". Edible Wild Food. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  36. ^ Mabey (2012), 112
  37. ^ Mabey (2012), 98
  38. ^ Mabey (2012), 100; Kallas (2010), 67
  39. ^ Mabey (2012), 103
  40. ^ "Imperata cylindrica". Plants for a Future.
  41. ^ Mabey (2012), 88
  42. ^ Mabey (2012), 108–111
  43. ^ Mabey (2012), 116
  44. ^ Mabey (2012), 112–115
  45. ^ Benoliel 2011, p. 73.
  46. ^ Mabey (2012), xx

Sources edit

  • Benoliel, Doug (2011). Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Rev. and updated ed.). Seattle, WA: Skipstone. ISBN 978-1-59485-366-1. OCLC 668195076.
  • Kallas, John (2010). Edible wild plants: wild foods from dirt to plate (1. ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 978-1423601500.
  • Mabey, Richard (2012). Food for free (2012 ed.). London: Collins. ISBN 978-000-743847-1.

Further reading edit

  • Fleischhauer, Steffen Guido (2005). Enzyklopädie der essbaren Wildpflanzen: 1500 Pflanzen Mitteleuropas mit 400 Farbfotos (3. ed.). Aarau/München: AT-Verlag. ISBN 978-3855028894.
  • Lim, T.K. Medicinal and non-medicinal edible plants. Springer.
  • Vol. 1, Fruits: Actinidiaceae–Cycadaceae (2012): ISBN 978-90-481-8660-0
  • Vol. 2, Fruits: Clusiaceae–Fabaceae (2012): ISBN 978-94-007-1763-3
  • Vol. 3, Fruits: Ginkgoaceae–Myrtaceae (2012): ISBN 978-94-007-2533-1
  • Thayer, Samuel (2006). The Forager's Harvest: a guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing edible wild plants. Ogema, WI: Forager's Harvest. ISBN 978-0976626602.

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