EDIBLE NATIVES IN THE LANDSCAPE
By plant family:
* denotes plants considered to be weeds
Agavacea:
Agave havardiana, Agave neomexicana…………………………………………..baked agave heart
Sotol (dasylirion sp.)……………………………………………………………………..baked sotol heart
Yucca (yucca sp.)…………………………………………………………fresh flowers, green seed pod Alismatacea:
Arrowhead (sagittaria sp.)………………………………………………………..tubers, boiled or baked
Amaranthacea:
*Amaranth (amaranthus sp.)………………………………………………..flour from seed,. fresh leaves
Anacardiacea:
Sumacs (rhus sp. orange berries only)……………………………………………..medicine, tea
Arecaceae:
Palmetto (sabal texana)…………………………………………………………………..fruit
Asteracea:
*Dandelion (taraxicum officianale)…………………………………medicine, wine, coffee, fresh leaves
Goldenrod (solidago sp.)……………………………………………………………..tea, jelly
Greenthread (thelesperma sp.)…………………………………………………………………..tea
*Wild lettuce (lactuca sp.)…………………………………………………………..fresh leaves and stems
*Giant ragweed (ambrosia trifida)……………………………………………….medicine, seeds as grain
*Sow thistle (sonchus sp.)…………………………………………………………medicine, boiled leaves
*Thistle (cirsium sp.)……………………………………………………….Leaves, roots (fresh or cooked)
Berberidaceae:
Agarita (berberis sp.)……………………………………………………………………………….fruit
Brassicaceae:
*Mustard (brassica sp.)………………………………………………………………………..leaves, seed
*Peppergrass (lepedium sp.)…………………………………………………………………..leaves, seed
Cactacea:
Cholla, Prickly pear, Jumping cactus (opuntia sp.)………………………………………medicine, fresh fruits, jelly, fried or baked stems and pads
Caprifoliaceae:
Elderberry (sambucus canadensis)…………………………………………………………………fruit
Rusty blackhaw viburnum (viburnum rufidulum)………………………………………………..fruit
Chenopodiaceae:
*Lamb’s quarter (chenopodium album)……………………….medicine, fresh leaves, seeds as flour
*Tumbleweed (salsola kali)…………………………………………………………young shoots (cooked)
Commelinaceae:
Dayflower (commelina sp.)………………………………….leaves, stems, flowers (fresh or cooked)
Spiderwort (tradescantia sp.)………………………………leaves, stems, flowers (fresh or cooked)
Crassulaceae:
Sedum (sedum sp.)……………………………………………………. leaves (fresh or cooked)
Cupressaceae:
Juniper (juniperus sp.)……………………………………………………………..berries as seasoning
Cyperaceae:
*Nutgrass (cyperus sp.)…………………………………………………….nutlets, (fresh or cooked)
Ebenaceae:
Persimmon (diospyros virginiana)……………………………………………………..fruit, leaves as tea
Texas Persimmon (diospyros texana)…………………………………………………………..fruit
Ericaceae:
Madrone (arbutus xalapensis)……………………………………………………………………fruits
Fabaceae:
Honey locust (gleditsia triacanthos)……………………………………………………seed pod
Mesquite (prosopis sp.)…………………………………………………………………..seed pod
Redbud (cercis sp.)…………………………………………………………………………seed pod
Retama (parkinsonia aculeata)………………………………………………………….seed as flour
Fagaceae:
Oaks (quercus sp.)…………………………………………………………………….leached acorns
Juglandaceae:
Hickory, pecan (carya sp.)…………………………………………………………………….nuts
Walnut (juglans sp.)………………………………………………………………………………nuts
Lamiaceae:
Beebalm, Horsemint (monarda sp.)……………………………………………………tea, spice
* Henbit (lamium amplexicaule)……………………………..leaves, stems, flowers (fresh or cooked)
Horehound (marrubium vulgare)……………………………………………………..medicine, tea, candy
Salvias (salvia sp.)………………………………………………………………………..spice
Lilliaceae:
*Greenbriar (smilax species)…………………………………………………………….tender young shoots
Onion, Garlic (allium sp.)………………………………………………………………….leaves, bulbs
Malvaceae:
Turk’s cap (malvaviscus drummondii)……………………….leaves, flowers, fruit, (fresh or cooked)
Martyniaceae:
*Devil’s claw (proboscidea sp.)…………………………………………………..green seed pod
Moraceae:
Mulberry (morus sp.)………………………………………………………………………..fruit
Myricaceae:
Wax myrtle (myrica sp.)……………………………………………………………….spice
Nymphaeaceae:
Water lilly (nelumbo lutea)………………………………………………………….cooked tubers
Onagraceae:
Evening primrose (oenothera speciosa)…………………………………………..fresh leaves
Yellow primrose (oenothera sp.)…………………………………………………..medicine, leaves, roots
Oxalidaceae:
Oxalis (oxalis sp.)………………………………………………………………………..leaves
Passifloraceae:
Passionflower (passiflora sp.)………………………………………………………….fruit
Pinaceae:
Pinyon (pinus sp.)………………………………………………………………………seed
Plantaginaceae:
*Plantain (plantago sp.)………………………………………………………..medicine, leaves, seed
Poaceae:
Blue grama (bouteloua gracilis)……………………………………………………………..seeds as flour
Fescue (festuca sp.)…………………………………………………………………………….seeds as flour
*Giant cane (arundo donax)……………………………………………………………stems, seeds as flour
Muhly grass (muhlenbergia sp.)……………………………………………………………….seeds as flour
Panic grass (panicum virgatum)……………………………………………………………….seeds as flour
Sand dropseed (sporobolus sp.)……………………………………………………………….seeds as flour
Wild rice (zizania sp.)…………………………………………………………………………………….rice
Polygonaceae:
*Curly dock (rumex sp.)………………………………………..leaves (fresh or cooked), ground seed
Pontederiaceae:
Pickerel weed (pontederia cordata)………………………………..leaves, seeds (fresh or cooked)
Portulacaceae:
*Purslane (portulaca oleracea)………………………………………..leaves, stems (fresh or cooked)
Rhamnaceae:
Lotebush (ziziphus obtusifolia)……………………………………………………………….fruits
Jujube (ziziphus jujuba)………………………………………………………………………..fruits
New Jersey tea (ceanothus americanus)………………………………………………leaves as tea
Rosaceae:
Blackberry (rubus sp.)…………………………………………………………………………fruits
Chickasaw plum (prunus angustifolia)………………………………………………………fruits
Hawthorn (crataegus sp.)……………………………………………………………………..fruits
Mexican plum (prunus mexicana)……………………………………………………………fruits
Rose (rosa sp.)………………………………………………………………….flowers, fruit (fresh or as tea)
Solanaceae:
Chile pequin (capsicum annuum)……………………………………………………………..fruits
Sapotaceae:
Chittamwood (bumelia languinosa)…………………………………………………………..fruits
Typhaceae:
Cattail reed (typha sp.)…………………………………..cooked roots, fresh young buds and shoots
Ulmaceae:
Hackberry (celtis sp.)………………………………………………………………………………fruits
Violaceae:
Violet (viola sp.)………………………………………………………………….flowers, leaves
Vitaceae::
Grape (vitis sp.)…………………………………………………………………………………….fruits