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ceresone

How Many Edible Weeds?

ceresone
15 years ago

Can you name? Besides the brambles? I thought this might be a good cold weather garden-related subject.

Theres Lambs Quarter, New Poke, Dock, and Curly Dock, I recently was told Chickweed is edible--what all am I missing?

Anything to get me out of the Garden Catalogs--and can I just buy Tomato Seeds for another year, if I dont plant them?? I need help with my obcession, People!!!!

Comments (18)

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    Jerusalem artichoke, something called carpenter's square, (persimmon and mulberry are weed trees).

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    If we had to live off weeds that were on our own property, we'd have plenty of dandelion greens. lol The site below says you can boil and eat the roots also. We could season them with wild onions or garlic. I'm not sure which one we have but there would be plenty of that too.
    Other common weeds in our lawn are narrow leaf and broad leaf plantain, sheep sorrel, wild dock, poke and once in awhile I see Lambs Quarter.
    Chicory is edible too. I've never seen it in my own yard but it grows along the roadsides in town. I think it must like asphalt. It has pretty blue flowers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Plants for a Future Database

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    Purslane, mouse's ear (I don't recognize it, but Mom always added some to her greens), dandelion (just a few leaves since it is bitter). These along with the ones you covered, Ceresone, are what Mom would pick each spring.

    BTW, tomato seed keep viable for 4 years! So order away. Just seal them in a baggie and keep in the fridge. Lots of garden seeds keep even longer that that.

  • mulberryknob
    15 years ago

    All the wild violets are also edible. My favorite is the earliest blooming, the tiny Johhny Jump Up. I pick the whole plant when it has the blooms on it and add them to salads. The little flowers are particularly delicious. Wild Rocket is edible and I don't know if you would call it a weed, but one of my favorite spring greens is watercress.

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    Oh, I forgot watercress. Mine is still green, but a little too short to pick.

    I have Johnny Jump Ups so will be trying that.

    I don't know if I have wild rocket....that's a new one for me.

  • mulberryknob
    15 years ago

    wild amaranth and wild lettuce are also edible when small.

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    Boy, I didn't realize how many there are that I don't recognize.

    I am remembering an Arkansas native woman who wrote a book about wild edibles. She went barefoot. I can't remember her name, do you?

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    I didn't know wild violets were edible. I have a couple kinds in my yard but I don't know what they are. I looked it up on the website below and it gives viola odorata the highest edibility rating.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Plants for a Future - Viola

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    I was reading about morels on the web and one of the sites said cattails were edible. Plants for a Future gives it a edibility rating of 5 (highest rating). It's native to Missouri but I think they're considered aggressive.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Plants for a Future - Common Cattails

  • sunnyside1
    15 years ago

    Maybe there will be a recipe book, "100 Ways To Cook Henbit" -- there's enough of it in my yard to keep everyone alive, at least, for a long time---
    Sunny

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    I was just thinking I should know the weeds better than I do. I especially need to know what the seedlings turn into. I just pulled up something that looks like parsley replanted it then pulled it up again. There is a weed with attractive blue foliage that I would like to identify. I tried eating chickweed raw and did not like it.

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    lol Helen - I've replanted weeds before too. I'm not sure what either of those would be but you could try posting a photo.
    Sunny - we have a lot of henbit too. Dandelions aren't blooming here yet. When they do, the henbit won't be quite as noticeable. If you find that cookbook, let me know. lol

  • briang2009
    14 years ago

    Many, many, many
    Commonly found:
    Lamb's Quarters
    Sheep Sorrel
    Green Briar
    Wild Grape (leaves and fruit)
    Dock (leaves)
    Wild Carrot (young leaves, deep-fry blossoms, seeds for seasoning
    Plantain
    Cinquefoil
    Cleavers or Goosegrass
    Mint
    Chamomile
    Feverfew
    Ground Ivy
    Cat Tail
    Evening Primrose
    Honeysuckle
    Mustard
    Purslane
    Mallow
    Poke Salat (must be cooked twice)

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago

    Glenda, are you thinking of Ruth Stout?

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago

    I used to hear a lot about Ewell Gibbons. He was into using wild plants for food.
    I have the book " Feasting Free on Wild Edibles" by Bradford Angier.
    And, " Using Wayside Plants" by Nelson Coon. I am sure both of those books are now out of print, but might be found on Amazon, or E Bay.
    I once thought I would like to get into doing that, but the biting bugs deterred me. :-(

    I also have a Peterson Field Guide on Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants.
    I guess if worse came to worse, I would have the info to cope with it???

    Marian

  • helenh
    14 years ago

    Mo Dept. of Conservation used to sell a book, Wild Edibles of Missouri by Jan Phillips copyright 1979. Some of the edible plants don't taste good; they are for starving people. The part on acorns was funny; they taste bad evidently.

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    Marian, It wasn't Ruth Stout, I can just see the woman, she also wove baskets, looked native American but that might just because she wore her hair long or braided. I could be wrong; it was many years ago I saw her on PBS TV.

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago

    Glenda, I think I vaguely remember her too....I don't know what we could google to find her.
    Oh me...I just remembered. I have her book! It is/was Billy Joe Tatum!

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