How To Find Wild Edible Plants 15 Steps With Pictures

Do not start with grass, as not all grass is edible (for example, bamboo contains cyanogenic glycosides which your body metabolizes into hydrogen cyanide). (although it is not advisable for those with a weak stomach) Anything under 6" is easy to chew and digest. The flavor ranges from intensely sweet to mild to bitter - anyone who’s tasted a shot of wheatgrass knows just how sweet grass can be. Grass that’s over 6" can either be chewed for juice and spit out, or run through a manual wheatgrass juicer for a healthy shot. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/6/66/Edible_plants_2_006_219. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_2_006_219. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/6/66/Edible_plants_2_006_219. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_2_006_219. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Many grasses have edible seeds as well but it’s better to learn to identify a specific plant rather than learn iffy tips.

Dandelion (taraxacum officinale):[2] X Research source The young unfolding greens in the center are great raw. The entire plant can be steamed. The flower is the best part. Pick it off the stem, and with your fingers pinch off the green base of the flower, so there’s no white sap (the sap is very bitter). You’re left with a sweet, meaty, filling wild food that can be found in incredible abundance. Also, you can throw a few of them into a pot to boil some dandelion tea. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/3/3c/Edible_plants_3_014_428. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_3_014_428. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/3/3c/Edible_plants_3_014_428. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_3_014_428. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Wood Sorrel (oxalis spp):[4] X Research source The whole plant is great raw - it has a nice acid flavor, refreshing. The flowers of the cosmopolitan weeds are yellow, but many varieties grow in the wild with pinkish flowers. If you eat it, try the stem, but not the red part as it and the leaves are bitter. This is a plant extremely common not only in lawns and cleared areas, but also deep in the wilderness. It should not be consumed in great quantity as it contains relatively high levels of oxalic acid, which, while is vital for humans, may cause the gastrointestinal upset or illness when consumed in large amounts. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/9/9c/Edible_plants_2_009_667. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_2_009_667. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/9/9c/Edible_plants_2_009_667. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_2_009_667. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Henbit (lamium amplexicaule):[5] X Research source Another plant entirely edible raw. It’s a Lamium, a very mild mint. Like chickweed, it has a sweet, grassy flavor - pluck off the tops to avoid the stems. This plant will form huge carpets in places, very early in the year, with an understory of chickweed beneath it. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/c/ca/Edible_plants_3_016_756. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_3_016_756. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/c/ca/Edible_plants_3_016_756. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_3_016_756. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Dead-nettle (lamium purpureum):[6] X Research source Another Lamium, just like henbit. It’s eaten the same way - and will also form huge carpets covering the ground, especially in spring. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/d/dc/Atlanta_trees_064_997. JPG/460px-Atlanta_trees_064_997. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/d/dc/Atlanta_trees_064_997. JPG/728px-Atlanta_trees_064_997. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Plantain (plantago lanceolata):[7] X Research source Young leaves in the center are good raw - have a slight salty flavor. There’s both a common and an English plantain, that are very similar. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/5/5d/Edible_plants_3_010_454. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_3_010_454. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/5/5d/Edible_plants_3_010_454. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_3_010_454. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Sow thistle (sonchus spp):[8] X Research source The young leaves are decent - treat it like dandelion, and try to avoid the bitter latex sap. Sow thistle has excellent yellow flowers very similar to dandelion, yet even better, that’s prepared the same way and eaten raw. Unlike dandelion, sow thistle has an upright stalk and a more prickly-looking thistle-like appearance. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/b/bc/Atlanta_trees_032_555. JPG/460px-Atlanta_trees_032_555. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/b/bc/Atlanta_trees_032_555. JPG/728px-Atlanta_trees_032_555. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Wild onion (allium spp):[9] X Research source Very common in areas that are mowed. A very mild onion that is excellent raw. Harvest bunches of it and use it just like scallions. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/7/71/Edible_plants_2_004_371. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_2_004_371. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/7/71/Edible_plants_2_004_371. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_2_004_371. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"} Cress (cardamine spp):[10] X Research source This is one of the many wild plants in the mustard family common in cities. When young, the leaves are excellent raw, with a mild mustard flavor. As they get older the full plants can be steamed, just as you would prepare mustard greens at home. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/a/a0/Edible_plants_2_007_383. JPG/460px-Edible_plants_2_007_383. JPG”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/a/a0/Edible_plants_2_007_383. JPG/728px-Edible_plants_2_007_383. JPG",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

Image by: Uploader
\nLicense: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/3. 0/">Creative Commons</a>\n</p></div>"}

The base of flowers can be strong to bitter (and in the case of some, such as Wisteria, toxic) — it’s better to break off petals and not eat the green material.