19 Common Edible Plants
You do not have to be a “prepper” or survival expert to recognize, harvest, prepare or enjoy common wild edible plants.
Step out of the house and look around; take a walk in a park or on a natural trail and you will soon realize you are surrounded by food.
Here is a guide to 19 common edible plants you can find almost anywhere. Some are available in both the wild and grocery store, others can be found in the yard or alongside the road. They are free for the taking; if you are on city or private property, it is best to ask first.
19) Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia) Both the fruits and pads of the plant are edible and widely available.
18) Cattails (Typha) Eat the inside of the stalks, young leaves and the flower spike.
17) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) The leaves, flowers and roots are all edible; it is a well-known superfood.
16) Wild Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus) The berries are edible raw or cooked into jellies, jams and sauces.
15) Clover (Trifolium) Eat the leaves raw or gently boiled like spinach.
14) Purslane (Portulacca Orelacea) The whole plant can be eaten raw or cooked in various ways.
13) Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) Boil the roots like potatoes and eat the leaves raw or lightly cooked.
Recommended read: 17 Tips For Surviving In The Wild
12) Quinoa (Chenopodium) The young leaves and grains are edible.
11) Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium Album) The leaves can be eaten raw, boiled or stir-fried.
10) Dock (Rumex Crispus) Eat the leaves raw or boiled, boil the stalks and use the seeds for soup and stew additions as well as ground into flour.
9) Plantain (Plantago) The young leaves are high in vitamins A and C; it likes to grow in wet areas.
8) Mushrooms (various species) These are edible raw or cooked. Take a class to learn how to identify them.
7) Wild Nuts (various species) Pine nuts, acorns, walnuts and more are widely available.
6) Apples (various species) Trees growing in the wild produce apples with a taste that will knock your socks off.
5) Wild Rose (Rosa Virginiana) Rose petals taste sweet, and the hips have more vitamin C than oranges. They can also be boiled and eaten.
4) Strawberry (Fragaria) Eat wild strawberries and you will never want another from a grocery store.
3) Pawpaw (Asimina Triloba) This humble fruit tastes like banana custard. It kept the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition alive.
2) Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) Young leaves and shoots from plants under eight inches tall are edible.
1) Juneberry (Amelanchier) These berries can resemble blueberries or red berries; they have been eaten for centuries.
Recommended book: The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
These 19 wild edible foods are only a minute fraction of what is available outside your door.
The best way to learn how to identify, harvest and prepare these foods is to start with a book. Note plants that grow in your immediate area; there is food all around you.
Take the book with you when you take a walk in the park, camping or anywhere. The books will have clear pictures of the plants, identifying the edible parts and how best to prepare them.
Once you get used to harvesting wild edible plants, introduce your friends to them by serving dishes highlighting the wild ingredients. Have fun taking them with you as you harvest your local area for food that will ease the strain on your wallet and keep you alive if disaster strikes. While everyone else is panicking and going hungry, you can step up and show people the food right outside their doors.
Investing in a book about wild foods can make the difference in eating tasteless survival food bars handed out by rescue workers or having a tasty, nutritious meal you did not have to stand in line for.
