The Protocol for Eating Wild Plants

The burdock plant produces an edible root.

Foraging is the act of gathering wild plants for food, and there may be some wild plants growing in your yard or on your property that can provide a fine dinner. Foraging can supplement your diet with interesting flavors and choices.

Conditions

When foraging for wild plants to eat, choose areas that have not been sprayed with pesticides and that are set back from the road. Roadside weeds are subject to daily car exhaust fumes, giving them an unpleasant taste.

Types

Many edible plants that can be widely found are considered weeds. For example, the seeds, roots, crowns, leaves and flowers of dandelions are edible, as are the leaf stalks and taproot of the burdock plant. Wild leeks, wild onions and wild carrots can be eaten just like their domestic counterparts.

Warning

Do not eat a plant unless you can clearly identify what it is. Similarly, do not eat mushrooms unless you can properly identify them; some very poisonous varieties resemble the edible ones found in grocery stores.

References

• Eco Salon: Foraging Guide to Edible Wild Plants
• Wilderness Survival: Edible and Medicinal Plants