8 Surprising Wild Plants You Can Eat (2024)

FAQs

Is it safe to eat purple clover? ›

2. Clovers. The pretty red and purple clover you may find in fields or grassy meadows is considered edible. You can eat both the flowers and leaves raw; some people find the flowers especially tasty.

Also known as purple shamrock, purple oxalis is an edible plant related to sorrel, of which these are the flowers. It has a high concentration of oxalic acid, which gives it a tangy sour taste with citrus overtones. The leaves that grow on this plant are deep purple and triangular in shape.

Plum, Cherry, Peach, Apricot (Prunus spp.)

The flesh of various Prunus species (plums, cherries, peaches, etc.) is edible, but the leaves, stems and pits are toxic, containing a precursor of cyanide.

Creeping bellflower, also known by the delicious name hairbell and Campanula rapunculoides are a common garden weed. The pretty purple flowers always get compliments when I serve them to people and they have a neutral taste that makes them good for both savory and sweet dishes.

All parts of the clover plant appear to be edible, although the seed pods are generally reserved for animal feed. Clover blossoms are used to make teas and jellies, while the leaves can be eaten cooked or raw.

People who have been diagnosed with breast cancer should not use red clover without discussing it with their physician. Red clover may increase the risk of bleeding, particularly in those people who are taking blood-thinning medications.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) was used traditionally in the Americas and later in Europe as a calming herb for anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria.

Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)

Originally hailing from Europe and Asia, this purple-and-green plant with bright purple flowers is now found all over North America. Deadnettle is not actually a nettle at all—it is a member of the mint family, and the entire plant is edible and highly nutritious.

co*ckscomb cultivars have coral or brain-looking blooms that are often large and heavy so they must often be staked. They grow between 12 and 36 inches tall.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis)

One of the contenders for the world's most poisonous plant is the castor bean, a shrub native to Africa and widespread in hot, tropical regions. The danger is concentrated in its seeds: just four can kill an adult. Its toxin, ricin, is said to be 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide.

What poisonous plant looks like a wild onion? ›

Another difference to note is that while wild onion leaves have a U-shaped valley, death camases have a V-shaped notch in their leaves. However, the biggest contrast between wild onions and death camas plants is the smell. No matter the species, wild onions smell like an onion, while death camas plants do not.

Leafy spurge is an erect, branching, perennial herb 2 to 3½ feet tall, with smooth stems and showy yellow flower bracts. Stems frequently occur in clusters from a vertical root that can extend many feet underground. Stems and leaves have a white milky sap that is a skin irritant.

Borage – Beautiful borage is a plant that bees love best. It's also yummy for humans – it has a sweet flavour, and some even say it tastes like honey! The striking flower, which blooms all the way from May until November, looks magnificent frozen into ice cubes for your summer co*cktails.

The Middlemist Red Camellia, or Camellia japonica 'Middlemist's Red,' is an exceptionally rare flower with vibrant pinkish-red petals. With only two known living specimens in the world, both located in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, it holds the title of the rarest flowering plant on Earth.

Chive Blossoms

Their delicate, light to bright purple petals offer an onion aroma and sweet, garlicky flavor but are milder than chives themselves. You can eat chive blossoms raw, pickle them, deep-fry them, or use them as a lovely garnish for salads, dips, or savory dishes.

The flowering heads and foliage are both edible, both raw or cooked. Its young leaves should be harvested before the plant flowers. They can be used in salads or soups or cooked similar to spinach. The flowering heads as well as the seed pods can be dried and used as a flour substitute.

Red clover flowers have been used in teas, jellies, and to flavor vinegar. The plant has been used medicinally as an ingredient in cough syrup and in salves to treat eye and skin diseases, among a variety of other medicinal uses.

Organic farmers plant clover to improve soil quality and reduce the need for artificial fertilizers. Livestock owners grow it to provide nutrient-dense forage for grazing animals. Gardeners seed it into their lawns to attract beneficial insects.

Clover toxicity is caused by ingestion of alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) or red clover (Trifolium pratense), resulting in signs of photosensitivity and liver failure.