Edible weeds...

We have lots of weeds on our property and many of them are edible, some are not. We have not identified all of them all but we are in the process of it!

We have dandelion pictured below. It's the leaves that are long and jagged. The leaves are good in salads and they are chock full of nutrients. It is a diuretic and is a stimulant to the system, in particular the urinary organs and most use it for kidney and liver disorders. Many decoctions or teas are used in combination with other herbs to help these ailments.

We have sour grass (below picture). I used to eat this when I was a kid. My kids sure like it now. I find bits and piles of it all over the house.

We have nettle (below). This grows in certain areas of the garden not everywhere. I am sure it has to do with the soil composition and shade availability. This is an awesome 'weed' to have or use in cooking. It is a powerful herb to fight allergies and it can be used to help when you touch it and get all itchy. Just put some of the leaves in your mouth, chew and spit the whole glob on the itchy-ness and it should go away.

This one looks like wild chamomile (below), but I really have no idea what it is. It grows low to the ground and has little white flowers. I'm not sure if that's what it is but it sure looks like it!

This one is NOT edible and is considered a deadly weed. It is called Nightshade (below picture) and is of the tomato family. When it grows larger it has black berries that kind of look yummy but beware, even though some websites say that it's edible and others say that it's not, we will stay away from this plant. We are cautious.

We have little mallow. Many people add this to their salads or use it as greens for soups. We have not ventured that far in our culinary travels.

We have horehound (below 2 pics). I am pretty sure this is the one that is edible but we are waiting to view the flowers. If the flowers are white then it's safe but if the flowers are pink/purple we are pulling it up! It is better to be safe than sorry!

These are only a few of the edible (& some non-edibls) weeds that we have, there are so many more out there! What do you have in your backyard? Have you been adventurous and eaten them? I think it's kind of important to know what you can and can't eat...especially with kids!

Here are a few books available to read more about foraging! Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate, The Wild Wisdom of Weeds..., Backyard Foraging: 65..., and Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants. 

Thanks for stopping in!