In a survival situation, plants can provide food and medicine. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, knowing how to prepare them for eating, and knowing any dangerous properties they might have. Familiarity with botanical structures of plants and information on where they grow will make them easier to locate and identify.
Abal
Calligonum comosum
Description:
The abal is one of the few shrubby plants that exists in shady deserts. It grows to about 1.2 meters and has broom-like green branches that produce an abundance of flowers in early spring (March, April).
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in desert scrub and waste in various climatic zones. Common in North African deserts, the Middle East, and western India (Rajputana desert).
Edible Parts:
Fresh flowers are edible during the spring flowering period. High in sugar and nitrogenous content.
Acacia
Acacia farnesiana
Description:
A spreading, usually short tree with spines and alternate compound leaves. Leaflets are small. Bright yellow, fragrant, ball-shaped flowers. Bark is whitish-gray. Fruits are dark brown and podlike.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in open, sunny areas throughout tropical regions. Especially common in Africa, southern Asia, Australia, and warmer/drier parts of the Americas.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves, flowers, and pods can be eaten raw or cooked.
Agave
Agave species
Description:
These plants have large clusters of thick, fleshy leaves borne close to the ground and surrounding a central stalk. They flower only once, then die, producing a massive flower stalk.
Habitat and Distribution:
Prefer dry, open areas. Found throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of the western deserts of the U.S. and Mexico.
Edible Parts:
Flowers and flower buds are edible; boil before eating.
Other Uses:
Cut the flower stalk for juice. Fibrous leaves can be used for weaving and rope. Use leaf tips as needles. Some species contain soap-like chemicals in the sap.
CAUTION:
Juice of some species causes dermatitis in some individuals.
Almond
Prunus amygdalus
Description:
The almond tree, which sometimes grows to 12.2 meters, looks like a peach tree. The fresh almond fruit resembles a gnarled, unripe peach and grows in clusters. The stone (the almond itself) is covered with a thick, dry, woolly skin.
Habitat and Distribution:
Almonds are found in the scrub and thorn forests of the tropics, the evergreen scrub forests of temperate areas, and in desert scrub and waste in all climatic zones. Also found in semidesert areas of southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean, Iran, the Middle East, China, Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.
Edible Parts:
The mature almond fruit splits open lengthwise, exposing the ripe almond nut. Crack open the stone to get the kernel. Rich in food value. Boiling removes the outer covering, leaving the white meat.
Amaranth
Amaranthus species
Description:
These plants, which grow 90 to 150 cm tall, are abundant weeds in many parts of the world. All amaranth have alternate simple leaves. They may have red color on stems. They bear minute greenish flowers in dense clusters. Seeds may be brown or black in weedy species and light-colored in domestic ones.
Habitat and Distribution:
Look along roadsides, in disturbed waste areas, or as weeds in crops worldwide. Some species have been grown as a grain crop and a garden vegetable, especially in South America.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible. Remove spines if present. Young plants or tips of older plants are excellent vegetables—boiled or raw. Seeds are very nutritious—eat raw, boiled, ground into flour, or popped like popcorn.
Arctic Willow
Salix arctica
Description:
A shrub that grows no more than 60 cm tall and forms dense mats on tundra. Leaves are leathery and the plant grows in clumps.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common on tundras in North America, Europe, and Asia. Also in some mountainous areas in temperate zones.
Edible Parts:
Tender young shoots in early spring are edible. Strip bark from new shoots and eat the inner portion raw. Young underground shoots are also edible. Leaves are extremely high in vitamin C—7 to 10 times more than oranges.
Arrowroot
Maranta and Sagittaria species
Description:
The arrowroot is an aquatic plant with arrow-shaped leaves and potatolike tubers in the mud.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide in temperate zones and the tropics, especially in moist to wet habitats.
Edible Parts:
The rootstock is a rich source of high-quality starch. Boil the rootstock and eat it as a vegetable.
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
Description:
The spring growth of this plant resembles a cluster of green fingers. The mature plant has fernlike, wispy foliage and red berries. Its flowers are small and greenish. Several species have thorn-like structures.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide in temperate areas. Look in fields, old homesites, and fencerows.
Edible Parts:
Eat the young stems before leaves form. Steam or boil for 10–15 minutes. Raw asparagus may cause nausea or diarrhea. Roots are a good source of starch.
CAUTION:
Do not eat the fruits of any asparagus species as some are toxic.
Bael Fruit
Aegle marmelos
Description:
A tree growing 2.4 to 4.6 meters tall, with dense spiny growth. Its fruit is 5 to 10 cm in diameter, gray or yellowish, and full of seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in rain forests and semievergreen seasonal forests of the tropics. Grows wild in India and Burma.
Edible Parts:
The fruit is best when just turning ripe. Juice is sour but refreshing when mixed with water, tamarind, and sugar or honey. Rich in vitamin C.
Bamboo
Various species including Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys
Description:
Bamboos are woody grasses that grow up to 15 meters tall. The leaves are grasslike and the stems are the familiar bamboo used in furniture and fishing poles.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in warm, moist regions in open or jungle country, in lowland, or on mountains. Native to the Far East but widely planted around the world.
Edible Parts:
Young shoots of almost all species are edible raw or cooked. Boil to remove bitterness. The seed grain is also edible—boil like rice or pulverize into flour.
Other Uses:
Use mature bamboo to build structures or make cooking utensils, tools, weapons, or bows.
CAUTION: Green bamboo may explode in a fire. Remove internal membrane before using as container.
Banana and Plantain
Musa species
Description:
Treelike plants with several large leaves at the top. Flowers are in dense hanging clusters.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open fields or forest margins in the humid tropics.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible raw or cooked. Boil, bake, or cook the flowers. Rootstocks and leaf sheaths of many species are edible. The plant’s center or “heart” is edible year-round.
Other Uses:
Use plant layers for roasting food over coals, extract water from stumps, and use leaves to wrap food.
Baobab
Adansonia digitata
Description:
May grow as high as 18 meters, with a trunk up to 9 meters in diameter. Has short branches, gray thick bark, compound leaves, and white flowers. Fruit is shaped like a football and covered in dense hair.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in savannas across Africa, parts of Australia, and Madagascar.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves are used in soup. Tender roots of young trees are edible. Pulp and seeds are edible—mix pulp with water for a drink. Seeds can be roasted for flour.
Other Uses:
Fruit pulp helps cure diarrhea. Hollow trunks store water. Bark yields strong fiber for rope.
Batoko Plum
Flacourtia inermis
Description:
A shrub or small tree with dark green, alternate, simple leaves. Fruits are bright red with six or more seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to the Philippines and widely cultivated elsewhere. Found in clearings and edges of tropical rain forests in Africa and Asia.
Edible Parts:
Eat the fruit raw or cooked.
Bearberry or Kinnikinnick
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Description:
Common evergreen shrub with reddish, scaly bark and thick, leathery leaves. White flowers and bright red fruits.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in arctic, subarctic, and temperate regions, often in sandy or rocky soil.
Edible Parts:
Berries are edible raw or cooked. Make a tea from young leaves.
Beech
Fagus species
Description:
Large forest trees (9–24 meters tall) with smooth light-gray bark and dark green foliage. Clusters of prickly seedpods.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in moist areas in temperate forests of the U.S., Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Also in Chile, New Guinea, and New Zealand.
Edible Parts:
Mature beechnuts are edible—crack the shell to access the sweet kernel. High in oil content. Roast as a coffee substitute.
Bignay
Antidesma bunius
Description:
A shrub or small tree (3 to 12 meters tall) with shiny, pointed leaves about 15 cm long. Small, clustered green flowers. Fleshy, dark red or black fruits with a single seed.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in rain forests and semievergreen seasonal forests in the tropics. Grows wild from the Himalayas to Ceylon, Indonesia, and northern Australia. Also found in tropical cultivated areas.
Edible Parts:
Fruit is edible raw.
CAUTION:
Do not eat other parts of the tree. Roots are toxic in Africa. Fruit may have a laxative effect if consumed in large quantities.
Blackberry, Raspberry, and Dewberry
Rubus species
Description:
These plants have prickly stems (canes) that grow upward and arch back toward the ground. Leaves are usually compound. Fruits vary in color: red, black, yellow, or orange.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grow in open, sunny areas at the margins of woods, lakes, streams, and roads throughout temperate regions. Arctic raspberry also exists.
Edible Parts:
Fruits and peeled young shoots are edible. Flavor varies.
Other Uses:
Leaves can be used to make tea. Dried root bark tea helps treat diarrhea.
Blueberry and Huckleberry
Vaccinium and Gaylussacia species
Description:
Shrubs ranging from 30 cm to 3.7 meters tall. Have alternate, simple leaves. Fruits may be dark blue, black, or red with many small seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Prefer open, sunny areas. Found in much of the north temperate regions and at higher elevations in Central America.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible raw.
Breadfruit
Artocarpus incisa
Description:
Tree up to 9 meters tall with dark green, deeply divided leaves. Fruits are large, green, and ball-like (up to 30 cm across).
Habitat and Distribution:
Margins of forests and homesites in the humid tropics. Native to the South Pacific; widely planted in the West Indies and Polynesia.
Edible Parts:
Fruit pulp is edible raw. Can be sliced, dried, and ground into flour. Seeds are edible cooked.
Other Uses:
Thick sap can be used as glue or birdlime.
Burdock
Arctium lappa
Description:
Plant with wavy-edged, arrow-shaped leaves and burrlike flower clusters. Grows up to 2 meters tall, with purple or pink flowers and a large, fleshy root.
Habitat and Distribution:
Worldwide in the North Temperate Zone. Found in open waste areas during spring and summer.
Edible Parts:
Peel and eat tender leaf stalks raw or cooked. Roots are edible boiled or baked.
Other Uses:
Root tea promotes sweating and urination. Dried stalk fibers can be used for cordage.
CAUTION:
Do not confuse with rhubarb, which has poisonous leaves.
Burl Palm
Corypha elata
Description:
Tall tree up to 18 meters, with fan-shaped leaves up to 3 meters long. Dies after flowering.
Habitat and Distribution:
Coastal areas of the East Indies.
Edible Parts:
Trunk contains starch, edible raw. Tip of trunk is edible raw or cooked. Juice can be collected from bruised flowering stalk. Nut kernels are edible.
Other Uses:
Leaves can be used for weaving.
CAUTION:
Seed covering may cause dermatitis.
Canna Lily
Canna indica
Description:
Coarse perennial herb, 90 cm to 3 meters tall. Grows from a thick, edible underground rootstock. Leaves resemble banana leaves but smaller. Flowers are small and brightly colored (red, orange, yellow).
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical areas, especially moist places along streams, springs, ditches, and woods. Also found in wet temperate mountain regions.
Edible Parts:
Rootstocks are full of edible starch. Boil or pulverize into a meal. Add young palm cabbage shoots for flavor.
Carob Tree
Ceratonia siliqua
Description:
Large tree with a spreading crown. Leaves are compound and alternate. Long seedpods (up to 45 cm) filled with round hard seeds and thick pulp.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and parts of North Africa.
Edible Parts:
Young tender pods are edible raw or boiled. Pulverize seeds in mature pods and cook as porridge.
Cashew Nut
Anacardium occidentale
Description:
Spreading evergreen tree up to 12 meters tall, with yellowish-pink flowers. Pear-shaped, pulpy fruit with a hard kidney-shaped nut at the tip.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to the West Indies and northern South America, but now found in all tropical climates.
Edible Parts:
Seed is edible when roasted. Fruit is juicy and sweet-acid, considered delicious.
CAUTION:
Green hull around the nut contains a resinous poison that causes blisters. Heat destroys the poison when roasting.
Cattail
Typha latifolia
Description:
Grasslike plant with strap-shaped leaves (1 to 5 cm wide), growing up to 1.8 meters tall. Male flowers are in dense masses above female flowers that develop into brown cattails.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout most of the world in full sun areas near lakes, streams, canals, rivers, and brackish water.
Edible Parts:
Young shoots are edible raw or cooked. Rhizomes are rich in starch (pound to remove starch and use as flour). Pollen is high in starch. Immature female parts can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob.
Other Uses:
Dried leaves are great for weaving. Seeds make pillow stuffing. Fluff makes excellent tinder and insect repellent when burned.
Cereus Cactus
Cereus species
Description:
Tall, narrow cacti with angled stems and numerous spines.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in true deserts and dry, sunny areas throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and the western U.S.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible (may have a laxative effect).
Other Uses:
Cactus pulp is a good source of water—break open the stem and scoop out the pulp.
Chestnut
Castanea sativa
Description:
Large tree (up to 18 meters) common in temperate forests. Recognizable by its spiny seedpods containing edible nuts.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in hardwood and coniferous forests in temperate zones, especially Europe and across Asia to China and Japan.
Edible Parts:
Ripe nuts can be roasted or boiled. Also edible when unripe. Can be mashed like potatoes.
Chicory
Cichorium intybus
Description:
This plant grows up to 1.8 meters tall. It has leaves clustered at the base of the stem and some leaves on the stem. The base leaves resemble those of the dandelion. The flowers are sky blue and stay open only on sunny days. Chicory has a milky juice.
Habitat and Distribution:
Look in old fields, waste areas, weedy lots, and along roads. Native to Europe and Asia, but also in Africa and North America.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible. Eat young leaves raw or boiled. Cook the roots as a vegetable. Roast roots for a coffee substitute.
Chufa
Cyperus esculentus
Description:
Common plant with triangular stem and grasslike leaves. Grows 20 to 60 cm tall. Mature plant has soft, fur-like bloom from a whorl of leaves. Tubers grow at root ends.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in moist sandy areas worldwide. Often abundant in cultivated fields.
Edible Parts:
Tubers are edible raw, boiled, or baked. Can be ground and used as a coffee substitute.
Coconut
Cocos nucifera
Description:
Single, tall tree with a crown of large leaves. Each leaf may be over 6 meters long with 100+ leaflets.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout the tropics, especially near coastal regions.
Edible Parts:
Nut is a valuable food source. Young coconut milk is rich in sugar and vitamins. Nut meat is nutritious but oily.
Other Uses:
Use oil for cooking, skincare, torches. Husk fibers make rope, stuffing, and netting. Trunk for building. Husk for flotation and tinder.
Common Jujube
Ziziphus jujuba
Description:
Deciduous tree or shrub up to 12 meters tall. Branches often spiny. Reddish-brown to yellowish-green fruit is smooth, sweet, and contains a large stone.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in temperate and desert scrub worldwide. Common in Africa, India, China, and the East Indies.
Edible Parts:
Crushed fruit pulp makes a refreshing beverage. Can be dried like dates. High in vitamins A and C.
Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Description:
Tiny-leaved creeping plant with red berries.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in open, sunny, wet areas in colder Northern Hemisphere regions.
Edible Parts:
Berries are tart raw. Cook with a bit of water and sweetener to make jelly.
Other Uses:
May act as a diuretic. Helps treat urinary tract infections.
Crowberry
Empetrum nigrum
Description:
Dwarf evergreen shrub with short needlelike leaves. Small shiny black berries remain on the bush all winter.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tundra throughout arctic North America and Eurasia.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible fresh or dried.
Cuipo Tree
Cavanillesia platanifolia
Description:
Towering tree (45–60 meters tall) with few leaves except at the top. Reddish or gray bark with vertical ring patterns.
Habitat and Distribution:
Located primarily in Central American tropical mountain rain forests.
Edible Parts:
Cut and clean root to get water. Tastes like potato water.
Other Uses:
Inner bark and young saplings can be used to make rope.
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Description:
Bright yellow flowers. Leaves grow close to the ground, jagged edges, up to 20 cm long.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open, sunny areas throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible raw or cooked. Roasted roots can be a coffee substitute.
Other Uses:
High in vitamins A, C, and calcium. White juice in stems can be used as glue.
Date Palm
Phoenix dactylifera
Description:
Tall, unbranched tree with a crown of large compound leaves. Yellow fruit when ripe.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to North Africa and the Middle East; now found in other arid semitropical areas.
Edible Parts:
Fruit is edible fresh or dried. Unripe fruit is bitter.
Other Uses:
Trunks for building, leaves for thatching and weaving.
Daylily
Hemerocallis fulva
Description:
Tawny blossoms that open for one day. Long, swordlike green basal leaves. Root is a mass of swollen tubers.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide in tropical and temperate zones.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves, tubers, and flowers are edible raw or cooked.
CAUTION:
Eating too many raw flowers may cause diarrhea.
Duchesnea (Indian Strawberry)
Duchesnea indica
Description:
Small plant with runners and three-parted leaves. Yellow flowers and strawberry-like fruit.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to southern Asia. Common weed in warmer temperate regions. Found in lawns, gardens, and roadsides.
Edible Parts:
Fruit is edible fresh.
Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Description:
Many-stemmed shrub with opposite compound leaves. Grows up to 6 meters tall. Fragrant white flowers and dark blue or black berries.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open, usually wet areas near marshes, rivers, ditches, and lakes. Common in eastern North America and Canada.
Edible Parts:
Flowers and fruits are edible. Soak flower heads in water to make a drink.
CAUTION:
All other parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten.
Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium
Description:
Grows up to 1.8 meters tall. Has large, showy, pink flowers and lance-shaped leaves.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open woods, hillsides, stream banks, seashores, and burned-over areas in arctic regions.
Edible Parts:
Leaves, stems, and flowers are edible in spring but become tough in summer. Eat raw or cooked. Old stems have edible pith.
Fishtail Palm
Caryota urens
Description:
Large palm tree up to 18 meters tall. Unique toothed leaflets give a fishtail appearance. Flowering shoot hangs downward from top.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to India, Assam, Burma; found in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.
Edible Parts:
Trunk contains starch. Juice from flower shoot is nourishing and can be boiled into syrup. Palm cabbage is edible raw or cooked.
Foxtail Grass
Setaria species
Description:
Weedy grass with narrow, cylindrical seed heads covered in long hairs. Grains are small.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open, sunny areas, along roads, and field edges. Grows worldwide, especially in the U.S., Europe, and tropical Africa.
Edible Parts:
Grains are edible raw but hard and sometimes bitter. Boiling removes bitterness and softens them.
Goa Bean
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Description:
Climbing plant with 22 cm long pods, 15 cm long leaves, and bright blue flowers. Pods are four-angled with jagged wings.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in tropical Africa, Asia, East Indies, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Edible Parts:
Young pods can be eaten like string beans. Seeds are protein-rich when roasted. Roots are edible raw. Young leaves can be eaten raw or steamed.
Hackberry
Celtis species
Description:
Tree with smooth gray bark often bearing corky warts. Long-pointed leaves grow in two rows. Produces small round berries.
Habitat and Distribution:
Widespread in the United States, especially near ponds.
Edible Parts:
Berries are edible when ripe and falling from the tree.
Hazelnut or Wild Filbert
Corylus species
Description:
Bushes 1.8–3.6 meters tall. The nut grows in a bristly husk with a long neck.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in the U.S. (especially east), Pacific coast, Europe (as filberts), and eastern Asia.
Edible Parts:
Nuts ripen in autumn. Eat fresh or dried. High oil content makes them ideal survival food.
Horseradish Tree
Moringa pterygosperma
Description:
Tree 4.5–14 meters tall. Fernlike leaves. Long, ribbed seed pods resemble giant beans. Roots have a pungent odor.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical rain forests and semievergreen forests. Common in India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America.
Edible Parts:
Leaves, seedpods, flowers, and young seeds are edible. Roots can be ground and used like horseradish.
Iceland Moss
Cetraria islandica
Description:
Low-growing moss just a few inches tall. Colors vary from gray to reddish.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found only in arctic open areas.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible. Boil to remove bitterness. Can be eaten alone or used to thicken milk or grains. Stores well when dried.
Indian Potato (Eskimo Potato)
Claytonia species
Description:
Fleshy plants a few centimeters tall. Showy flowers about 2.5 cm across.
Habitat and Distribution:
Some species grow in rich forests, especially in northern U.S. and Canada.
Edible Parts:
Tubers are edible after boiling.
Juniper
Juniperus species
Description:
Shrubs or small trees with very small, aromatic scalelike leaves. Berrylike cones are blue and waxy.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in dry, open, sunny areas throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
Edible Parts:
Berries and twigs are edible. Roast seeds as coffee substitute. Use dried berries as seasoning. Twigs can make tea.
CAUTION:
Do not confuse with other ‘cedar’ plants that are not true junipers.
Lotus
Nelumbo species
Description:
Large showy flowers (yellow or pink) with massive floating or emergent leaves. Distinctive flattened fruits contain up to 20 hard seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Yellow-flowered lotus is native to North America. Pink-flowered species common in the Orient and found in quiet freshwater globally.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible raw or cooked. Underwater parts rich in starch. Seeds are flavorful and nutritious.
Malanga
Xanthosoma caracu
Description:
Soft, arrow-shaped leaves up to 60 cm long. Grows from underground tubers.
Habitat and Distribution:
Widely found in the Caribbean in open sunny fields.
Edible Parts:
Tubers are rich in starch. Must be cooked to destroy toxins.
Other Uses:
WARNING: Always cook before eating.
Mango
Mangifera indica
Description:
Tree up to 30 meters tall. Dark green, shiny leaves. Fruits have large single seed and variable color and taste.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to India, Burma, and Malaysia. Grown in warm, moist tropical regions worldwide.
Edible Parts:
Ripe fruit is edible raw. Unripe fruit can be shredded and eaten like salad. Roasted seeds are also edible.
CAUTION: Avoid if sensitive to poison ivy—may cause reaction.
Manioc
Manihot utillissima
Description:
Perennial shrubby plant 1–3 meters tall with fingerlike green leaves and large rootstocks.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in moist tropical areas worldwide. Often found in abandoned gardens.
Edible Parts:
Rootstocks are rich in starch. Must be cooked to remove hydrocyanic acid (especially bitter types).
CAUTION: Always cook roots before eating to avoid poisoning.
Marsh Marigold
Caltha palustris
Description:
Rounded, dark green leaves from a short stem. Bright yellow flowers.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in bogs, lakes, and slow-moving streams in arctic/subarctic regions and eastern U.S.
Edible Parts:
All parts edible when boiled.
CAUTION: Do not eat raw—may contain harmful organisms.
Mulberry
Morus species
Description:
Trees with simple, sometimes lobed leaves and rough surface. Fruits are multi-seeded and dark blue to black.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in forests, roadsides, and abandoned fields in temperate and tropical zones.
Edible Parts:
Fruits edible raw or dried. Leaves can be used to make twine.
CAUTION: Unripe fruit can be hallucinogenic. Ripe fruit can act as a laxative.
Nettle
Urtica and Laportea species
Description:
Plants several feet high with fine hairlike bristles on stems and leaves that sting the skin.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common in moist areas along streams and forest margins worldwide.
Edible Parts:
Young shoots and leaves are edible when boiled to destroy stinging hairs.
Other Uses:
Mature stems provide fibers for twine or string.
Nipa Palm
Nipa fruticans
Description:
Short palm with large erect leaves up to 6 meters tall. Seed heads dark brown and 30 cm in diameter.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found on muddy shores in coastal areas of eastern Asia.
Edible Parts:
Young flower stalks and seeds are edible. Juice from stalk is rich in sugar.
Other Uses:
Leaves used for thatch and weaving.
Oak
Quercus species
Description:
Trees with alternate leaves and acorn fruits. Red oaks have bristled leaves; white oaks do not.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia.
Edible Parts:
Acorns are edible after leaching tannins by soaking or boiling. Can be ground into flour.
CAUTION: Tannins can damage kidneys if not removed.
Orach
Atriplex species
Description:
Vinelike plant with arrowhead-shaped leaves up to 5 cm long. Young leaves may be silvery.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found on salty soils along coasts and alkaline lakes worldwide.
Edible Parts:
Entire plant is edible raw or boiled.
Palmetto Palm
Sabal palmetto
Description:
Tall, unbranched tree with persistent leaf bases. Large, fan-like leaves and dark blue or black fruits with hard seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in coastal regions of the southeastern United States.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible raw. Hard seeds can be ground into flour. Palm heart is edible any time.
Papaya (Pawpaw)
Carica papaya
Description:
Small tree (1.8 to 6 meters tall) with soft hollow trunk. Large leaves at the top. Fruit grows on trunk among leaves, turning yellow or greenish when ripe.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical and some temperate regions, especially near clearings or former habitations.
Edible Parts:
Ripe fruit is high in vitamin C. Leaves, flowers, and stems can be cooked. Roasted seed kernels are edible.
CAUTION:
Sap from unripe fruit can cause severe eye pain and possibly blindness. Sap also tenderizes meat.
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Description:
Trees with elliptic dark green leaves and orange sticky fruit containing several seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common in forest margins in Africa, eastern North America, and the Far East.
Edible Parts:
Leaves are rich in vitamin C. Fruits are edible raw or baked. Roasted seeds are edible. Leaves can be dried and used for tea.
CAUTION:
Unripe fruit is very astringent and inedible to some people.
Pincushion Cactus
Mammillaria species
Description:
Small, round, barrel-shaped cactus covered in sharp spines. No leaves.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout deserts in the western United States and Central America.
Edible Parts:
Good source of water in the desert.
Pine
Pinus species
Description:
Easily identified by needlelike leaves in bundles of 1 to 5. Sticky sap and distinct scent.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open, sunny areas in North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Edible Parts:
Seeds edible. Young male cones can be baked or boiled. Inner bark can be chewed. Needle tea high in vitamin C.
Other Uses:
Resin used as glue, waterproofing, and even emergency dental filler.
Plantain (Broad and Narrow Leaf)
Plantago species
Description:
Low-growing plants with flower spikes rising from leaf clusters. Broad or narrow hairy leaves.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide, especially in lawns and along roads.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves edible raw. Older leaves should be cooked. Seeds are edible raw or roasted.
Other Uses:
Tea from leaves treats diarrhea. Plant poultices help wounds and sores.
Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
Description:
Tall plant (up to 3 meters) with elliptic leaves and clusters of purple fruits in spring.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in forest clearings and roadsides in eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves and stems edible when boiled twice. Cooked fruits are edible.
CAUTION:
All raw parts are poisonous. Never eat root or red-colored plants.
Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia species
Description:
Flat, padlike green stems with round dots of sharp hairs. Produces fruit.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in dry regions throughout the Americas. Also cultivated in arid areas worldwide.
Edible Parts:
Fruits and pads are edible. Peel carefully to avoid hairs. Seeds can be roasted and ground.
CAUTION:
Avoid species with milky sap. Pads can also be used on wounds.
Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Description:
Low-growing plant with fleshy stems and paddle-shaped leaves. Often tinged red. Tiny black seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in sunny fields and weedy areas worldwide.
Edible Parts:
All parts edible raw or cooked. Seeds can be used as flour substitute.
Rattan Palm
Calamus species
Description:
Climbing palm with long hooked leaves. Some stems grow up to 90 meters.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical forests from Africa to Australia, especially Southeast Asia.
Edible Parts:
Young stem tips contain starch. Sweet or sour pulp around seeds is edible. Palm heart is also edible.
Other Uses:
Stems can yield large quantities of potable water. Good for making baskets and traps.
Reed
Phragmites australis
Description:
Tall, coarse grass up to 3.5 meters. Gray-green leaves about 4 cm wide. Produces large masses of brown flowers that turn fluffy.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in open, wet areas worldwide, especially where disturbed by dredging.
Edible Parts:
All parts edible raw or cooked. Boil young stems. Underground stems can be boiled. Seeds are rarely found but are edible.
Reindeer Moss
Cladonia rangiferina
Description:
Low-growing plant only a few cm tall. No flowers but has bright red reproductive parts.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in dry, open areas throughout North America.
Edible Parts:
Entire plant is edible. Soak in water with wood ash to remove bitterness, then dry, crush, and add to other foods.
Rock Tripe
Umbilicaria species
Description:
Forms black-topped patches with curling edges on rocks. Underside is lighter in color.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common on rocks and boulders across North America.
Edible Parts:
Scrape off, wash, soak or boil in several water changes to remove bitterness. Edible once softened.
CAUTION:
Some species may be toxic. Apply Universal Edibility Test.
Rose Apple
Eugenia jambos
Description:
Tree 3–9 meters tall with dark green, shiny leaves. Produces fluffy greenish-yellow flowers and red to purple egg-shaped fruits.
Habitat and Distribution:
Widespread in tropics, in thickets, waste areas, and forests.
Edible Parts:
Fruit is edible raw or cooked.
Sago Palm
Metroxylon sagu
Description:
Low palm tree under 9 meters. Thick, spiny trunk with starchy pith inside.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in swamps, streams, lakes in tropical rain forests, especially Southeast Asia.
Edible Parts:
Pith yields edible starch. Young nuts and palm cabbage are also edible.
Other Uses:
Cook pith into pancakes. One tree can feed a person for a year.
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Description:
Shrub or small tree with variable leaf shapes. Small yellow spring flowers and dark blue fruits. Smells like root beer.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in sunny forest edges and roadsides in eastern North America.
Edible Parts:
Young twigs and leaves are edible fresh or dried. Roots can be boiled for tea.
Other Uses:
Twigs can be used as toothbrushes.
Saxaul
Haloxylon ammondendron
Description:
Shrub or small tree with spongy, water-filled bark and vivid green drooping branches.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows in desert and arid salt regions of Central Asia.
Edible Parts:
Bark holds water. Press to extract drinking water.
Screw Pine
Pandanus species
Description:
Strange-looking plant on stilt-like roots. Large, saw-edged leaves. Fruit resembles a pineapple but without leafy top.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical forests, mostly along seashores from Madagascar to the Pacific Islands.
Edible Parts:
Fruit segments are edible when ripe. Wrap unripe fruit in leaves and cook before eating.
Sea Orach
Atriplex halimus
Description:
Sparsely branched herb with small gray leaves. Flowers in dense spikes at branch tips.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in salty or alkaline soils along Mediterranean coasts and inland desert areas.
Edible Parts:
Leaves are edible.
Sheep Sorrel
Rumex acerosella
Description:
Small plants under 30 cm. Alternate arrow-shaped leaves, often reddish stems.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in disturbed areas and old fields in North America and Europe.
Edible Parts:
Edible raw or cooked.
CAUTION:
Contains oxalic acid. Eat in moderation. Cooking reduces oxalates.
Sorghum
Sorghum species
Description:
Tall grain-bearing plants with heads at the top. Grains vary in color: brown, red, white, or black.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide in warm climates, especially in open, sunny areas.
Edible Parts:
Grains are edible at all stages. Young grains are milky and can be eaten raw. Older grains can be boiled or ground into flour.
Spatterdock (Yellow Water Lily)
Nuphar species
Description:
Large leaves up to 60 cm long with triangular notches. Yellow flowers about 2.5 cm wide. Fruits are bottle-shaped and green when ripe.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found throughout North America in shallow freshwater areas.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible. Seeds can be roasted or ground. Rootstock can be boiled or baked after peeling.
Sterculia
Sterculia foetida
Description:
Tall tree up to 30 meters with red or purple flowers. Produces red, segmented pods containing edible black seeds.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical climates around the world, mainly in forests.
Edible Parts:
Seeds are edible raw or roasted. Taste similar to cocoa.
CAUTION:
Large quantities may act as a laxative.
Strawberry
Fragaria species
Description:
Small plant with three-leaf clusters and white flowers. Produces red, fleshy fruit.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in temperate regions and high mountains of the Southern Hemisphere.
Edible Parts:
Fruit is edible fresh, cooked, or dried. Leaves can be used for tea.
WARNING:
Only eat white-flowering strawberries. Others may be toxic.
Sugarcane
Saccharum officinarum
Description:
Tall grass up to 4.5 meters. Has swollen nodes on the stem. Rarely flowers.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grown in tropical fields worldwide.
Edible Parts:
Peel and eat the sweet, juicy stem. Can also squeeze for juice.
Sugar Palm
Arenga pinnata
Description:
Palm tree up to 15 meters with huge leaves. Needles at leaf bases. Fruits grow from flower clusters.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to East Indies, now found throughout the tropics near forests.
Edible Parts:
Juice from flower stalk is rich in sugar. Seeds and stem tips are edible.
CAUTION:
Seed covering may cause dermatitis.
Sweetsop
Annona squamosa
Description:
Small tree under 6 meters with simple, dark green leaves. Fruit is green, round, and covered with bumps. Flesh is white and creamy.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in tropical regions near fields and homes.
Edible Parts:
Fruit flesh is edible raw.
CAUTION:
Ground seeds are toxic to eyes.
Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
Description:
Large tree up to 25 meters with featherlike leaves and seedpods containing acidic pulp.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to Africa, widely cultivated in India, Asia, and the Americas.
Edible Parts:
Pulp is rich in vitamin C and used for drinks. Young leaves and pods can be cooked. Seeds edible after roasting or soaking.
Taro (Cocoyam, Dasheen)
Colocasia and Alocasia species
Description:
Large-leaved plants up to 1.8 meters tall. Grows from thick, starchy rootstock.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common in humid tropics. Found in fields and near homes.
Edible Parts:
All parts are edible when cooked. Always boil or roast and change water once.
CAUTION:
Raw plant causes severe mouth and throat irritation.
Thistle
Cirsium species
Description:
Tall spiny plants up to 1.5 meters. Deeply lobed prickly leaves.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found worldwide in dry woods and open fields.
Edible Parts:
Stalks and roots are edible after boiling. Peel stalks before eating.
CAUTION:
Some species are toxic.
Ti
Cordyline terminalis
Description:
Unbranched plant up to 4.5 meters tall with straplike green or reddish leaves. Plumelike clusters of flowers grow at the top.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to the Far East; widely planted in tropical regions near forest edges or homesites.
Edible Parts:
Roots and young leaves are edible. Boil or bake the short roots. Young leaves can be boiled.
Other Uses:
Leaves can be used for shelter, rain cloaks, shoe liners, bandages, and rope.
Tree Fern
Various genera
Description:
Tall, rough-trunked plants with uncoiling lacy leaves at the top.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in wet tropical forests.
Edible Parts:
Young leaves and the soft inner trunk are edible. Boil leaves or eat trunk raw or baked.
Tropical Almond
Terminalia catappa
Description:
Tree up to 9 meters tall with large, shiny evergreen leaves and flat green fruits up to 10 cm long.
Habitat and Distribution:
Grows near oceans in the Caribbean, Central/South America, Asia, and Polynesia.
Edible Parts:
Edible seed inside fruit. Remove green covering first.
Walnut
Juglans species
Description:
Very large trees with divided leaves. Nuts have thick outer husks and hard inner shells.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in forests of Europe, Asia, China, Japan, and eastern United States.
Edible Parts:
Nut kernels are edible raw or roasted. High in oil and protein.
Other Uses:
Boiled juice is antifungal. Green husks can be used for dye or fish poison.
Water Chestnut
Trapa natans
Description:
Aquatic plant with underwater roots and toothed floating leaves. Fruits have four sharp spines.
Habitat and Distribution:
Native to Asia; now found worldwide in freshwater.
Edible Parts:
Fruits and seeds are edible raw or cooked.
Water Lettuce
Ceratopteris species
Description:
Tender aquatic plant with rosette-shaped leaves and tiny plantlets at the leaf margins.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in still waters in tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Edible Parts:
Eat fresh leaves that grow above waterline.
CAUTION:
Has carcinogenic properties. Use only as last resort.
Water Lily
Nymphaea odorata
Description:
Floating triangular leaves, large fragrant flowers (white or red), and thick rhizomes.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common in temperate and subtropical fresh waters.
Edible Parts:
Flowers, seeds, and rhizomes are edible raw or cooked.
Other Uses:
Boiled root water can treat diarrhea or sore throat.
Water Plantain
Alisma plantago-aquatica
Description:
Small white flowers and heart-shaped basal leaves with pointed tips.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in sunny freshwater areas of the tropics and temperate zones.
Edible Parts:
Rootstocks are rich in starch. Boil or soak to remove bitterness.
CAUTION:
Always cook aquatic plants to avoid parasites.
Wild Caper
Capparis aphylla
Description:
Thorny shrub with pink flowers and gray-green leafless stems.
Habitat and Distribution:
Found in desert scrub and thorn forests across North Africa and the Middle East.
Edible Parts:
Fruits and young shoot buds are edible raw.
Wild Crab Apple
Malus species
Description:
Small tree with simple alternate leaves, often thorny. White or pink flowers. Fruits are small and red/yellow.
Habitat and Distribution:
Common in savannas, forest edges, and open fields across the Northern Hemisphere.
Edible Parts:
Fruits are edible raw or cooked. Can be dried and stored. High in vitamins.
CAUTION:
Do not eat the seeds—they contain cyanide compounds.