Edible Plants

Barbary Fig

  • Edible fruit with a sweet, nutty flavor. Avoid overconsumption due to potential laxative effects.

Blackberry

  • Safe to eat raw or cooked. High in vitamin C.

Bull Thistle

  • Young leaves edible raw or cooked. Avoid mature plants with prickly stems.

Cattail

  • Young shoots and rhizomes edible. Cook before eating to avoid digestive issues.

Chickweed

  • Safe to eat raw in salads or cooked. Rich in iron and calcium.

Common Chickweed

  • Edible leaves and stems (raw or cooked). Found in fields and gardens.

Dandelion

  • Leaves, flowers, and roots all edible. Bitter taste, best when young. Avoid contaminated areas; large quantities may cause stomach upset.

Elderberry

  • Berries must be cooked before consumption. Raw berries cause nausea. Flowers can be used to make tea.

Horseradish Tree

  • Edible seeds (toasted). Toxicity reported in some sources.

Milkweed

  • Young pods and shoots edible when cooked. Avoid raw due to toxicity.

Mullein

  • Edible young leaves (cooked) and flowers (steamed). Avoid consumption in large quantities.

Purslane

  • Safe to eat raw or cooked. High in omega-3 fatty acids. Found in dry, sandy soils.

Ragweed

  • Edible young leaves (cooked). Allergies possible; avoid during flowering season.

Sowthistle

  • Edible young leaves (raw or cooked). May cause stomach upset in large quantities.

Velvetleaf

  • Edible young leaves (cooked). No noted cautions.

Wild Carrot

  • Edible roots (cooked) and leaves (cooked). Avoid confusion with poison hemlock.

Wild Garlic

  • Edible leaves (raw or cooked) and bulbs (cooked). No noted cautions.

Wild Lettuce

  • Edible young leaves (raw or cooked). Lactucarium (milk sap) may cause drowsiness.

Wild Parsnip

  • Edible roots (cooked) and leaves (cooked). May cause skin irritation when exposed to sunlight.

Wild Radish

  • Edible roots (cooked) and leaves (cooked). No noted cautions.

Wild Spinach

  • Edible leaves (raw or cooked). May cause stomach upset in large quantities.

Wood Sorrel

  • Edible leaves (raw or cooked). High oxalic acid content; avoid excessive consumption.

Yarrow

  • Edible leaves (cooked) and flowers (steamed). May cause stomach upset; avoid during pregnancy.

Daylily

  • Edible petals (raw or cooked) and young shoots (cooked). Avoid consumption in large quantities.

Fishtail Palm

  • Edible young stems (cooked) and fruit (raw). Toxicity reported in unripe fruit.

Chickasaw Plum

  • Edible fruit (raw or cooked). Seeds are toxic.

Mulberry

  • Edible fruit (raw) and young leaves (cooked). Unripe fruit causes stomach upset.

Paw Paw

  • Edible fruit (raw) and leaves (tea).

Poisonous Plants

Poison Ivy

  • Causes severe skin irritation. Identified by 3 leaflets, shiny green leaves. Treat with Jewelweed juice or Dawn detergent.

Poison Sumac

  • Worse than poison ivy. Found in wet areas. Symptoms include blisters and fever. No antidote; seek immediate medical help.

Water Hemlock

  • Most poisonous plant in North America. Identifiable by purple-spotted stems and umbrella-like clusters of white flowers. Ingestion causes seizures and death. No antidote; seek immediate medical help.

Poison Oak

  • Similar to poison ivy but with lobed leaves. Causes similar skin reactions.

Poisonous Mushrooms

  • Avoid all mushrooms unless positively identified. Symptoms include nausea, hallucinations, and organ failure.

Nightshade

  • Contains toxic alkaloids. Causes hallucinations, vomiting, and paralysis.

Castor Bean

  • Seeds contain ricin. Ingestion is fatal.

Tobacco

  • Nicotine causes nausea, vomiting, and respiratory failure.

Poisonous Berries

  • Examples include baneberry and pokeberry. Ingestion causes severe poisoning.

Poisonous Ferns

  • Such as bracken fern. Causes stomach pain and vomiting.
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