Many common garden plants are actually edible and can be a nutritious addition to your diet. With proper identification and preparation, parts of ornamental flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and even weeds can be eaten. This article will go over some of the most common edible garden plants and how to identify and eat them safely.
Edible Flowers
Numerous flowers are not only beautiful additions to any garden but also nutritious edibles. Here are some of the most common edible garden flowers:
Nasturtium
All parts of nasturtiums are edible, including their leaves, flowers, seed pods, and seeds. The flowers have a sweet, spicy flavor and make lovely garnishes for salads, desserts, and drinks. Both the leaves and seed pods can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches or cooked like greens.
Roses
Rose petals are sweet, floral, and slightly tangy. They can be used to make fragrant jellies, syrups, and teas. Crystallized rose petals make elegant cake decorations. Be sure to remove the bitter white base of each petal before eating.
Pansies and Violets
Using pansies and violets in recipes dates back centuries. Their petals have a mild, sweet flavor perfect for decorating cakes, salads, or drinks. The leaves and flowers can also be made into teas, syrups, or candied.
Calendula
Also called pot marigolds, calendula flowers range from tangy to bitter and subtly spicy. Use the petals fresh in salads or dried in soups and stews. Calendula is also used as a culinary dye to color rice, cake frostings, and cheeses.
Chrysanthemums
Both the blooms and leaves of chrysanthemums have a slightly bitter, tangy flavor. They make a pretty garnish for salads and desserts. Chrysanthemum leaves can be steamed or used raw in sandwiches and stir-fries.
Squash Blossoms
Delicate squash blossoms are a tasty treat right from the garden. Stuff them with cheese, meat, or batter and fry them for a delicious appetizer. Their mild vegetable flavor also enhances soups, pastas, and risotto. Remove stamens before eating.
Other Edible Flowers
Other common edible garden flowers include carnations, marigolds, lavender, honeysuckle, geraniums, Johnny-jump ups, sunflowers, impatiens, lilac, and dandelions. As always, positively identify the flowers and check for toxicity before consuming.
Edible Herbs
Herbs bring great flavors to recipes straight from the garden. Here are some of the most popular edible herbs:
Basil
A warm weather annual herb, basil is easy to grow and has a flavor as lovely as its appearance. The leaves and flowers of many varieties are edible. Basil pairs perfectly with tomatoes and can be made into pesto. Use it fresh or dried in an array of Mediterranean dishes.
Parsley
A versatile biennial, parsley is grown as an annual. Both its flat-leaf and curly-leaf varieties are used to flavor many dishes. Parsley has an herbal, grassy taste that enhances soups, salads, and sauces. Its long taproot is also edible when cooked.
Oregano and Marjoram
These aromatic Mediterranean herbs are essential for Italian and Greek cooking. Their leaves and flowers have an intense, woodsy, slightly minty flavor. Use them dried in tomato sauces, on pizzas, and when grilling meats.
Thyme
Lemon thyme and English thyme are perennial culinary favorites. Thyme has tiny fragrant leaves full of flavor for stews, soups, chicken, fish, and veggies. It holds up well to long cooking times.
Sage
With soft gray-green leaves, garden sage is delicious and ornamental. It has an earthy, piney taste that enhances sausage, stuffing, bean dishes, and more. Frying sage leaves gives them a lovely crispy texture.
Other Edible Herbs
You can also harvest edible leaves, seeds, and flowers from dill, fennel, garlic chives, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, borage, summer savory, and many types of mint.
Edible Vegetables
Many popular vegetables grow well in home gardens. Here are some to consider:
Leafy Greens
Kale, spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, radicchio, endive, dandelion greens, and sorrel will provide you with an abundance of nutrient-dense leaves. Enjoy them fresh in salads, on sandwiches, sautéed, or baked into dishes.
Peas and Beans
Planting bush beans, pole beans, shelling beans, snap peas, snow peas, and shelling peas can yield a hearty crop. Edible pod varieties are tasty steamed or raw. Fava beans and peas have edible shoots, flowers, pods, and seeds.
Summer Squash
Prolific zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan squash plants will keep your kitchen supplied with tender, delicious squash all summer. Fry, roast, grill, or eat them raw on salads or as crudités. The large, showy flowers are also edible.
Root Vegetables
Beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, and parsnips develop sweet, colorful roots. Harvest while roots are small and tender for a nutty flavor. Enjoy them roasted, steamed, or grated raw onto salads. Beet and turnip greens are also tasty when cooked.
Onions and Garlic
Onions, leeks, shallots, scallions, and garlic are easy to grow. Bulb onions can be harvested all summer long as green onions or allowed to mature for full-sized bulbs. Garlic greens and the small side bulbils are also edible.
Other Edible Vegetables
You can also grow broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, corn, and many more vegetables to enjoy fresh from your garden.
Edible Fruits
Many types of fruits can be grown successfully even in small backyard gardens. Here are some top picks:
Berries
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, and grapes will reward you with sweet, juicy fruits perfect for eating fresh or baking into pies and other desserts. Train climbing berries up a trellis or fence.
Melons
Grow cantaloupe, watermelon, or honeydew in warm locations with plenty of space. These vining plants need room to spread out. Harvest melons when they detach easily from stems and develop sweet aromas.
Citrus
In warm climates, have an abundant harvest of oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, or kumquats from just a few compact trees. Potted dwarf varieties can sometimes be grown indoors during winter.
Stone Fruits
Apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, and nectarines thrive in temperate regions. Train trees along fences, trellises, or walls to save space. Summer bears sweet, juicy fruits perfect for eating fresh or making into jams.
Pome Fruits
Apples, pears, and Asian pears are classic fruits that pollinate best with another variety nearby. Choose self-fertile dwarf cultivars appropriate for your climate. Many make tasty container-grown specimens.
Other Fruiting Plants
You can also grow figs, mulberries, pawpaws, persimmons, jujubes, and hardy kiwis in gardens with enough warmth and space. Train vines up vertical supports.
Edible Weeds and Wild Plants
Even plants commonly considered weeds can be edible if harvested while still young and tender. Here are some to try:
Dandelion
Both dandelion leaves and flowers are edible and full of nutrients. Young, tender greens can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches. Slightly older leaves are better lightly cooked. Flowers can be made into wine or fritters.
Purslane
This succulent weed has red stems and small green leaves with a tangy, citrusy flavor. Use it raw in salads, stir-fries, and sandwiches. Cooking mellows the strong flavor.
Lamb’s Quarters
Also called wild spinach, lamb’s quarters taste similar to spinach when the leaves are young and tender. Add them to omelets, stir-fries, and casseroles for a nutritional boost.
Chickweed
Both the leaves and stems of this delicate low-growing weed can eaten raw in salads or lightly cooked. Chickweed has a mild, sweet, grassy flavor.
Plantain
Young plantain leaves can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach. Their mild flavor makes them a good addition to soups, stews, and casseroles.
Other Edible Weeds
You might also find henbit, curly dock, sheep sorrel, burdock, wood sorrel, and wild amaranth sprouting as weeds. Harvest them while still tender. Introduce edible weeds into your diet gradually.
Important Precautions When Eating Garden Plants
While many garden plants are edible, some important safety precautions must be observed:
Positive Identification
– Positively identify any plant before ingesting it. Many toxic plants resemble harmless varieties. When in doubt, do not eat it.
Don’t Overeat New Plants
– Introduce new edible plants into your diet gradually in case of possible allergies or intolerances.
Wash All Parts Thoroughly
– Wash all harvested plants very well to remove dirt and debris. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes.
Eat Only Young, Tender Parts
– Older, tougher greens and root vegetables can be unpleasantly strong-tasting or fibrous.
Remove Any Bitter, Wilted, or Damaged Parts
– Do not eat anything that smells bad, tastes very bitter, or looks damaged or rotten. Discard the whole part.
Do Not Harvest Near Polluted Areas
– Only gather plants well away from roadsides, industrial areas, or anywhere that might be sprayed with chemicals.
Monitor Your Reaction
– When trying a new edible plant, eat just a small portion at first and wait a day to monitor your reaction before consuming more.
| Edible Plant Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Flowers | Nasturtiums, roses, pansies, calendula, chrysanthemums, squash blossoms |
| Herbs | Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage |
| Vegetables | Leafy greens, peas, beans, summer squash, root vegetables, onions, garlic |
| Fruits | Berries, melons, citrus, stone fruits, pome fruits |
| Weeds | Dandelion, purslane, lamb’s quarters, chickweed, plantain |
Conclusion
Many common garden plants can be eaten once properly identified, harvested, and prepared. Add edible flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even weeds to your diet for their unique flavors, textures, colors, and nutrients. Always exercise caution when trying plants for the first time. Gradually introduce new edible plants while following important safety guidelines. A lush harvest awaits right in your own backyard.
