Thursday, July 1, 2010

Edible 'weeds' in my yard.

After pulling thousands and thousands of dandelions I finally broke down and ate some. It was pretty tasty, as far as leafy things go. While pulling other weeds I started wondering what else was edible. Turns out quite a lot. The chickens will eat most of it too.

Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale


Purslane, Portulaca Oleracea

Pretty tasty, has a crisp lemony flavor. There were several plants last year but none growing this year so no picture.

Mallow, Malva Neglecta

I ate a couple of seeds and it made me feel weird.

Lamb's Quarters, Chenopodium Album


Prickly Lettuce, Lactuca Serriola


Suppose to be bitter and not worth dealing with the prickles.

Wild Lettuce, Lactuca Virosa

Also known as Opium Lettuce. The sap can be collected and dried to make a compound that is used as a sleep aid.

Pigweed,Amaranthus retroflexus

There are many species of Amaranth that grows in the western US and most are edible. I'm pretty sure there are two growing in my yard, maybe three. Retroflexus is the only one I'm confident about the identification.

Dill Weed, Anethum graveolens

Not really a native but it is definitely a wild weed in my yard now.

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