Common Native Texas Edible Plants Acorns Quercus spp. Season: Fall Where to find: Oak trees (white, live, red, burr, post, pin, etc.) Nutritional value: protein, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates -Nuts can be ground into flour or roasted and ground for coffee -Very bitter due to tannins, so soak in water and dry before use -Can also be used for tanning leather Dangers: very bitter if not tannic acid isn't leached
Agarita Mahonia trifoliolata Season: Spring Where to find: Hill country, dry grasslands Nutritional value: Vitamin C
-Berries can be consumed raw, cooked, made into jam, jelly, syrup -Seeds can be roasted seeds for coffee Dangers: N/A Chicory Cichorium intybus Season: Early spring Where to find: Sunny areas, ditches, abandoned yards Nutritional value: Leaves contain vitamins A, C, K -Leaves can be consumed raw or cooked -Roots can be roasted and then ground into a coffee substitute -Flowers can be eaten raw or pickled Dangers: N/A
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Season: Spring, early summer Where to find: Sunny areas, yards Nutritional value: Vitamins A, B, thiamine, riboflavin, minerals, and protein -Young leaves can be eaten in salads or boiled -Roots can be roasted to make a coffee substitute or boiled for half an hour before eating Dangers: N/A
Mulberries Morus microphylla Season: Spring Where to find: Woods, borders between woods and fields, urban landscapes Nutritional value: high in vitamins C and K, minerals, and some carbohydrates -Berries can be eaten raw, dried, or made into jelly -Inner bark can be boiled and eaten year-round Dangers: N/A
Mustang Grape Vitis mustangensis Season: Summer Where to find: Edges of woods (note that Mustang grape leaves are fuzzy and have a white underside) Nutritional value: Calories, antioxidants
-Raw fruit may be consumed but it is very tart -Fruit may be cooked, dried, or made into prserves -Leaves and tendrils may be cooked and eaten -Water can be obtained from the vines -Wild yeast can be made from the fruit Dangers: Mustang grapes are very acidic and handling/eating large amounts of the raw fruit can cause burns to hands and mouth
Pecans Carya illinoinensis Season: Fall Where to find: Woods, yards Nutritional value: Carbohydrates and protein -Nuts can be consumed raw and cooked Dangers: N/A Prickly Pears Opunita lindheimeri Season: Late summer for fruits, pads can be consumed year-round though younger pads taste better Where to find: Sunny fields, urban landscapes Nutritional value: Vitamin C, some minerals, omega-3 fatty acid -Fruit can be eaten raw or blended into a smoothie -Juice from strained fruit can be drunk or made into ice cream or preserves -Peeled pads can be pickled, fried, or made into jerky Dangers: The spines and tiny, fine hairs are very irritating and can even be fatal if lodged in the throat. Burn off the spines/hairs to remove.
Texas Persimmon Diospyros texana Season: Late summer, fall Where to find: Fields, sunny edges of woods, arid areas Nutritional value: Fiber, vitamins C and B, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids -Fruit can be consumed raw or made into jams or jelly, candied, or baked into tarts Dangers: N/A
Wild Onion Allium species Season: Year-round, more common in cool weather Where to find: Open, sunny areas Nutritional value: Vitamin C, small amounts of other vitamins, minerals, some carbohydrates -Bulbs and young stems and leaves can be consumed raw or cooked as a seasoning -Juice acts as a weak insect repellant Dangers: Rain lilies (Zephyranthes stellaris) look identical to wild onions and can be fatal. Crow s Poison (Nothoscordum bivalve) plants also look just like wild onion and may cause upset stomachs. Only wild onion smells like onion. If it smells like onion it is safe to eat, if it just smells like grass, it's Rain Lily or Crow's Poison. Information adapted from http://www.foragingtexas.com