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Edible Plants

We found this helpful listing at Klyn Nurseries. Oriental Garden Supply does not carry all of the plants listed, but we thought that this might be an interesting resource for our customers. A copy in pdf form may be printed from here.

Note that plants must be correctly identified, properly cleaned, and, where applicable, prepared correctly and there are many resources to obtain more information before any plant is ingested. Neither OGS nor Klyn Nurseries accepts any responsibility for any adverse reactions.

Botanical Name	Common Name	Uses
Acer rubrum and cultivars	Red Maple and cultivars	Sap isused in production of maple syrup, less sugar than saccharum, not as sweet.
Acer saccharum and cultivars	Sugar Maple and cultivars	Sap is used in production of maple syrup, harvested late winter, early spring.
Acorus varieties	Sweet Flag	Stalks and spadix taste good when tender, rhizomes are candied or dried and ground.
Actinidia varieties	Kiwi Fruits	Better with male pollinator, smaller but sweeter than commercial grown.
Agastache foeniculum	Hyssop	Sweet anise taste to the leaves that can be used raw or cooked.
Akebia quinata	Fiveleaf Akebia	Fruit is gooey and has a great, sweet taste but seedy. The skin though, is bitter. Not self-fertile.
Amelanchier varieties	Serviceberry, Shadblow	Sweet, small fruit ripen in June, can be used raw, cooked, or dried.
Amorpha canescens	Lead Plant	An infusion of the dried leaves makes a pleasant tasting yellow-coloured tea.
Aquilegia Canadensis	Columbine	Flowers are very sweet, rich in nectar, and make a beautiful garnish.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Bearberry	Small red berry is edible, becoming sweeter when cooked. Leaves used for tea.
Aronia varieties	Chokeberry	Fruit tastes vary by variety, used in jelly & juice, self-fertile, rich in pectin.
Arundinaria gigantean	Canebrake Bamboo	Young shoots are edible after cooking, somewhat bitter.
Arundo donax and cultivars	Giant Reed	The rhizome can be used many ways, usually ground and used in making bread.
Asarum splendens NOT EUROPAEUM	Wild Ginger	Roots edible, spicy flavor, aids digestion. Canadens most desirable.
Asclepias varieties	Butterfly Weed	Young flowerbuds and seedpods taste of peas; tuberosa can crystallize sweet nectar.
Asimina triloba	Paw Paw	Fruit ripens in fall, most need cross-pollination. The fruit tastes of a banana custard.
Asparagus verticillatus	Climbing Asparagus Vine	Cooked young shoots are an adequate substitute for common asparagus.
Berchemia racemosa	Supplejack	Fruit is edible when ripe, not much to recommend it though.
Betula alleghaniensis	Yellow Birch	Usefulness as flavoring, tastes of a sweet wintergreen. Sap is harvested early spring.
Campanula varieties	Bellflower	Flowers and leaves have a decent taste, raw or cooked. Cherry bells tastes best.
Caragana arborescens cultivars	Siberian Pea Shrub	Pea pods and peas are nutritious and bland, raw or cooked.
Carya illinoinsis	Hardy Pecan	Sweet edible nuts of pecan are favorites of wildlife and people.
Carya ovata and lacinosa	Hickories	Edible nuts are sweet raw or cooked into cakes and pies. Seed ripens in late fall.
Castanea crenata and mollissima	Japanese/Chinese Chestnut	Sweet nuts when cooked, low in fat and oils but hign in protein and good carbohydrates.
Celtis occidentalis	Hackberry	Sweet, fleshy fruit 1/2 inch long, deep purple when ripe, used in jelly or raw.
Cephalotaxus harringtonia and cvs.	Japanese Plum Yew	The seed and fruit are eaten in Japan. Fruit is said to be better from fastigiata. Not self-fertile..
Chaenomeles speciosa and cvs.	Quince	Astringent tartness dissipates with cooking, used in jelly. Pick after frost.
Chasmanthium latifolia	Northern Sea Oats	Seeds used as a cereal for making bread or as flour by the Cocopa Indians of Mexico.
Cornus kousa and cultivars	Chinese Dogwood	Fruit is used raw or cooked, sweet and juicy, custard-like flesh. Ripe late summer.
Cornus mas	Cornelian Cherry	Tart cherry-like fruit ripen in September. Tartness fades when fully ripe.
Corylus varieties	Filbert	Edible Hazelnuts, excellent raw or can be used in baking. Ripens mid to late fall.
Darmera peltata	Umbrella Plant	Leafstalk can be peeled and used like asparagus, especially when young.
Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon	Fleshy tomato-shaped fruit tasting of honeyed apricots when fully ripe after a frost.
Dryopteris filix mas or dilatata	Male or Broad Buckler Fern	Cooked young shoots taste of broccoli and artichoke. Not to be eaten in large amounts.
Elaeagnus umbellata 'Titan'	Autumn Olive	Tart red berries mellow when fully ripe, if not, fruit is astringent. Use in jelly or raw.
Elymus a. 'Blue Dune'	Blue Dune Lyme Grass	Seed is sweet and can be used as flour or rice. Cultivated in Iceland for its seed.
Fagus Americana	American Beech	Sweet nuts in fall, with a good texture. Can be used raw or cooked.
Fagus sylvatica and cultivars	European Beech	Edible nuts can be toxic in large numbers.
Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy'	Chicago Hardy Fig	Fruits are purplish-brown with a good sweet flavor, must be fully ripe, Can be dried.
Fragaria vesca 'Lipstick'	Lipstick Strawberry	Intense wild strawberry flavor, though a small fruit. Use raw, cooked, or in preserves.
Galium odoratum	Sweet Woodruff	Leaves make an excellent tea, flowers a tasty garnish. Scent of freshly mown hay.
Gaultheria procumbens	Wintergreen	Round 3/4 inch bright red berries have wintergreen flavor. Best after frost.
Helianthus angustifolia 'Gold Lace'	Gold Lace Sunflower	Edible sunflower seeds, smaller than those commercially grown.
Hemerocallis varieties and hybrids	Daylilies	All parts edible at times. Taste varies by variety, mostly cross of celery & sweet pepper.
Hibiscus syriacus hybrids	Rose of Sharon	Flowers and young leaves have a mild, sweet flavor. Flowers can be used cooked or raw.
Hippophae rhamnoides	Sea Buckthorn	Small, bright orange, tart berries on female plants used in juice, high in vitamins A & C.
Houttuynia cordata	Houttuynia	Young shoots and leaves have an orange-like scent. This plant is invasive!
Humulus lupulus cultivars	Hops	Used mainly for the flavoring of beer. 'Nugget' used to bitter beer, has a high yield.
Hydrangea anomala subsp. Petiolaris	Climbing Hydrangea	Cooked leaves have cucumber taste. Fresh leaves crushed in Japan to flavor miso.
Hydrangea macrophylla varieties	Hydrangea macrophylla cvs.	Young leaves are very sweet when dried and crushed. Makes tea used in Buddhist rites.
Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron'	Japanese Blood Grass	Young inflorescence and shoots fairly sweet when cooked.
Juglans varieties	Butternut or Walnut	Produces large nuts with age. Raw seed is sweet, and rich tasting.
Juniperus communis/scopulorum	Juniper	Dried fruits of these varieties can be used for flavoring. Communis is used to flavor Gin.
Koelreuteria paniculata & cvs.	Golden Rain Tree	Fruits are edible after roasting, young shoots and leaves after cooking.
Larix laricina	American Larch	Needles can be used to make a tea high in vitamin C that has been used to treat coughs.
Lavandula angustifolia cultivars	Lavender	Raw leaves and flower petals used as aromatics only in moderation.
Lavatera thuringiaca 'Barnsley'	Barnsley Tree Mallow	Young leaves and flowers have a pleasant mild taste. Raw or cooked.
Ledum groenlandicum & palustre	Labrador Tea	Used as a bayleaf substitute or in tea, NOT EATEN OR HEATED IN CLOSED CONTAINERS.
Ledum palustre	Marsh Labrador Tea	A.K.A. wild rosemary, has aromatic leaves. Same as groenlandicum, DO NOT EAT.
Lindera benzoin	Spicebush	Dried and powdered fruit tastes like allspice. Twigs gathered during flowering make tea.
Liriope muscari and spicata	Lily turf	The roots are candied in Korea and purported to increase stamina.
Mahonia aquifolium & japonica	Grape Holly	Fruit acidic, somewhat like black currant, little flesh, used cooked or raw.
Malus cultivars	Fruiting Apples	Domesticated fruit, grown for apples. Cultivars range in texture and tartness.
Matteuccia pensylvanica	Ostrich Fern	Young fronds, before they fully unroll, are thick and succulent when cooked.
Menyanthes trifoliate	Bog Bean	Very bitter leaves can replace hops in beer.
Mitchella repens	Twinberry	Used raw, the fruit is pleasant and slightly aromatic. The leaves can make used for tea.
Monarda didyma	Bee-Balm or Bergamot	Leaves and flowers add pleasant aroma to salad and tea, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea.
Musa basjoo	Japanese Fiber Banana	3" long banana after a few years. Needs a long growing season to ripen.
Myrica pensylvanica	Northern Bayberry	Leaves can be used as bayleaves, remove after cooking. Delicate flavor and subtle flavor.
Nyssa sylvatica & cvs.	Black Gum	Thin, sharply acid pulp, can be used raw or cooked. Source of tupelo honey.
Onoclea sensibilis	Sensitive Fern	Remove brown scales from young unopened leaves or "fiddleheads" and lightly steam.
Opuntia humifusa a.k.a. compressa	Hardy Prickly Pear Cactus	Fruit can be eaten dried, raw, or cooked, it's sweet and gooey, more flavorful watermelon taste.
Orixa japonica	Japanese Orixa	Young leaves have a pleasant spicy aroma when cooked.
Osmunda cinnamomea	Cinnamon Fern	Young unexpanded fronds taste of asparagus when cooked.
Oxydendrum arboreum	Sourwood	Raw young leaves have a pleasant acidic taste, which can quench thirst and cool the body.
Paeonia suffruticosa cvs.	Tree Peony	Fallen flower petals are parboiled and sweetened in Asia for a teatime delicacy.
Passiflora incarnata	Hardy Passion Vine	Fruit has a sweet taste cooked or raw, once ripe. Useful in jelly, little pulp. High in niacin.
Perovskia atriplicifolia	Russian Sage	Flowers have a sweet taste, lavender scent, useful in salads or as a garnish.
Petasites japonica	Japanese Butterbur	Leaf stalks when cooked have a pleasant, fragrant taste. Flower buds are prized in Japan.
Phyllostachys aureosulcata/nuda	Yellow Groove/Snow Bamboo	Young shoots are excellent after cooking, barely bitter. Can also be used raw.
Picea varieties	Spruce	Most palatable preparation is a tea high in vitamin C, usually made from young shoot tips.
Pinus varieties esp. armandii/koraiensis/parviflora	Pines, especially Whites	Pines are not self-fertile. Best seed from Asian Whites. Seeds are delicacies.
Polygonatum biflorum/odoratum	Solomon's Seal	Young shoots can be cooked and used like asparagus. The fruit is poisonous.
Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'	Flying Dragon Hardy Orange	Small 2" bitter orange, if stored 2 weeks will yield a refreshing juice high in vitamin C.
Pontaderia cordata	Pickerel Rush	Whole plant can be eaten raw or cooked, nutty flavor. Seed can be cooked like rice or roasted.
Prunus cerasifera cultivars	Cherry Plum	Small plum-sized fruit with thin skin and a sweet taste, used in pies or jelly.
Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red'	Chokeberry	Usually used in pies or jellies, harsh taste unless fully ripe. Fruit can be dried.
Pseudotsuga menziesii	Douglas Fir	Young twigs and leaves make a tea rich in vitamin C. Young shoot tips flavoring in cooked food.
Ptelea trifoliate	Hop Ash	Fruit used as a hop substitute and is added to yeast to make bread rise more quickly.
Pycnanthemum muticum	Short-toothed Mountain Mint	The leaves have a pleasant mint-like aroma and flavor.
Pyrus 'Bartlett' and other cultivars	Bartlett Pear	Large, juicy sweet pears cultivated for improved taste and texture.
Quercus varieties	Oak	Nuts can be sweet. Bicolor, alba, and robur most flavorful. Can be used raw, cooked, or ground.
Rhamnus caroliniana	Carolina Buckthorn	Showy fruit are edible and sweet, though birds may beat you to the tasty fruit.
Rheum palmatum 'Tanguticum'	Ornamental Rhubarb	Leaf stem raw or cooked is superior in taste to common rhubarb.
Rhus varieties not toxicodendron	Sumac	Fruit has a tart lemony flavor high in vitamin C. Soak in hot water for a lemonade substitute.
Rosa rugosa and cvs	Rugosa Rose	Very sweet fruit is large for roses, used raw or cooked, high in vitamin C. Flowertips edible too.
Rubus odorata and spectabilis	Thimbleberry/Salmonberry	Self-pollinating. Tart and dry fruit, usually cooked and used in pies, jellies, or dried.
Rubus x stellarcticus	Alpine Raspberry	Needs pollinator for very tasty, fragrant raspberries.
Rubus hybrids	Raspberries/Blackberries	Firm, sweet, aggregate fruits. Usefully in jelly or pies, also tasty raw.
Sagittaria latifolia	Arrowhead or Duck Potato	Root has texture of potato and flavor of sweet chestnut when roasted. Harvest late summer.
Sambucus varieties	Elderberry	Cooked flowers and fruit are very flavorful, useful in pies and jelly. Must be cooked, never raw.
Sassafras albidum	Sassafras	Many parts of sassafras are edible, with a variety of applications. Has a delicate spiciness.
Schisandra chinensis	Magnolia Vine	Tart berries used in juice and jelly, or dried for journeys, rich in sugar. Has a sweet/sour flavor.
Semiarundinaria fastuosa	Temple Bamboo	Young shoots are excellent cooked, almost no bitterness. Best to harvest only a few at a time.
Smilacina racemosa	False Solomon's Seal	Fruit is deliciously bitter-sweet, rich in vitamins. Young shoots used like asparagus.
Staphylea trifolia	American Bladdernut	Tasty seed can be eaten raw or cooked, eaten like pistachios, can replace walnut in baking.
Taxus varieties	Yew	The fruit's flesh is very sweet and gelatinous, the rest is very poisonous including the seed.
Thymus varieties	Thyme	Leaves raw or dried give a nice aroma and flavor to food. Harvest early summer if drying.
Tradescantia cultivars	Spiderwort	Flowers (raw) and young leaves (raw or cooked) edible. Flowers make a nice garnish.
Typha angustifolia	Narrow-leaved Cattail	Highly edible plant with many uses and preparations. Young flower shoot tastes like sweet corn.
Vaccinium angustifolium and cvs.	Lowbush Blueberry	Classic blueberry fruit, care needs to be exercised to keep birds from eating the fruit.
Vaccinium hybrids	Highbush Blueberry	Less sweet, more aromatic than lowbush blueberry, useful raw, cooked or dried.
Vaccinium macrocarpon	American Cranberry	Classic cranberry, tart fruit is usually dried or cooked, high in vitamin C.
Viburnum varieties	Viburnum varieties	Sweet fruit mostly seed, widely variable between varieties, avoid lantana, plicatum, sieboldii and opulus.
Vitex agnus-castus cvs.	Chastetree	Fruit can be dried and used like pepper, the leaves are also a spice in Moroccan dishes.
Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea'	Claret Vine Grape	Vine that is less aggressive, but remember it was selected for fruit color, not taste.
Xanthoceras sorbifolium	Yellowhorn	Flowers, leaves, and seed are sweet when cooked, the seed tastes like a sweet chestnut.
Yucca filamentosa	Yucca	Flowers, fruit, and flower stalk are all edible. The fruit are large, fleshy and can be dried.
Zingiber mioga	Japanese Hardy Ginger	Flowers buds a delicacy in Japan, flower stalks & young shoots edible. Mature leaves & roots NOT !