Tennessee Naturescapes

Native Edibles List Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum) – stems, flowers, roots. Onion like flavor. American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) – hazelnuts Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) – pawpaw fruit, as is or in pies/cobbler. Elderberry (Sambuncus nigra spp canadensis) – berries, jam or syrup Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) – seed pods or spring shoots, boil/bake/saute. Do not use other milkweeds. Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) – rose hips Coneflower (Echinacea species) – flower petals, seed head, or roots. Passion Vine (Passiflora incarnata) – fruit, as is or jam/jelly Bee Balm/Bergamot (Monarda spp.) – flower, leaves – salad or tea Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) – roots have ginger taste for seasoning, leaves for tea. SMALL amounts. Serviceberry (Amelanchier..) – berries as is, jam Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – leaves, as tea Persimmon (Diospyros…) – fruit Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) – leaves as tea, spice, salad. Pickerel (Pontederia cordata) – edible seeds, cooked young leafstalks. Bellwort (Uvularia..) – young shoots as asparagus Sweetflag (Calamus..) – young shoots can be cooked or salads, roots can be candied Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) – fruit can be jellied, juice of fruit as drink. White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) & Other Trilliums – leaves as salad, greens. Spring Beauty (Claytonia spp) – corms eaten like potato Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) – ripe fruit cluster will make pink lemonade like drink. Gather before heavy rain. Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) – fruit, seeds as flour, pad as green bean like food Virginia Meadow Beauty (Rhexia virginica) – leaves in salad, tubers in salad Canada Lily (Lilium candense) – bulbs roasted Turks Cap Lily (Lilium superbum) – bulbs roasted Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaemia atrorubens) – dried corms as potato chips or ground into flour Wisteria – fry the flowers Partridge Berry (Mitella repens) – berries edible Chokeberry – fruit as is or jam Solomon Seal (Polygonatum)- young shoots as asparagus, salad. Roots as potato. Toothwort (Dentaria) – rootstock in salad similar to horseradish