19 Edible Wild Plants That Are Safe to Forage

Edible wild plants are species of plants safe for human consumption. Knowing which wild plants are edible can be a life-saving skill and a great way to interact with your local ecosystem and add variety to your regular diet. Wild edible plants grow in virtually every ecosystem. Many edible plants are weeds and grow in areas close to human habitation. Others grow deep in the wilderness, along streams, in mountain meadows, or in the understory of a forest. The best way to begin foraging is to research what kind of edible plants grow in your area. As always, it’s best to forage plants that are less likely to have been contaminated by nearby roads or human development.

There are hundreds of species of edible plants in the wild. Consider the following common types of edible plants:

1. 1. Acorns (Quercus spp.): Acorns, or oak nuts, are the nuts of the oak tree. There are more than one hundred oak species in North America, and the seeds of many species are a food source for humans and animals. Acorns have a hard shell and a top portion resembling a small cap. Leaching—repeatedly soaking in cold water or hot water—removes the bitter tannins and renders the acorns safe to consume. White Oak, Black Oak, Pin Oak, and Red Oak are some species edible to humans.
2. 2. Burdock (Arctium spp): The thistle-like flower pods on this plant can stick to your clothing if you brush up against them. The root, leaves, flower stalks, and blossoms of burdock are all edible. You can use the root to make an anti-inflammatory tincture or roast and consume it like other root vegetables. You can eat the leaves raw or cook them in various dishes.
3. 3. Cattail (Typha latifolia): Cattails are reeds that grow in waterways all over North America and have been widely used for various purposes by Native American tribes. Eating cattails provides a substantial dose of vitamin C, phosphorus, and potassium. Certain parts of the plant are best eaten at different times of the year. For example, the young shoots, flowers, and pollen are best enjoyed in the spring, whereas the stalks and roots are best in the fall.
4. 4. Chickweed (Stellaria media): The leaves, stems, small white flowers, and seeds of this wild green are edible. Chickweed grows in thick, lush stands during the cooler months; by late spring, the plants dry up and go to seed.
5. 5. Curly dock (Rumex spp.): This wild edible green has thick, deep-growing roots that you consume for food and medicinal purposes. The seeds can be ground into flour, somewhat like buckwheat, and the greens can also be consumed.
6. 6. Dandelion (Taraxacum officionale): Dandelion is one of the most common edible wild plants, found everywhere from backyards to forest meadows. Every part of the dandelion is edible: the flower, roots, stems, and leaves. Dandelion greens slightly resemble arugula, though longer, and have a similar spicy and bitter taste. You can harvest the blooms and leaves when they begin to appear in late winter and early spring; use them to make salads and sautéed dishes and use the roots to make tea.
7. 7. Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis): Elderberries are the small, dark purple or black berries of the elderberry bush. Cooked elderberries are a popular ingredient in pies and other baked goods, jams and jellies, wine, cordials, elderberry syrup, and tea. While ripe elderberry fruit and flowers are edible once cooked, most other parts of the elderberry shrub are predominantly toxic—including unripe or raw berries, leaves, stems, and roots—and can cause nausea if consumed.
8. 8. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata): Garlic mustard has slightly bitter, mustard-like leaves. Garlic mustard has an aroma is similar to garlic, hence the name. It is safe to eat this plant when it is young—you can consume older plants after thoroughly cooking.
9. 9. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus): You can consume the tuberous roots of Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, raw or cook them. These artichokes have deep yellow flowers that resemble sunflowers, and the leaves are broad, ovoid, and slightly hairy.
10. 10. Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album): Also known by the common name of pigweed, lamb’s quarters is similar to wild quinoa, which, if allowed to go to seed, will produce similar grains that can be eaten. The leaves can make for a delicious, nutritious wild salad. You can also sauté them as you would spinach or Swiss chard, or process them to make a wild food pesto.
11. 11. Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata): Miner’s lettuce is an herbaceous, edible annual plant. Miner’s lettuce, also known as winter purslane, grows in shady areas of the western mountains and coastal areas of North America, where Native Americans have consumed it for generations. Miner’s lettuce gets its common name from the California Gold Rush miners who sought a source of vitamin C to ward off scurvy. It remains a widely popular plant for foraging, as it is healthy, tasty, and easy to gather.
12. 12. Morel mushroom (Morchella spp.): These oblong mushrooms, which have a pocked, almost honeycomb-like exterior to their caps, are a wild delicacy. Morel mushrooms are one of the first species to reestablish a habitat after a wildfire and are often foraged in recently-burned areas. As with any mushroom, it’s good to consult with an experienced guide, as there are toxic look-alikes.
13. 13. Pigweed amaranth (Amaranthus spp.): The leaves, flowers, seeds, and flower shoots of these wild plants are edible. Young leaves are the most tender and flavorful.
14. 14. Plantain (Plantago spp): The broadleaf plantain features edible seed pods and leaves. The leaves are best to eat young when the flavor and nutritional profile are at their peak. Although a bit tough, plantain leaves are a good substitute for spinach.
15. 15. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica): This edible wild green grows dense stands of serrated leaves covered with tiny, stinging hairs. Exercise caution when gathering them and use sturdy gloves to pick and place them in a container or bag. The nettles lose their ability to sting after cooking and become tasty, nutritious greens you can add to soups, pastas, or casserole dishes. You can also steep the leaves to make a healthy tea.
16. 16. Watercress (Nasturtium officinale): Watercress grows in running, shallow water. The leaves, stems, and flowers are edible and have a slightly peppery taste. As with any wild edible, make sure the surrounding area and water are free of contaminants.
17. 17. Wild garlic (Allium vineale): The bulbs, leaves, bulbils, and flowers of this plant are edible. Wild garlic is similar in flavor and aroma to domesticated garlic. You can pickle the bulbs and bulbils, eat them alone, or combine them with other foods as a snack.
18. 18. Wild onion (Allium bispectrum): Wild alliums feature white and purple flowers with six petals. All parts of the plant are edible, including the onion-like bulb from which it grows. The taste is a milder version of the onions you’ll find in the grocery store, and you can tell them apart from other, potentially-toxic lookalikes (such as Lily of the Valley), by their oniony aroma.
19. 19. Wood sorrel (Oxalis spp.): The leaves of wood sorrel resemble clover, and these common edible plants also form edible yellow flowers. The flavor is distinctly citrusy, making them a great addition to a salad of wild greens.

Use the edibility test to determine whether or not any plants and berries you find in the wild are likely safe to consume. The test contains a series of steps that gradually expose your body to more contact with the plant.

The best way to identify edible wild plants when foraging is to follow the universal edibility test. The test takes place over the course of a day, during which you will chew, cook, and consume small portions of a plant, then wait to see how your body reacts to it. Follow these steps:

1. 1. Look for the most common poisonous traits. When you’re looking for plants to eat in the wild, you want to avoid anything that has common traits of toxic plants. Rule out mushrooms and plants with milky sap, fine hairs, spines, umbrella-shaped flowers, or shiny, waxy leaves. Green and white berries are usually signs of an inedible plant. Try to find a large quantity of one plant, because once you’ve performed the long edibility test, you will know that this is a safe food source.
2. 2. Separate the plant. Not all parts of the plant are edible simply because one part is. Split up the flowers, roots, leaves, and stems of the plant, and choose which part of it you want to test. Test parts separately before consuming the whole plant, and whenever possible, always do plenty of thorough research when taking a chance out in the wild.
3. 3. Do a skin contact test. Take the piece of the plant you want to eat and rub it on your inner forearm, the inside of your elbow, or your outer lip. Wait fifteen minutes. If there is no tingling, burning, or adverse reaction, you’re free to continue with the rest.
4. 4. Do a taste test. Taste that same part of the plant, and wait another five minutes. If you have any tingling, burning, or adverse reactions, spit out the plant and wash your mouth out with water. If not, you can continue with the test.
5. 5. Do a bigger taste test. If you don’t taste any bitterness, soapy flavor, or feel any numbness, take a teaspoon of that same part of the plant and chew for five minutes, spitting out extra saliva regularly. Swallow, then wait eight hours.
6. 6. Eat a small amount. If you’re still not experiencing any digestive issues, eat one tablespoon of that same part of the plant and wait another eight hours. If you still have no symptoms, you can consider that part of the plant edible in the manner in which it was prepared.
7. 7. Take precautions. Whether you’re practicing sustainable foraging or trying to rough it in nature, use common sense and your best judgment when searching for edible wild plants. Some edible species of plants have toxic look-alikes or may have edible berries but poisonous stems and bark (such as elderberries).

Prepare for any outdoor journey by grabbing a MasterClass Annual Membership and committing Jessie Krebs’s wilderness survival course to memory. As a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape instructor, Jessie can teach you everything you need to know about packing for a trip (neon is the new black), purifying water, foraging (crickets: the other white meat), starting a fire, and signaling for help (forget SOS).