Guinea Greenery

Check out the NC Extension this weekend after Hoke County Farmer's Market

A lot of “weeds” growing around us have been used for generations in kitchens and home gardens.

Things like dandelion, chickweed, red clover, purslane, plantain, and even daylily buds are familiar to a lot of foragers once they learn what they’re looking at.

What I’ve learned is this:

Just because a plant is common doesn’t mean it’s safe to guess.

Some edible wild plants have toxic lookalikes, and that’s where people get into trouble fast.

Queen Anne’s lace is the big one people always mention, because it can be confused with poisonous plants like hemlock.

So this kind of list is a nice starting point for learning, but never the last step.

A good habit is to:

1. Identify the plant more than one way
2. Check the leaves, flower, stem, smell, and growth habit
3. Use a trusted field guide or local expert
4. Never eat anything unless you’re fully sure

I do think it’s worth learning these plants though.

Once you start noticing them, you realize how many useful plants are hiding in plain sight around yards, paths, fence lines, and garden edges.

Have you ever found an edible wild plant growing in your yard?

Ah the yarrow