In today’s modern and often hectic world, we are frequently deprived of the simple joys of interacting with nature and reconnecting with the source of our food through foraging. In just a few days, summer will arrive, revealing a whole world of plants that, beyond their charming natural beauty, possess immense culinary potential. If in the past we could only admire the blooming mallow or the fragrant clover, now we can look at these plants differently and incorporate them into our meals. Here, I will provide a list of wild plants that you can eat. They are not only rich in vitamins and minerals but can also make your dishes delightfully diverse.
It’s better not to gather these plants within the city limits, but outside the city, you can find plenty of them in spring and summer, especially if you know where to look.
Edible Wild Plants.
Clover: It can be eaten raw and added to salads, but it tastes best when cooked.
Fireweed (Ivan tea): Found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. You can eat the young leaves and stems, but the older ones are tough and bitter. The flowers and seeds are somewhat spicy.
Coltsfoot: The young leaves and flowers are edible. Raw flowers can be added to salads for a wonderful aroma. You can dry the buds and add them to tea or various dishes. The young leaves are bitter but can be added to salads, stews, or simply seasoned with lemon, olive oil, and spices after boiling.
Mallow: Mallow leaves can be safely added to salads like any other greens. They have a pleasant sweetish taste. Large leaves can be used to wrap fillings (similar to grape leaves). The stems can also be eaten, either raw or cooked before they turn brown.
Chicory: The entire plant is edible, including the flowers. In autumn, you can make a drink from chicory root (the same kind sold in stores, but much tastier).
Cattail: Commonly known as bulrush, it grows near marshes. Most varieties of cattail are edible! Early summer flower shoots can be snapped off and eaten like corn on the cob (even tasting somewhat similar). The stems can be boiled or eaten raw, and the leaves can simply be boiled.
Plantain: Yes, it too! Choose the green wavy leaves. They can be blanched with boiling water, then fried with garlic and oil.
Cheeseweed (Malva neglecta): All parts of the plant are edible. It grows abundantly in abandoned areas. During times of crop failure and wars, it was widely consumed—added to salads, and used to make soups. The plant has a pleasant nutty flavor.
Shepherd’s Purse: The young leaves can be added raw to salads.
Wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris): Salads can be made from the young greens. Unopened flower buds can be sautéed like broccoli.
Mullein: Both the flowers and leaves are edible. The flowers are aromatic and sweet, while the leaves are slightly bitter and less aromatic.
Bon appetit!
Read my other post about herbs – Scandinavian herbal folklore.
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