10 Edible Plants in North America

​In any survival situation, you have to be a able to make do with what you already have or what is readily available for you.

In North America we have several plant species that are edible and can help you survive in the wild.

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​We are going to look at 10 edible plant options for you to use in any survival situation.

​**Remember: When consuming any type of plant you have a chance of an allergic reaction. You should always test plants before consuming. Rub a small area of your arm with the plant leaf and wait about 5 mins to see if your body reacts. If you have no reaction to the plant try eating a small amount before consuming too much. 

​Rose Hips

​​The rose hip or rosehip, also called rose haw and rose hep, is the accessory fruit of the rose plant. It is typically red to orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form after successful pollination of flowers in spring or early summer, and ripen in late summer through autumn.

​Elderberry

​​Sambucus (Elderberry) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to genetic and morphological comparisons to plants in the genus Adoxa.

​​Kudzu

​Kudzu is a group of plants in the genus Pueraria, in the pea family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. They are climbing, coiling, and trailing perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands. The name is derived from the Japanese name for the plant East Asian arrowroot. This plant has migrated to some parts of the Southern portion of North America.

​Pineapple Weed

​​Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, and disc mayweed, is an annual plant native to northeast Asia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed.

​Fireweed

​​Chamaenerion angustifolium, known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb, and traditionally known as Saint Anthony's Laurel amongst other variants, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae.

​Dandelion

​​Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions.

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​Chickweed

​​Stellaria media, chickweed, is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized in throughout the world. This species is used as a cooling herbal remedy, and grown as a vegetable crop and ground cover for both human and poultry consumption.

​Chicory

​​Common chicory is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons, or roots, which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive.

Bull Thistle

​​Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas.

​Broadleaf Plantain

​​Plantago major is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. The plant is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia, but has widely naturalised elsewhere in the world. The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten.

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