In the Garden

By Pat Naughton

There’s nothing as satisfying as growing your own food— unless it’s picking food that grew all by itself! From caveman days, humans have been foraging for the delicious foods that grow all around us. You can, too. Here are a few wild plants you’ll find in Brunswick County to make a tasty backyard salad.

Chickweed is a typical weed found in landscapes. It makes a great base for the salad. The flowers, base, and stems are all edible. When the flowers are in full bloom, it is at its best state for eating. It tastes a lot like spinach.

Redbud trees are native and abundant in in the Piedmont region of North Carolina and well established along the coast. In spring the tree is covered with bright purple blooms that taste like snow peas. They contain a large amount of vitamin C.

Oxalis has shamrock leaves which why it is commonly referred to as Good Luck Plant and Shamrock Plant. It grows in shady moist areas. The leaves, flowers, and roots are edible. This will give the salad a tangy flavor. It does contain oxalic acid, so use it sparingly.

All parts of the dandelion are edible. The yellow blossoms add some crunch to the salad. Pick the youngest, greenest leaves in the center. The leaves are bitter so use sparingly. If you can pick before the flower blooms, they’re sweeter.

In the spring these weeds appear in lawns as tall thin leaves in the spring. They can be used like chives in a salad. woods in spring. The blooms are edible and add color to the salad.

Johnny Jump Ups are part of the pansy family. The flowers are edible and have a slight minty flavor. They contain saponins and could be toxic in large amounts; however, they are used as an anti-inflammatory and contain antioxidants.

Be sure to thoroughly wash your plants before eating.

For more information, watch this video by Travis Birdsell, County Extension Director and Extension Agent for Ashe, NC, and his daughter Alice. They forage the backyard for salad items. It can be found on YouTube (https:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=YWzlS88Td0w). Photos are from N.C. State Extension Plant Toolbox.