Learn How To Identify Edible + Poisonous Plants

If you want to save money or if you want to eat more wholesome foods, there are thousands of wild edible plants that can feed you.  But, if you choose the wrong plants, eating them can also make you very ill - or even kill you. 

That’s why it's so important - before you need to look for food - for preppers to learn how to identify both edible and  nonedible, poisonous plants, in their region. 

Wild edibles are a free and ongoing food source, that includes;

• berries
• roots
• nuts
• leaves
• and flowers 

But many of these edible finds have unforgiving, toxic lookalikes that can cause you a lot of regret, if you eat the wrong one. 

One bite of the wrong plant can lead to nausea, allergic reaction, paralysis, hospitalization or worse.

How to Identify Five Wild Edible Plants

Start by studying reliable field guides specific to your location and ecosystem. 

Learn five to ten safe, easy-to-identify wild edibles like; 

Dandelion - Leaves, flowers and roots are all edible and nutritious

Chickweed - Tender leaves and stems can be eaten raw or cooked

Red Clover - The flowers and leaves are edible and can be used in salads

Purslane - A succulent with a slightly sour flavor, rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Plantain - Leaves can be used in salads or cooked; seeds are also edible

Nettle - Young leaves can be cooked to remove sting and used in soups

Wild Garlic - Leaves and bulbs have a strong garlic flavor, great for seasoning

Lamb's Quarters - A nutritious green that can be used like spinach

Wood Sorrel - Has a tangy flavor; leaves and flowers are edible

Poke Salad - Dark green plants with a reddish stem. When the plant is too old to eat, it will have deep red berries on the upper leaves.

Fireweed - Young shoots are sweet and can be eaten raw or cooked

Thistle - The young leaves, stems and flowers are edible

Cattail - Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked and can be added to salads

Creasy Greens - Or Lacy Leaf Cressie  and Lepidium Virginicum

Even more important is to learn what to avoid: 

• water hemlock
• deadly nightshade
• poison ivy
• poison oak
• oleander 
• and other toxic species. 

Understand key identifiers—leaf shape, color, stem type, growing location. Practice foraging with a mentor or in guided walks. Carry a laminated pocket guide when hiking. 

Never eat anything unless you’re 100% certain of its identity. Cooking doesn’t make poisons safe. 

In a long-term survival scenario, foraging supplements your food supply, adds nutrients and builds connection with your environment. 

How to Tell If a Plant is Poisonous

To keep everyone safe

• take a foraging class
• join a foraging group
• look at and compare photos of plants in the wild

When you know which natural plants are edible and which can be deadly, nature opens up as a free, diversified pantry. Foraging shouldn’t be guesswork - make sure your knowledge and skills are honed.