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Their Uses for Food and Medicine
My love of plants and the desire to learn about their uses in the past
has led me to many exciting discoveries. Because I lived in the
central Texas area at the time of this study the majority of the plants
listed here will be those species found in Central Texas. Pictureswere produced by the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group
which can be found at the Vascular Plant Image Gallery in the
Flowering Gateway.
Amaranth (Alternanthera sp.)
The amaranth can be cooked as greens or the succulent stems and
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leaves can be eaten raw. This plant is very high in calcium,
phosphorus, and potassium. The spikes of these plants also
produce numerous tiny black seeds which are high in
protein. The leaves contain oxalic acid which tends to bind
calcium restricting its absorption by the body.
Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)
The blue-black drupes produced by this plant have a dry
sweet pulp available late summer through the fall.
Chenopod (Chenopodium albescens)
The chenopods belong to the same family as beets, chard,
and spinach. They can be cooked or eaten raw, however,
cooking will destroy the naturally high amounts of vitamin C.
They are also high in vitamin A, calcium, and potassium. Theseeds can be cooked or ground into a meal for an added
source of protein. Like spinach, the chenopods contain oxalic
acid which tends to bind calcium.
Dewberry (Rubus flagillaris)
The fruit of the dewberry can be eaten raw, cooked, or
dried. The tender shoots of the early spring can be peeled
and eaten raw. Dewberries are a good source for potassium
as well as vitamins A and C.
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Grape (Vitis sp.)
Grapes can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. The mustang
grape (Vitis mustangensis) should not be gathered until after
the first couple of frosts which sometimes help reduce the
sourness found in that species. It is a good source ofpotassium and vitamin A. Grape leaves are loaded with
calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A and niacin.
Green Brier (Smilax sp.)
New growth can be cut and eaten raw or they can beprepared as a cooked green. The roots can be brewed for a
sarsaparilla-like beverage.
Ground Cherry (Physalis sp.)
You can gather ground cherries when they are green, but
you must let them ripen before you eat them. They can be
eaten raw or cooked for a good source of vitamins A and
niacin.
Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
Hackberry fruits, available summer and fall, are a good source of
calcium and protein.
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Hawthorne (Crataegus sp.)
The fruit of the hawthorne can be eaten raw, made into a
drink, or dried for later use.
Honey Locust (Gleditsia texana)
The pods of the honey locust have a sugar-sweet pulp and
the young pods can be eaten raw, or boiled and eaten like
string beans. They can also be pounded and soaked in water
to make a beverage. Both the fruit and seeds are good
sources of calcium and phosphorus.
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Acorns must first be leached of the tannic acids they contain.
To do this they are shelled and placed in water to be boiled.
The water must be emptied and replaced several times untilit remains clear. The acorns are then dried and ground into
flour. Acorn flour is high in protein, calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, and niacin.
Nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides)
Nettles must be cooked to avoid the stinging hairs on the leaves and
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stems. They are rich in protein, as well as vitamins A and C.
Do not confuse the true nettle with the bull nettle
(Cnidoscolus texanus) because the bull nettle has poisonous
leaves.
Onion (Allium sp.)
The wild onions are like cultivated onions, they are a good
source for vitamin C and potassium.
Peppergrass (Lepidium sp.)
Peppergrass is in the Brassicaceae family like Tansy
mustard. Like mustards it can be eaten raw or as cooked
greens. It is high in vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. It isalso a good source for thiamin and riboflavin.
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
The fruits of the persimmon are best gathered after the firstfrost. They can be eaten raw, dried, or cooked. The
persimmon is high in potassium and vitamin C.
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Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra)
These plants are highly poisonous so only the new shoots
should be used that contain no woody parts. It has to be
boiled and drained and then boiled again several times to
eliminate the poisons. Pokeweeds are high in vitamins A and
C.
Portulaca (Claytonia virginica)
The leaves, flowers, pods, and stems can be eaten raw,
boiled, or steamed. It is high in potassium and vitamin A, and
is a good source for calcium and vitamin C. I have heard that
the ashes of burned portulaca make a good substitute forsalt.
Pricklypear (Opuntia sp.)
The blooms, fruit, seed, and entire plant of the pricklypear
can be eaten. In the summer the blooms and pads can be
eaten raw, cooked, or dried. Both are high in calcium, and
the blooms are high in vitamin C. In the fall the fruits and
seeds as well as the pads can be used. The fruits are high in
potassium and the seeds are a good source for vitamin C.
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
The flowers appear in late winter and early spring and can
be eaten raw or cooked. They have a slightly sour flavor and
are high in vitamin C. The young green pods may also be
eaten raw or cooked.
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Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
Sumacs are related to the cashews, mangoes, and poison ivy
and thus some people may have an allergic reaction to it.The drupes of this plant are ripe in the early fall and can be
used to produce a lemonade-like drink that is high in vitamin
C. The fruits should be removed from the stems and soaked
in cold water to avoid releasing the tannins found in the seeds.
Sunflower (Helianthus sp.)
Sunflower seeds are eaten either raw or cooked. A cooked
unopen flower bud has a taste reminiscent of artichokes. The
seeds are high in protein and phosphorus.
Tansy Mustard (Descurainia pinnata)
The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked for greens like any
other mustard. They are high in vitamins A and C, as well as,
calcium and potassium. They are also a good source of
thiamin and riboflavin.
Thistle (Cirsium sp.)
Except for the spines found on the leaves, stems, and flower bases,
the rest of this plant is considered edible. They can be eaten raw
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after removing the spines or cooked for a good source of
vitamin A.
Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus sp.)
You can eat the flowers, fruits, and young leaves of Turk's
Cap either raw or cooked. They are high in calcium and
vitamins A and C.
Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)
The fruit of the passionflower contains mostly juice and
seeds. The juice is consumed as a beverage or used with
other foods to give them a sweet flavor. The fruit is high in
potassium, and vitamins A, C, and niacin.
Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum nuttallianum)
The fleshy leaves and stems of sedums can be eaten raw,
steamed, or boiled. They are slightly tart and crisp and mix
well with stronger flavored greens.
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Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis dillenii)
The fruit, flower, leaves, and roots are eaten raw or cooked.
They are enjoyed because of the salty/sour flavor. They
contain oxalic acids so they should be eaten in moderation.
Violet (Viola sp.)
The blooms and leaves of the violet can be eaten raw or
cooked. The leaves are very high in vitamins A and C. The
blooms can be gathered for eating in the spring, and the
leaves are best gathered late fall and early spring because
they will turn bitter towards the summer.
My favorite plant links...
Native American Seed Home Page
American Indian Ethnobotany Database
The Maize Page
USDA Nutrient Values of Foods
UW Medicinal Herb Garden Home Page
EthnobotanyPhytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
Herbarium Specimen Browser
Vascular Plants Checklist
Native American Cooking
Old Things Forgotten Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/8398/recipes.htmlhttp://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/res/plants.htmlhttp://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/tracy/main1.htmlhttp://sun.ars-grin.gov/~ngrlsb/http://www.umma.lsa.umich.edu/Ethnobotany/Ethnobotany.htmlhttp://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/pnr/uwmhg/index.htmlhttp://www.rahul.net/cgi-bin/fatfree/usda/usda.cgihttp://maize.agron.iastate.edu/http://herb.umd.umich.edu/http://seedsource.com/index.htm7/29/2019 Texas Native Plants and Use Food & Medicine
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Disclaimer...
The author does not accept responsibility for identifications made by
persons using this guide, nor for any effects that may arise from
ingesting a wild plant. Although many species are known to be ediblefor many people, it is not possible to predict an individuals reaction
to a particular plant. Therefore, the author does not accept
responsibility for any personal experimentation.
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