Edible Uses

There are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world yet fewer than 20 species now provide 90% of our food. However, there are hundreds of less well known edible plants from all around the world which are both delicious and nutritious.

The articles below highlight some of the more unusual edible plants.

1. Alternative Food Crops (Español ).
2. Alternative Fruits (Español )
3. Alternative Root Crops
4. Alternative Edible Leaves
5. Edible Flowers
6. Winter Salads
7. Staple seed crops from perennials
8. Vegtable Oils
9. Fruit: Food of the Gods
10. Green Gold - The Leaves of Life!
11. Useful Weeds
12. Annuals in the Perennial Garden

Database:

Top Rated plants. 154 plants we consider the best for edibility.

Edible Part

• Flowers (685)
• Fruit (1723)
• Inner bark the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs. (141)
• Leaves (2449)
• Manna this is a sweet substance that exudes naturally from certain plants, usually from the stems. (40)
• Nectar produced in such abundance by some flowers that it can be harvested fairly easily. (30)
• Pollen (18)
• Root includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc. (1181)
• Sap usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink. (80)
• Seed includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans. (1326)
• Seedpod things such as Okra, French and Runner beans. (118)
• Stem this often intergrades into leaves. (344)

Edible Uses

• Chocolate substitutes for chocolate, that is. (8)
• Coffee the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee. (225)
• Colouring edible dyes (49)
• Condiment the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments. (552)
• Curdling agent used to curdle soya milk in making cheese. (17)
• Drink not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes. (133)
• Egg Substitutes for eggs. (5)
• Gelatine substitutes that is. (3)
• Gum can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods. (131)
• Milk made from plants, that is. (8)
• Oil (240)
• Pectin a substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories. (13)
• Rutin often used as a food supplement. (18)
• Salt plants that provide a substitute for salt. (17)
• Stabilizer this is often a gum and could perhaps be included there. (1)
• Sweetener includes sugar substitutes. (80)
• Tea the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article. (625)