Edible Plants

Search the current harvest database to get a list of edible plants and their uses. This tool includes plants found globally, use the Area map to search for specific plants found in your area.

Edible Part

Apical bud

the end of a shoot contains an apical bud, which is the location where shoot growth occurs

Flowers

Fruit

Inner Bark

the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs

Leaves

Manna

this is a sweet substance that exudes naturally from certain plants, usually from the stems

Nectar

a sugary fluid secreted within flowers to encourage pollination by insects and other animals, collected by bees to make into honey

Pollen

a fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower or from a male cone. Each grain contains a male gamete that can fertilise the female ovule, to which pollen is transported by the wind, insects, or other animals

Root

includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc

Sap

usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink

Seed

includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans

Seedpod

things such as Okra, French and Runner beans

Shoots

Stem

this often intergrades into leaves

Edible Uses

Condiment

the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments

Chocolate

substitutes for chocolate

• Argania spinosa (Argan Tree)

• Castanea dentata (American Sweet Chestnut)

• Ceratonia siliqua (Carob)

• Geum canadense (White Avens)

• Geum rivale (Water Avens)

• Irvingia gabonensis (Dika Nut)

• Pachira insignis (Malabar Chestnut)

• Paullinia cupana (Guarana)

• Pouteria sapota (Sapote)

• Theobroma cacao (Cacao)

• Theobroma grandiflorum (Cupuassu)

• Tilia americana (American Basswood)

• Tilia cordata (Small Leaved Lime)

• Tilia platyphyllos (Large Leaved Lime)

• Tilia x europaea (Linden)

Coffee - the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee

Curdling agent - a  substance that curdles milk in making cheese and junket

Drink - not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes

Egg - substitutes for eggs

Gelatine - colourless and tasteless water-soluble protein prepared from collagen and used in food preparation, in photographic processes, and in glue

Gum - chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods

Milk - milk and plant-milk substitutes

Oil -

Pectin - a soluble gelatinous polysaccharide which is present in ripe fruits and is used as a setting agent in jams and jellies

Rutin - a citrus flavonoid glycoside found in many plants, often used as a food supplement

Salt - substitutes for salt

Stabilising and Thickening

Sweetener

Tea

Aggregate fruits -

Botanical berries

Capsules

Drupes

Follicles

Hesperidiums - aka citruses, they possess thick and leathery rinds. These fruits are generally sour and acidic to some extent and have a wagon wheel-like cross section

Legumes - a pod fruit with one carpel

Multiple fruits -

Pepos - any fruit that is covered by a hard, thick rind with soft flesh inside, and seeds filling each locule. Melons are good examples of this

Plants with edible fruit-like structures - edible fruit-like structures are not technically fruit, but are used culinarily as such

Pomes - any crunchy accessory fruit that surrounds the fruit's inedible "core" (composed of the plant's endocarp) and typically has its seeds arranged in a star-like pattern

Condiment - the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments. 

Chocolate: substitutes for chocolate

Coffee

Coffee

	edible dyes
C
	A
	.
Gelatine
Gum	can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Milk	Milk and plant-milk substitutes
Oil
Pectin	A soluble gelatinous polysaccharide which is present in ripe fruits and is used as a setting agent in jams and jellies
Rutin	Rutin is a citrus flavonoid glycoside found in many plants, often used as a food suppliment
Salt	Substitutes for salt
Stabilizing and Thickening	"Most stabilizing and thickening agents are polysaccharides, such as starches or gums, or proteins, such as gelatin. The primary function of these compounds is to act as thickening or gelling agents that increase the viscosity of the final product. These agents stabilize emulsions, either by adsorbing to the outer surface of oil droplets or by increasing the viscosity of the water phase. Thus, they prevent the coalescence of the oil droplets, promoting the separation of the oil phase from the aqueous phase (i.e., creaming)." (Davidson, P., Singh, P. (2023)
Sweetener	includes sugar substitutes.
Tea	the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
	Aggregate fruits are a cluster of many fruits produced from a single flower.
	Botanical berries represent any fruit that has a relatively thin exterior, with mostly flesh and more than one seed inside.
	Capsules represent a pod fruit with multiple carpels.
Drupes	Drupes represent any fruit that has only one seed (or "stone") or one hard capsule containing seeds.
	Follicles represent a single ovary that splits along a single seam.
	Legumes represent a pod fruit with one carpel.
	Multiple fruits are .
	Pepos represent .
	Plants with . -
	Pomes include .