Edible Plants In Your Yard

Spring has come a little early this year. If you are fortunate enough to pass fields and meadows during your commute and you can take your eyes off the road or cell phone long enough to glance sideways, you'll see that many open spaces are already carpeted with purple flowers. What you'll see, just before swerving into the other lane, is called Lamium.

There are two species of Lamium that you are likely to see: Lamium purpereum, also known as Dead Nettle (pictured above), and Lamium amplexicaule, or Henbit (pictured below).

Like much of the wild vegetation along the roads or in your yard, both species of Lamium are edible. You can eat their leaves and shoots raw in the spring and you can use them as a potherb. They are not especially delicious or nutritious, but they'll do in a pinch.

Before you try eating Lamium or any other wild edible, please consult Wildology.net and other credible sources to confirm the plant you are hankering for won't send you into anaphylactic shock and kill you. Also be sure to take the Universal Edibility Test before eating any weed salad.

Identify more edible and medicinal plants around you at Wildology.net.