'Alternative' greens

I can’t bring myself to intentionally grow purslane, it’s such a major weed for me in my ornamental beds at work and in my vegetable gardens.

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Can’t blame you there. It’s not so bad here. The wild comes up in the garden, but it’s far from the worst weed. I imagine I’d feel the same way if somebody told me to plant crab grass or creeping charlie! (I’ve heard the former is actually pretty nutrient-dense, and the latter was used as an ale flavorant in pre-hops days; hence the alternate name “gill[-of-ale!]-over-the-ground”: medieval ales must’ve been pretty skunky if they were desperate enough to cover the taste with that, as I don’t think creeping charlie smells nice at all!)

A mache/corn salad I’ve always wanted to try is “Golden,” or “Italian.” It’s Valerianella eriocarpa, not V. locusta—supposed to be larger-leafed, more heat tolerant than its cousin. Doesn’t seem to be a reliable source for it in the U.S., though.

Speaking of weeds, ever eat chickweed? It’s pretty good, actually!

Good king Henry is great fresh in the spring and early summer but gets pretty bitter. Cooking should help to make it edible longer. The seeds are good as a grain alternative though I’ve only eaten them fresh.

Red veined sorrel is good till late spring when it gets too bitter for me. Similar to dandelion greens. Profusion Sorrel is always lemony good. I’d look into Claytonia as well. It bolts but I will have to see if it self-seeded here in zone 6b for me. Slyvetta arugula is similar and will run all over but who doesn’t love argula. Sea kale doesn’t give a large harvest as it can be killed if you harvest too much (or so I hear) but the leaves are delicious, mild flavored and succulent-like…at least in the first year. I’ve heard it may not taste so good in subsequent years. Though sea kale is easily propagated by root cuttings. Turkish Rocket greens can be used too but also get bitter quickly and are probably best cooked or used for spicy florets. Raspberry leaves aren’t bad and some varieties have been bred for sweet leaves though they are kind of odd in texture and ball up as you’re chewing (or at least mine do). Young grape leaves are also great.

No experience with these but tree arugula, linden trees (small leaf lime varieties), and a select few of mulberries.

I’m currently trialing the Chris homanics perennial grex kale in zone 6 to see if it’s perennial this north but it was very abundant and looked pretty good up until a week ago where we dropped to 10 to 5 degrees F nightly. It still doesn’t look dead but I could’ve harvested this thing in mid January. Easily clonally propagated too so I’ll be ready to replant if it doesn’t survive.

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Here the worst weeds are thistle, blackberries, and tansy ragwort.

I love the purslane that I planted years ago and volunteers in my vegetable garden. I’ve transplanted it to some of my fruit tree cages.

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Saw This link by mistake world vegetables (looking up a tree toona genus for greens also a green)

have you saw pfaf.org (plants for a future) you can click
Unfortunately Pfaf uses a newer database but liked the old one better b/c new one has a short list, and you have to keep clicking for results
(you can also get a longer list on old database but results do not show
and you have to have 2 pfaf tabs with one new data base one old open to browse your results )

(old database found near bottom of new page —
I’d pay to use it old , but do not use the new one very much anymore sorry advertisers sites ruined now by inconvenience to click to much )

https://pfaf.org/user/plantsearch.aspx

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O’d say Amaranth Green’s would be my top choice for green (not Grain amarathn , but it’s good)

Jerimiah creeping charlie taste good to me
(in midwest)

I suppose with wild weeds forging I’d say by location is good to add
I have no Idea of the Herbs In New Orleans , that grow wild, but wish I did when I lived there
(Hopefully I will start learning botany better so I can identify thousands of plants by the families characteristics)

Lucky for me this year The lamb’s uarters freeze dried outside on plant and can still harvest

Brought up was Oxalic acid found in sorrel also Rhubarb (as well as Kale)
rhubarb a family Polygonaceae has Oxalic acid is related to Knot weed is edible
looks like this chef in German makes jam with it makes since .

Maybe I will try making a jelly with sorrel it has Oxalic acid
good He is destroying all the knotweed, and making jelly
I also want to do this with a very bad invasive here garlic mustard (root)
heard it makes great ice cream from friend. (and he is not that open minded with stuff like that_)

http://www.wildkräuter-werkstatt.de/

Ampersand did the garlic Mustard reach Pensylvania
If Not I would not plant it very invasive
(entire forests are covered in it, and sends out poisons in roots to kill competing native plants)
I wish someone would spray radiated Garlic mustard pollen on it to naturally make the offspring sterile .

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I think amaranth may be the most abundant annual weed in my vegetable garden. At least, that’s what I think it may be, I’d only tried to ID it this past winter.

How do you eat it, and do you know if there are imposters that aren’t good or safe to eat?

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Murky Is this the one (thistle That is a grain thistle )
not leafy I like the red ones are those invasive at your location you can find in garden catalog ?)
Also see Thistle is on it

(Pig weed
random link but actually looking for someone I am familiar with it looks good though)
https://www.northernbushcraft.com/topic.php?name=pigweed&region=pnw&ctgy=edible_plants

(I will see later or next week if I can find the other guy )

I also Have this link saved Been a while since I looked there, but He offered classes
(he & you are in Oregon)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160502121059/http://home.teleport.com/~howieb/

I think Bull thistle (in Asparagus family) is the good one
(get it early or becomes tough peal the spikes )

As far Imposters not a bad Idea to learn the most dangerous plants
I know the Carrot family has some deadly members (lacy leaves Like lingerie , and carrot smell)

I learn a lot of the invasive ones

One thing to identify harder stuff is to rule stuff out

Is each leaf on the stem Opposite of each other
or do they Alternate
Same for branches

I want to get the Botany in a day
I tried finding the uote but could not
It explains if you can learn each family characteristics you could learn thousands of plants

http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Edible_Plants/index.html

Steve brill Is good as well (but that is New York ) see end of post
I cooked his Dryard’s saddle mushroom on his site
(it is bad unless you prepare it right, and it was good,
also made some variations to the recipe depending on mood, but his is good as well )
(the trick he soaks it in Tamari soys sauce or plain works ) Mushroom Recipes | Wildman Steve Brill
Steve Brill also has Milk thistle page (not sure if in recipes though)

Steve brill

https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/plants

I have a (late ) Euell gibbons book, but misplaced it
I do like how he explained stuff

Of coarse you may have also heard of eat the weeds

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I’m growing this too and happy with the results. About half of the seedlings I got died off after the second year and I made additional cuttings of the rest. We’ll see how they do long term. Similar to other reports, about half of them like to grow along the ground and half are upright. Hope you have luck with it in your colder location. They might actually do even better there.

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keep us posted on oyster leaf.,

I’ve had this come up a few times in searches of interesting plants and I’m hoping for a personal experience from some I know.

Scott

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For our thistle, Canadian Thistle seems to be the best match from what I’d found on Google, and apparently its a class 3 noxious weed in WA state. I can see why. It seems to thrive in any kind bared ground, but doesn’t compete well with grass and stuff. It does very well vs annual vegetables :slight_smile:

@Jujube and @drusket Chris Homanics is a friend of mine, we served on the Home Orchard Society Board together. I’ve been meaning to get some perennial kale from him, but somehow never have. Maybe I was waiting to sort out my garden weed strategy. In fact, I’m still not quite sure how to handle non-woody perennials - with the type of irregular effort I’m willing to expend.

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Must be one of those divisive plants–like cilantro (which I really like, but many others seem to find repulsive). :slight_smile:

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Not sure about amaranth look alikes but the leaves are edible fresh and cooked as far as I know and the seed can be used as a grain alternative

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@drusket all my grex kales are upright so far so that’s interesting to know. The “grex” term implies heterogeneity so I’m not too surprised to hear of multiple phenotypes in form.

@murky very cool he is one of my heroes. I’ve spoken with him about persimmons on FB but not much. Seed is inexpensive on EFN but I’d be happy to share if I get any next year.

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That’s awesome. Love the work these guys are doing. I’m converting my raised beds to mostly perennials/easy annuals. I’m growing several beds of the grex kales heavily leaf mulched and well-spaced and plan to plant a rotation of different annual summer greens in between the kales this spring. This post is giving me plenty of options to think about.

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Saute or boil it. We eat some of it and some goes into compost pile. I prefer regular spinach.

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Very well put

Oh yes.

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Toona is another one that’s kind of interesting. Morris Arboretum neat me has a big grove of them. Doesn’t sound super appetizing to me.

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I’ve got a few toona seeds starting in my basement window. I figured it will be pretty quick to determine if I like them or not since it is the leaves you eat and there will be plenty in a matter of weeks.

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