Supplemental Talk: Landscaping your Lunch
Predominantly native, non-invasive plants to consider adding to your home landscaping to improve your wellness and enhance your space!
| Floral Food | To note: |
| Redbud | One of the first to bloom in spring. Enjoy their heart-shaped leaves or try making the Appalachian classic, Redbud flower Jelly. |
| Magnolia | Ginger-flavored petals are excellent in “ginger”-snap cookies, or pickled sushi “ginger” |
| Daylily | These iconic yellow blossoms are excellent stuffed just like squash blossoms. Don’t confuse them with any other kind of lily! |
| Rose | From turkish delight to rosewater toner, roses add a delightful fragrance. Beware of store-bought cut roses, as they may have pesticide residues. |
| Mosquito-Repellent Plants | To note: |
| Catmint | Bunching, easier to grow than lavender but similar appearance |
| Rosemary | Prefers arid conditions, well suited to containers |
| Lavender | Prefers arid conditions |
| Anise Hyssop | Bunching, wonderful tea to aid digestion |
| Mountain Mint | Native to eastern North America, highly fragrant. |
| Yard Salad | To note: |
| Clover | Clover flower tea is a popular tea with a long medicinal history. Leaves are commonly grown as sprouts and microgreens. |
| Dandelion | High in vitamins and minerals, the flowers and leaves can be eaten fresh. Roast the root for a delicious coffee substitute. |
| Violas | Beautiful addition to any meal, high in anthocyanins |
| Wild onion/garlic | Strongly scented clumps are frequently found in lawns during spring. Use the greens or bulblets like any other allium. |
| Wood sorrel | Readily found in the fall. Their clover-like leaves and delicate yellow flowers are high in vitamin C and have a citrus flavor. |
| Medicinal Teas | Things of note: |
| Yarrow | The delicate queen-anne’s lace-like flowers, tiny fern-shaped leaves and roots have been used to heal wounds, relax muscles and much more. Brew as a tea or add to salads. |
| St. John’s Wort | Beautiful drought-tolerant shrub with yellow flowers that pollinators adore. Be cautious before ingesting the leaves and flowers; many medications interact with St. John’s Wort. |
| Echinacea | Beautiful and long-lasting purple flowers and hearty green foliage. The leaves, roots and flowers of this perennial flowering plant have been widely used historically to treat colds, boost the immune system and alleviate pain. |
| Hibiscus/Rose of Sharon | High in vitamin C, these large tropical-looking flowers come in all different colors, and make a tangy tea that is known for lowering blood pressure. |
Be Safe!
- Do not ingest any plants from public or private land other than your own unless you have permission and are positive that no harmful chemicals have been used
- Always make sure you have definitely identified a plant and what parts of it are edible
- Some plants have toxic leaves and edible roots or vice versa
- Some have toxic look-alikes
- Some might be safe for consumption for most people, but not all, especially if pregnant, on specific medications, or have an allergy
- Any plant with purported medicinal properties are usually only anecdotally supported, as not a lot of peer reviewed research has been done on herbal medicines