# Wild tennessee eatable plants



## Windgefluester (Apr 10, 2011)

hey all 
I need some help, i want to plant some Plants here in my garden. BUT, i want to plant only plants who are from Tennessee - Wild tennessee eatable plants!

The problem is, i really don't know something about eatable wild plants here in tennessee. Can you help me? maybe a good link? or something like this?

THANKS a lot
Nicole


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I don't think you are going to find any plants that live only in Tennessee.
You can find plants common in the Southeastern US or plants native to the mountains etc..
but plants don't really follow state lines.

So research the edible wild plants in your area, you should find a ton..
we have the same plants.


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

A few I can think of... Ginsing (check your state laws about ginsing), Jewelweed (touch me not), dandelion, Thistle, chickweed... Oh.. sassafras... 

These are not plants that would be in just Tennessee, but for that part of the country..


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Dandelion, thistle and chickweed are not native plants.

Spring beauty, milkweed, black walnut, pawpaw, persimmon, shagbark hickory, maple, cattail, and a number of oaks are a few off the top of my head. I know there's a bunch more but can't remember them now. Beech, violets, and American filberts are a few more.

eta; sunflower and jerusalem artichoke


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

hhhmm.. I guess I've just become so used to invasive plants that have pretty much taken up everywhere for so long to be native.. Sorry for my mistake.. 

It was interesting, in Illinois at the college I went to, they had a native grass land area they used for research.. the funny thing, it was one of the few places in the state you saw the plants they had, and they didn't have all the invasive plants you saw everywhere else and thought them to be native..


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

There are thousands of plants that have been here as long as the Europeans and we don't think of them as non-native. I did a study of native vs non native food and medicinal plants when I was in high school and was quite surprised. Many of the non-native plants were brought here and planted as crops or garden plants simply because of their food or medicinal value.


----------



## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

IF you could find some way to eat or prepare Kudzu you'd be in luck,lol.
My mother-in-laws yard was drowning in the frost killed stuff today, we were there today.The leaves look fab!:dance:


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Sure you can eat kudzu!
Google the recipes.
The blossom jelly is nice.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Kudzu isn't native either, and I sure wouldn't want to encourage anyone to purposefully plant it.


----------



## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

Windgefluester said:


> hey all
> I need some help, i want to plant some Plants here in my garden. BUT, i want to plant only plants who are from Tennessee - Wild tennessee eatable plants!
> 
> The problem is, i really don't know something about eatable wild plants here in tennessee. Can you help me? maybe a good link? or something like this?
> ...


 Windgefluester, I am slowly replanting my yard to all eatable plants. check out your local nurseries. you should be able to fine some that sell natives.


----------

