What desert plants are edible?
Many are edible, and some quite tasty, nutritious and even medicinally useful, but you need to be sure you know the identity of the plant before using it in any way. Young prickly pear pads can be de-spined, diced and scrambled with eggs or pickled. The plants magenta-red fruit is used in jams, punches, etc. The tender shoots of tumbleweed (an invasive, non-native plant) are a delicacy, jojoba seeds have a pleasant, nutty flavor, and white yucca flowers are edible (though mildly bitter). Mesquite pods are flavorful, mildly sweet and nutritous. They are, along with the tasty, orange fruit of the desert hackberry, enjoyed by man and animals alike. Want to learn more? Attend our monthly “Edible/Medicinal Desert Plants” guided walking tours on the fourth Sunday of each month. During the winter and spring months there is also a tour on the second Saturday of the month. You can read lots more about edible plants on our website!
