Incredible Edibles

Las Pilitas is not responsible for indigestion or death due to eating plant parts!

This list represents historical data, Eat at your own risk! Don't crawl out of the hospital and yell at us, we're just listing information.

Many of these plants cause severe allergic reactions, convulsions and death. Two books are a must if you wish to include some of these plants in classes South Fuller, Thomas C., and Elizabeth McClintock, 1986. Poisonous Plants of California. California Natural History Guides 53. University of California Press, South Los Angeles AND Wild Edible Plants, Kirk, 1975, Nature graph(there is a newer version out).
I've sampled many, if not most of these, most just taste bad.

Fragaria californica Wood Strawberry is edible and although small, tasty It makes a low ground cover in moist shade. - grid24_12

Scientific Name	Common Name	Range	Uses
Acacia greggii	Cat claw Acacia	Southern deserts	Seed Pod Ground into Meal and Eaten seeds placed in eye for inflammation
Acer spp.	Maple	Throughout	A rather poor maple syrup can be boiled from sap
Adenostoma sparsifolium	Red Shank	Cuyama to San Diego	For cramps,chills,fever,lock- jaw,sours,tonic,purgative Leafy twigs boiled well, wound washed with
Adiantum capillus-veneris	Maiden Hair	Throughout South US	Tea used for coughs, respiratory, menstrual, Stems used in Baskets
Adiantum jordani	Maiden Hair	California	as above
Adiantum pedatum	Five Finger Fern	California to Quebec	as Above
Aesculus californica	Buckeye	Mountains California	All Parts Deadly, Indigenous Californians used crushed seeds and leaves to stupefy fish. They also cooked seeds cut or ground seeds then leached them for 2-5 days and ate no taste to toxicity, one bite you die
Agastache urticifolia	Giant Hyssop, Horsemint		Seeds raw or cooked
Agave deserti	Mescal	San Diego Co.	Roast the short Flowering Stalk
Agropyron repens	Quack Grass	common weed	roots dried and ground for meal
Alisma species	Water -Plantain	ponds and marshes	roots edible after drying
Allium	Wild Onion	Throughout	all of plant edible
Alnus rhombifolia	White Alder	throughout	tea used as blood purifier, and to cure stomachache
Amaranthus	Amaranth	common weed	seeds, or used as green
Ambrosia sp.	Ragweed	Most California	Poultice for Poison Oak, Diarrhea
Amelanchier alnifolia	Service Berry	Mostly North California North	Berry Edible
Ammobroma sonorae	Sand Food	Lower Deserts	edible raw or cooked
Anemopsis califonica	Yerba Mansa	Wet Places	Roots made into tea for skin trouble, cuts, Rheumatism
Antennaria	Pussy Toes	Middle to high el	Sap used as gum
Apium graveolens	Celery	Weed. along coast	Garden Celery
Apocynum cannabinium	Indian Hemp	California to New England	crushed root used as laxative, heart stimulant ,powdered root to induce vomiting
Arbutus menziesii	Madrone	Middle California North	Berries great raw
Arctostaphylos	Manzanita	Throughout	Berries dried fruits ground into pinole Green mature fruits soaked in boiling water, resulting juice ok for drink or jelly
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Kinnikinnik	Middle California to Alaska	One of Indian's Tobacco
Aristolochia californica	Dutchman's Pipe	Monterey North	Decoction of plant used for sores, childbirth
Artemisia californica	California Sage Brush	Dry slopes ad coastal	Smoke for Skunk odor, tea for fever, hair stimulant
Artemisia tridentata	Big Basin Sagebrush	Desert Mountains	Seeds ground and eaten, leaves chewed for Digestion. Too much and Artemisia tridentata can cause internal bloodclots by way of the liver.
Asarum sp	Wild Ginger	moist north slopes	root part used as ginger
Asclepias speciosa	Showy Milkweed	North California	limited quantities of flowers edible
Avena fatua, barbata	Wild Oats	Weed throughout	seed edible if hairs burnt off
Balsam orhiza sagittata	Balsam Root	Kern to Canada to Rockies	Seeds used in pinole, inside of root ate
Barbarea verna and vulgaris	Winter cress	weed	young plants eaten in salads, or blanched to remove bitterness
Beckmannia syzigachne	Slough grass	South F. North and E.	seeds used in pinole(meal)
Beloperone californica	Chuparosa	South California & Arizona	flowers edible or cooked
Berberis see Mahonia
Brassica nigra	Black Mustard	Throughout	Leaves cooked as potherb,seeds ground
Brodiaea	Blue Dicks	Throughout	Bulbs eaten raw or roasted
Cakile edentula	Sea Rocket	coastal areas	young leaves and tips edible raw,or cooked
Calandrinia ciliata	Red Maids	open fields	plants edible raw or cooked
Calochortus sp.	Mariposa Lily	Throughout	bulbs raw(to pretty to eat)
Calypsa bulbosa	Fairy Slipper	North California across U.S.	bulb edible raw or cooked
Camassia quamash	Camass (very similar to Death Camass, Zigadenus)		bulb mainstay of Indigenous Californians' diet North Coast and Sierras
Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd's purse		seeds roasted and eaten
Cardamine species	Bitter Cress	common weed	raw or cooked
Carum gairdneri	Squaw Root	Mid Coast ranges, Sierras	Like Small Potatoes
Carduus species	Plumeless Thistle	roadside weed	inner part of stem boiled and eaten
Castanopsis sempervirens	Bush Chinquapin	North California to Washington	nuts raw or roasted when ripe
Castilleja lineariaefolia, etc.	Indian Paint Brush		flowers ok raw
Caucalis microcarpa	Snake Herb	Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevadas	For Poison Oak
Ceanothus species (most)	Mountain Lilac	Throughout California	Flowers Make good tea if seeped 10 sec. or less Vigorous rubbing of flowers will bring up lather
Celtis douglasii	Hack berry	damp places desert areas	fruit raw or ground
Cercidium sp.	Palo Verde	Whipple Mountains	young seeds cooked as veg.,or ground and as gruel
Cercis occidentalis	Redbud		flowers edible in salads
Cereus giganteus	Saguaro	South California, Arizona	ok raw
Chama esaracha coronopus		South California to Utah	berries raw or cooked
Chenopodium californicum	Indian lettuce		roots used as soap
Chenopodium fremontii	Goose foot		eaves cooked as greens,seeds in summer
Chimaphila umbellata	Pipsissewa		tea from roots or leaves,leaves raw
Chlorogalum pomeridianum	Soap Plant	Throughout California	Root as Soap,root eaten after cooked
Chrysothamnus nauseosus	Rabbit Brush	Cuyama east & north to Plains	Chewing Gum from inner bark
Chichorium intybus	Chicory	Naturalized in California	Chewing Gum from inner bark
Chichorium intybus	Chicory	Naturalized in California	Boiled as veg.,leaves as salad, root dried and roasted for coffee substitute
Cirsium spp	Thistle	Many species found throughout California	roots raw, boiled or roasted, peeled stems cooked as greens
Claytonia species	Spring beauty	high elevations	bulbs edible raw, boiled or roasted
Cleome serrulata, etc.	Bee plant	North California and North East	boiled leaves and flowers eaten
Cornus nuttallii	Mountain Dogwood	North Coast Ranges, Sierras	tea used for fever
Corylus cornuta	Hazelnut	North California to B.C.	used as hazelnuts
Comandra pallida	Bastard Toadflax	Tehachapi, Death Valley North	Fruit edible
Cosmos sulphureus	Cosmos	yellow garden plant	young tops raw or cooked
Cowania mexicana	Cliffrose	Eastern California to Colorado	tea made from leaves
Crataegus species	Hawthorn	North California	berries eaten raw or cooked
Cucurbita foetidissima	Calabazilla	San Joaquin to Neb.	Seeds as food,pulp used to wash with
Cycloloma atriplicifolium	Winged Pigweed	South California to Manitoba	seeds edible when ground and cooked
Cymopterus purpurascens	Gamote	South E. California to Idaho	cooked roots edible
Cyperus esculentus	Nutsedge	bad weed	Brazil nut like flavored tubers,
Cytissus scoparius	Scotch Broom	naturalized weed shrub	roasted seeds used as substitute for coffee
Dactyloctenium aegyptium	Crowfoot Grass	weed	seeds dried and ground
Datisca glomerata	Durango Root	Central and South	used to stupefy fish
Datura meteloides	Thorn Apple	San Joaquin to Tex.	leaves or seeds pounded and put on bruises if skin not broken,dried leaves smoked for asthma (a little can kill you, skin contact can put you in hospital, see the poisonous section below)
Datura stramonium	Jimson Weed		as above
Daucus pucillus	Rattlesnake Weed	hills and mountains California	Herbage applied on snake bite
Dentaria I ntegrifolia	Milk Maids	SLO North	Eaten as Radishes
Digitaria sanguinalis	Crab Grass	common weed	seeds roasted and used as flour or cereal
Descurainia species(except D.pinnata)	Tansy-Mustard	salad greens or seeds roasted and ground
Disporum Hookeri var trachyandrum		Sierra & North Coast Ranges	berries edible
Dodecatheon hendersonii	Shooting star	Northern California & high elevation	roots & leaves roasted or boiled(poisonous raw)
Echinocactus acanthodes	Barrel Cactus	Colorado & Mojave Desert Interior	ok Raw
Echinochloa colonum & crusgalli	Barnyard or Jungle grass		Weeds with edible seeds
Eclipta alba	Eclipta	freshwater swamps	above ground parts edible
Eleusine indica	Goose grass	filed grass	seeds cleaned and roasted
Empetrum nigrum	Crow berry	coastal Bluffs North California North	berry edible raw or cooked
Encelia farinosa	Incienso	Mojave and Colorado Deserts	Chewing Gum
Ephedra	Mormon Tea	California to Texas	stems or branches brewed for tea (can cause heart problems and death, 'and he was still twitching')
Epilobium angustifolium	Fire Weed	occurs after fires
Equisetum Sp	Horsetails	stream side	inner pulp edible in small quantities
Eriodictyon californicum	Yerba Santa	Monterey North Sierras	Leaves made into tea for sore throat, dried leaves smoked for asthma
Eriogonum fasciculatum	Buckwheat	Central California South	tea of leaves used for head and stomach pains Liquor made from flowers for eye wash young stems of most species may be eaten
Erodium cicutarium	Stork bill Filaree	BAD WEED	young plants cooked or raw
Erythronium grandiflorum	Fawn Lily	Siskiyou North	Indigenous Californians bathed themselves to keep from snake bites
Eschscholtzia californica	California Poppy		Juice of root used for toothache, and hair oil. (AND a bad trip to the hospital)
Euphorbia albomarginata	Rattlesnake Weed	South California to Texas	Poultice on bite or tea
Floerkea proserpinacoides	False Mermaid	moist Northern California to Atlantic	greens in salad
Foeniculum vulgare	Fennel	common weed	stem or seeds edible
Fouquieria splendens	Octillo	Colorado Desert	Blossoms raw ok
Fremontia spp.	Flannel Bush,Slippery Elm,	Mountains California	Inner bark used for poultices, (downy material on leaves was used as iching powder)
Fritillaria species	Fritillary Mission bells	bulbs of native species edible
Frasera speciosa	Elkweed,Deer Tongue	roots eaten raw, roasted or boiled
Galium aparium	Bed Straw	throughout California	for sores, bake and put powdered leaves on
Garrya elliptica	Silk Tassel Bush	SLO to Humbolt	tea for bark for fever
Gaultheria shallon	Salal	Santa Barbara North	berries boiled with roots for soup
Glycyrrihiza lepidota	Licorice	fields in the interior	roots chewed like licorice
Glyceria species	Manna Grass	North California to Alaska	seeds edible
Glyptopleura marginata	California Pearly Everlasting	Mojave Desert North&East	leaves eaten raw
Gnaphalium decurrens	Cudweed	Throughout California	for stomach
Grindelia robusta	Gum Plant	Avila south along coast	wash for skin diseases, poison oak
Habenaria dilatata,etc.	Rein Orchid	rare	roots raw or cooked
Helianthus annuus	Sunflowers		seeds edible
Heracleum lanatum	Cow-Parsnip South California to Alaska		cooked root eaten
Hesperocallis undulata	Desert Lily	Deserts of California Arizona	bulbs roasted or boiled
Heteromeles arbutifolia	Toyon, Christmas Berry		berries raw,steamed or boiled
Heuchera species	Alum-root	north slopes	roots chewed to reduce diarrhea
Hieracium species	Hawkweed		greens used as chewing gum
Hoffmann seggia densiflora	Hog Potato	South California to Kansas	enlarged roots eaten after roasting
Holodiscus discolor	Ocean spray, Cream bush		fruits ok raw or cooked
Hydrophyllum occidentale	Water leaf		young shots ok fresh or cooked,roots cooked
Hyperocallis undulata	Desert Lily Mojave & Colorado		Small bulb Cooked
Hyptis emoryi	Desert Lavender	South California, Arizona	seeds roasted and ground in to flour
Juglans californica	Black Walnut	Along streams	edible nut
Juglans hindsii	Black Walnut	Along streams	nut with hard shell
Juniperus californica	California Juniper		Tea of berries for rheumatism
Lactuca tatarica	Wild Lettuce		leaves ok in salad,gum of roots chewed
Lamium amplexicaule	Henbit, Deadnettle		boiled and eaten
Larrea tridentata	Creosote	Deserts	Crushed leaves used for antiseptic
Lavitera assurgentiflora	Tree Mallow	Channel Islands South (Cultivated)	Leaves boiled down to gummy residuum residue,small plants made into tea for fevers
Lepidium fremontii	Desert Alysum	Southwest desert areas	seeds edible
Lewisia rediviva	Bitter Root	North SLO. Co to B.C.	Root was cooked and eaten
Lilium	True Lilies	stream side	bulb edible
Linum lewisii	Blue Flax		seeds contain cyanide edible after roasted
Lomatium species	Biscuit root	poor dry spots	tea from leaves,young stems ok, roots edible
Lonicera involucrata, ciliosa, utahensis	Honeysuckle, Twinbery		berries edible raw
Lycium pallidum	Tomatilla	Mojave Desert	Raw, Boiled or dried
Lysichiton americanum	Yellow Skunk Cabbage North California North		roots roasted and dried,young greens boiled and poured off repeatedly
Madia glomerata, sativa	Tarweed	common	seeds raw or roasted
Mahonia species	Oregon Grape	wooded areas or garden plants	berries ok raw, better cooked
Malus fusca	Oregon Crab Apple	North California North	fruit raw or cooked
Marrubium vulare	Horehound	Bad weed	Tops steeped and liquor boiled to cough syrup
Matricaria suaveolens	Pineapple Weed	Common Weed	Tea for stomach ache,causes ragweed hay.
Medicago lupulina	Black Medick	Common Weed	roasted seeds edible
Mentzelia albicaulis	Stick leaf	Western US	seeds edible
Mesembryanthemum edule	Ice Plant, Hottentot Fig	BAD WEED	leaves and fruit ok raw
Microseris nutans	Nodding Microseris,	Northern California North	small roots raw
Mimulus guttatus	Common Monkey	Stream side	Like lettuce, (but commonly covered with giardia from the stream water)
Monardella lanceolata (all ok)	Mustang Mint	SLO to Siskiyou	tea for fever
Monolepis nuttalliana	Poverty weed	poor alkaline spots	plant cooked and eaten,seeds also
Monotropa hypopithys, uniflora	Indian Pipe
Montia perfoliata	Miner's Lettuce	Shady spots	High vitamin C, Young leaves as lettuce
Nasturtium officinale	Water-cress	wet places	The cultivated watercress,clean water only
Nictotiana	Indian Tobacco	Throughout	Dried Leaves smoked
Nyphaea polysepala	Yellow Pond-Lily	SLO to South Dakoda	Seeds roasted and eaten
Oenothera species	Evening Primrose		Roots roasted
Olneya tesota	Desert Ironwood	Colorado Desert	Roasted beans ground and used for pinole
Opuntia biglovii	Prickly Pear	South California	Fruit Raw,seeds ground to meal and cooked Pads cut in strips and fried
Orbanche	Broomrape	parasitic plant	entire plant edible
Orogenia fusiformis	Indian Potato	North California east	roots raw, roasted or baked
Oryzopsis hymenoides	Indian Rice grass	arid areas	edible seeds, raw or dried & ground into flour
Osmaronia cerasiformis	Oso Berry, Indian Plum	Shaded woods	edible but not good tasting berry
Osmorhiza species	Sweet Cicely	roots used as anise seasoning
Oxalis oregana	Redwood Sorrel	redwood belt	raw
Oxyria digyna	Mountain Sorrel	High Elevation	good in salads or cooked like spinach
Paeonia brownii	Western Peony	Sierras	Root boiled long used as tea for teething babies,seeds chewed and put in horse's mouth before race
Panicum species	Witch Grass		seeds raw or cooked
Perezia microcephala		SLO to San Diego	tea for Lung troubles,sores
Perideridia species	Wild Caraway		roots raw or cooked
Phacelia tanacetifolia, distans		Coast Ranges, San Joaquin Vally	tea for fever
Phalaris canaiensis	Canary Grass	common weed	edible grain
Petasites species	Sweet Coltfoot	shady spots Monterey North	young foliage as greens
Phoradendron juniperinum	Mistletoe		Dried, powdered stems for saddle sores on horses
Phragmites communis	Reed,Reed Grass	widespread	roots raw or cooked, young shoots raw
Pinus sp	Pines		Seeds cracked for nuts
Plantago major	Plantain	common weed	leaves raw or cooked seeds eaten for laxative
Polygonum species	Knot weed, Smart weed	Weed	varying degrees of edibility(?), seeds, roots, and foliage
Polypodium vulgare	Licorice Fern		stem of the leaf chewed like licorice
Populus fremontii	Fremont Cottonwood		Catkins raw or cooked inner bark as emergency food
Portulaca oleracea	Purslane	common weed	plant used in salad or cooked like spinach
Potamogeton species	Pond weed	wet places	rootstock edible
Potentilla anserina	Silver weed	East Side Sierra	roots boiled like parsnips
Proboscidea species	Unicorn Plant, Devil's Claws		young pods boiled and eaten
Prosopsis species	Mesquite	San Joaquin Valley to Baja	Flowers and dried pods eaten like carob
Prunella vulgaris	Self heal	weed in lawns	cold water tea for drink
Prunus ilicifolia	Hollyleaf Cherry		Fruit ok raw,seeds cracked roasted and leached to remove cyanide(bitterness)
Prunus lyonii	Catalina Cherry
Prunus subcordata	Sierra Plum		like a small plum
Prunus virginiana	Western Chokecherry		ok when raw,much better cooked with sugar
Pseudotsuga menziesii	Douglas Fir		fresh needles for tea
Psoralea physodes	California Tea	Central Coast Ranges	drank as tea
Quercus agrifolia	Coast live Oak		Acorns ground and leached for mush,very bitter
Quercus dumosa	Scrub Oak		as above
Quercus kelloggi	Black Oak		as above
Quercus lobata	Valley Oak		as above but much less bitter
Ranunculus occidentalis	Buttercup	North Coast Ranges	Seeds roasted and ground into meal
Reseda lutea	Yellow Mignonette		young plants good in salads
Rhamnus californica	Coffee Berry		tea from bark as laxative, berry juice for Poison Oak
Rhus integrifolia	Lemonade Berry	Santa Barbara South	berries soaked in hot water for tea Seeds ground for coffee
Rhus ovata	Sugar Bush	Santa Barbara South	sticky seed coat for colds tea from leaves for pains in chest
Ribes species	Gooseberry, Currant		used in pemmican,all berries edible
Rosa californica	Wild Rose	roses throughout California	hips raw, cooked or as tea
Rubus vitifolius	Blackberry	throughout California	root tea for diarrhea,fruit raw eaten
Rumex hymenosepallious	Sour Dock	SLO to SouthCal	stems peeled raw or cooked,roots high in tannin
Sagittaria latifolia	Tule Potato	Tule Beds San J.V.	Root roasted and eaten as bread
Salicornia species	Pickleweed	saline or alkaline spots	eaten raw
Salvia apiana	White Sage	Coastal California	Seeds roasted and ground into meal then mush
Salvia carduacea	Thistle Sage	Dry areas	as above
Salvia columbaria	Chia	sunny dry areas	as above, also as trail food on long hikes
Sambucus mexicana	Blue Elderberry	most of California	raw(some people get sick),cooked ok for all tea of leaves and flowers for colds and fever
Sanguisorba occidentalis, minor	Burnet	pasture escape	young leaves ok for salad
Sarcobatus vermiculatus	Grease wood	alkaline desert areas	tender young growing twigs diced and boiled until tender
Satureja douglasii	Yerba Buena	excellent for tea
Scirpus robustus	Bull Tulle	Salt Marshes	Leaves cooked and chewed for wounds
Sedum species	Stonecrop	Seeps	salad or potherb
Setaria species	Bristly Foxtail	weeds	dried,husked and used as flour
Shepheria argentea	Silver Buffalo berry	mountain seeps	berries edible
Sidalcea neomexicana	Prairie Mallow	L.A. New Mexico	cooked greens
Simmondsia chinensis	Jojoba	desert areas	nut edible
Sisymbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard	weed	young plants as potherb,seeds roasted ground into flour
Sisyrinchium bellum	Blue-eyed grass	plains of California	tea for fever
Smilacina racemosa	False Solomon Seal		rootstocks eaten if soaked overnight in lye then boiled to remove lye,berries edible but a laxative
Smilax californica	Greenbier	stream side Napa to Oregon	roots in soups and stews,roots dried and ground into flour
Solidgo californica	Goldenrod		whole plant boiled long to wash wounds
Sonchus asper	Prickly Sow-Thistle		young leaves used as greens
Sorbus species	Mountain Ash		ripe berries raw,cooked or dried
Sparganium eurcarpum	Bur-reed	Coastal Swampy areas	underground parts edible when cooked
Sporobolus species	Drop seed	desert areas	seeds ok raw or roasted and ground into flour
Stanleya species	Princes Plume		seeds roasted ,ground and used for mush cooked leaves and stems cooked as a cabbage
Stellaria media	Chickweed	weed	young plants boiled like spinach
Streptanthuscrass inflatum	Squaw Cabbage		dip in water several times then cook as cabbage
Suaeda species	Desert Blite	alkali seeps	seeds raw or roasted,young plants raw or cooked Berries very bitter and soapy but edible raw or cooked
Symphoricarpos species	Snowberry
Taraxacum officinale	Dandelion	common weed (confused with sow thistle)	leaves raw or cooked, roasted roots used for coffee, wine from flower heads
Tetragonia expansa	New Zealand Spinach		cooked as potherb or raw
Thysanocarpus curvipes	Fringepod		seeds cooked and eaten
Tragopogon species,	Oyster Plant	common weed	raw or cooked as parsnips
Trichostema lanatum	Woolly Blue Curls		vapor of tea for colds
Trifucatum virescens		Northern California and Oregon	edible after dipping in saltwater
Triglochin maritima	Arrow Grass	salt marshes	seeds roasted and ground into flour seeds also used as coffee substitute
Tsuga mertensiana, heterophylla	Mountain Hemlock		tea made from leaves, inner bark cooked into a bread
Typha species	Cattail		roots roasted,young shoots and pollen raw or cooked
Umbellularia californica	Bay Laurel		roasted nuts leached and used in mush, leaves used to discourage lice, leaves ok as Bay, smaller dose, nuts have to be proceesed or poisonous
Urtica gracilis	Stinging Nettles	shady spots	cooked as spinach, kinda slimy when cooked, nasty sting when raw
Vaccinium ovatum	Huckleberry	North slopes	raw or in jams and jellies
Valerianella olitoria, carinata	Corn Salad		stems and leaves in salads
Verbena hastata	Blue Verbena		seeds roasted and ground into a flour
Viola	Johnny-jump-up, Violet		Leaves and stems as greens, flowers raw
Vitis	Wild Grape	Riparian corridors	grape
Washingtonia filifera	California Fan Palm	Colorado desert	seeds as dates,leaf bud roasted
Wislizenia refracta	Jackass Clover	South California to Texas	cooked as potherb
Wyethia augustifolia	Mule Ears		green shoots ok raw, seeds parched and ground into pinole
Xerophyllum tenax	Bear Grass	Monterey North	roots boiled and roasted,eaten,roots as soap
Yucca species	Joshua tree	South Dagger, South Bayonet	roots used as soap,flowers cooked and eaten, stems when 1' or less
Yucca whippleii	Our Lords Candle	Dry rocky hillsides	flowers cooked and eaten,seeds raw or cooked
Zauchneria californica	California Fucshia,	Seasonal creaks, rock outcroppings	Flowers a wash made of plant for wound
Zostera marina	Eel Grass	Coastal ponds	Stems chewed for juice

Poisonous Natives

Scientific name	Common name	Poisonous part	Poison
Acacia greggii	Catclaw	Twigs and leaves	Hydrocyanic acid
Aconitum spp.	Monkshood	all parts poisonous	Hydrocyanic acid
Actaea rubra	Red Bane berry	all	Protoanemonium
Aesculus californica	Buckeye	all	Aesculin
Argemone munita	Prickly Poppy	all,seeds	isoquinoline alkaloids
Baileya multiradiata	Desert Poppy	all	sesquiterpene lactones
Calycanthus occidentalis	Western Spicebush	seeds	Calycanthine
Cercocarpus spp.	Mountain Mahogany	seeds	cyanoganic glycosides
Chrysothamnus nauseosus	Rabbit Bush	all	unpalatable
Cicuta spp.	Water hemlock	all	cicutxin,an aliphatic alcohol
Conium maculatum	Poison Hemlock	all	coniine and lambda coniceine
Datura species	Jimsonweed	all	tropane belladonna alkaloides
Delphinium spp.	Larkspur	all	diterpene alkaloides
Helenium hoopesii	Orange Sneezeweed	all	Hymenovin
Heteromeles arbutifolia	Toyon	seed,	cyanogenic glycosides
Iris spp.		rhizome and leaves	irritant resin
Juncus spp.	Rush	shoots after frost	hydrocyanic acid
Linum lewisii	Blue Flax	leaves and seeds	a cyanogenic glycocide
Lobelia cardinalis	Cardinal Flower	all	pyridine alkaloids
Lupinus spp.	Lupine	all	alkaloides when in large amounts,
Mahonia aquilfolium	Oregon Grape	All, But berries	isoquinoline alkaloids
Malva parviflora	Cheese weed		severe muscular tremors(as we have eaten these after cooking and three other sources say it is edible I believe moderation is the key)
Ptela trifoliata	Hop Tree	all	furocoumarins
Ranunculus spp.	Buttercup	all	a glycoside(although very bad taste)
Rhododendron occidentale	Western Azalea	leaves toxic	diterpenes
Sambucus spp.	Elderberry	All, but Berries	alkaloids and cyanogen
Solanum spp.	Nigthshades	all	glycoalkaloids,like gastroenteritis
Zigadenus spp.	Death Camus	all	steroidal alkaloids

References

1.Poisonous Plants of Calif.,Fuller and McClintock,1986,Univer. Calif. Press

2.Edible Wild Plants,Medsger,1966,Macmillan Pub.

3.Edible Plants, Brown in a paper from the 1940's down for the Paso Robles School Dis

4. Wild Edible Plants,Kirk, 1975, Naturegraph

5.Indian Uses of Native Plants,Murphey,1959,Mendocino Co. Historical Soc.,Fort Bragg,95437

6. A Guide to the Medicinal Plants of the U. South, Krochmal,1975,Quadrangle,New York Times Book 7. Wild Edible Fruits and Berries,Furlong & Pill, 1974, Naturegraph

8. Early Uses of Calif. Plants, Balls, 1975, Univ. of Calif. Press

9. Plants for Man, Schery, 1972,Prentice-Hall

Related needed books

1. An Illustrated Manual of Calif. Shrubs, McMinn,1939, University of California Press

2. Vascular Plants of San Luis Obispo Co., Hoover, 1970,Univer. of California Press

3. A Calif. Flora, Munz, 1968, Univer. of California Press

4. Hickman, JameSouth 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of Calif. University of Calif. PresSouth Berkeley.

Goosefoot, Chenopodium album, is a common garden weed that is considered edible. - grid24_12

Incredible Edibles

Las Pilitas is not responsible for indigestion or death due to eating plant parts!

Scientific Name

Common Name

Range

Uses

Poisonous Natives

Scientific name

Common name

Poisonous part

Poison