Bindweed, Convolvulva

Bindweed, Convolvulva. After Lady Wilkinson's Weeds & Wildflowers, 1885.

Bindweed, Convolvulva. Lady Wilkinson's Weeds & Wildflowers, 1885.

VR Bindweed Video

Beebalm, Monarda

Beebalm, Monarda, is edible. All above ground parts of the plant are edible and medicinal. Part of the mint family, the leaves contain thymol giving it a thyme - minty - oregano flavor. Use as seasoning, eat raw, or cook greens like spinach. Drink medicinal tea for stomach, flu, colds, mouthwash, anxiety, or a stimulant. A poultice, (chew/crush/mash plant into paste), applied onto skin helps infected wounds. 

Mary Vaux Walcott, Wild Flowers of America, Published by Smithsonian Institute, 1953. Minneapolis Athenaeum

Pinkish-purple colored Monarda fistulosa is common in wild fields and waysides throughout Minnesota. 

Blue Flag, Iris versicolor

Blue Flag, Iris versicolor, has poisonous parts. Avoid bulb, leaves, and stem. Gastrointestinal tract may become affected by the glycoside iridin, causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and fever. Blue Flag may also cause skin irritation. 

T. Merrill Prentice. Weeds & Wildflowers of Eastern North America, 1973. Minneapolis Athenaeum 

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea is edible. High in water content, this succulent plant is delicious and nutritious. The leaves, stem, flowers, and seeds are edible raw, or cooked like spinach, or added to soups. Medicinally good for topical burns, bites, bruises, bleeding. Purslane has the highest omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Grows on disturbed ground and between sidewalk cracks. I love eating this plant and see it everywhere I go. 

Raspberry, Rubus oderatus

Rubus Oderatus (American Raspberry), Mary Delany (1700-1788). Delany created what she called “paper mosaics” - paper cutouts and collages. Her works are at the @britishmuseum. However, @minneapolisathenaeum has an incredible book, “Mrs. Delany: Her Life and Her Flowers” by Ruth Hayden (2000). I am enjoying reading about her because she was a multifaceted artist and smart woman. #5womenartists #marydelany#minneapolisathenaeum #rubusoderatus#rubus #urbanedibles

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana

Wild Strawberries, Fragaria virginiana is edible.