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Edibility and related terms are part of our discussions here at Plant to Plate. Each gardening facts article has an ingestibility section for the plant being discussed.
For example, our Growing Blackberries article contains this statement:
Blackberry fruits (berries), flowers, and leaves are edible.
Blackberry leaves have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea (infusion) and tinctures. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:4 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a blackberry leaf tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting blackberries leaves.
What is ingestibility? Why does it matter? Read on to find out.
Jump to: What it is | Why it matters | Where to find it
What is Ingestibility?
Ingestibility refers to whether or not a plant or plant part is ingestible, that is, whether or not it is considered safe to eat, drink, absorb through the skin, or otherwise take into the body.
So our ingestibility discussions include edibility, but they are not limited to it. Edibility refers to whether a plant or plant part can be safely eaten, either on its own or in culinary preparations.
Ultimately, whether or not a person ingests a plant is up to that person. I am not a medical professional and do not provide medical advice. See the Using Herbs article and the Where to Find It section below for more information.
So why does ingestibility matter?
Why It Matters
Knowing whether a plant can be safely ingested allows you to avoid unfavorable symptoms and reactions.
This information can help you make the most of the effort you put into gardening. For example, maybe you grew some nice squash but didn't realize the leaves, seeds, stems, and blossoms were edible. Or you picked all of your raspberry berries and didn't know the plant's leaves can be added to your afternoon tea blend.
It is also helpful to know whether specific plants are edible when maintaining your garden. For example, plants like stinging nettle and lovage may invite themselves into your garden or yard. Many gardeners may remove these plants because they did not plan for them or because they do not want them taking nutrients away from the plants they expected.
After removing the plants, should you throw them in the compost pile? If they are ingestible, you may choose to consume this free nourishment instead!
On the other hand, maybe you plan for a food forest where various types of cultivated and wild plants grow together like they do in nature. Maybe you want to grow mainly practical, ingestible plants. I know that is the case for me.
If this describes you too, knowing whether or not a plant is ingestible is an important part of the process of planning and designing your garden.
Speaking of garden planning, why not grab a FREE printable garden planner?
So whether you happened upon a plant by accident or planted it on purpose, how can you determine whether or not it is ingestible?
Where to Find Information on Ingestibility
The last section of each of our gardening facts articles discusses ingestibility. You can access it by going to an individual plant's gardening facts page such as this one about growing orach.
From here, you can click on "Ingestibility" from the "jump to" menu at the top of the page, or you can scroll down to the section itself, which is toward the bottom of the page right before the Read More section. For example, here is the Ingestibility section of our Growing Blueberries article.
Each ingestibility section starts with a discussion of which parts of the plant are edible. This information refers to these plant parts in their raw, uncooked state. If a plant is only edible when cooked, we will indicate this. Any parts of the plant that are not specifically mentioned should be considered inedible.
For more information on more specific ways to prepare and eat the plant, be sure to visit its simple uses page. Gardening facts articles are intended as quick references for use while you plan and maintain your garden, while simple uses articles are geared more toward harvest time.
After edibility, we discuss which parts (if any) can be used in herbal preparations such as teas, tinctures, lotions, and more. See this article for an overview of Herbal Preparations.
If a plant can be used in a tincture, this section will contain the herb-to-solvent ratio — also called the weight-to-volume ratio, among other names — for that particular herb. These ratios are only used for the mathematical method of tincture preparation. Learn how to make tinctures using the mathematical method here. This section can also be useful for making tinctures with the simpler folk method since it lists the parts of the plant used in tinctures and other preparations. Learn how to make tinctures using the folk method here.
Finally, the Ingestibility section will contain safety information. This refers to the safety of the named plant parts for the general public. As stated in our Using Herbs article, our plant safety discussions do not include safety for children or for individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding. A person in any of those categories should consult their healthcare provider before ingestion. Please do your own research in addition to the information I provide, which is meant as a starting point.
Additionally, remember that any person can have a reaction to any new plant, including plants that are safe for the general public, based on that person's unique body chemistry. Try a new plant in small amounts first. See the Using Herbs article here for more information.
So where do we get ingestibility information from? Where can you find information on plants we haven't covered yet?
I consult herbariums and other science- and data-focused sources. I recommend the following resources for your research:
- The Botanical Safety Handbook by the American Herbal Products Association
- Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman
- Plants for a Future
- The Herbarium, hosted by the Herbal Academy
Any information provided on the Plant to Plate website or in any communications from me is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. It is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as medical advice or treatment.
Read More
Check out these articles about more of the categories listed on our gardening facts pages:
- How Often to Water Plants
- How Much Sun Does My Plant Need?
- What Does "Full Sun to Part Shade" Mean?
- Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden
- Companion Planting Basics
- What is a Heat Zone?
- How Temperature Affects Plant Health