Yes, several elements of the redbud tree are edible – the open blossoms and young seedpods. The flowers contain assorted vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, with the seeds containing some protein. These plants are unmistakable in early spring with their spray of bright purple flowers and no leaves. The flowers have a wonderfully tasty delicate, sweet flavor, with the opened buds being sweetest. Not only are they delicious, but the flowers of redbud trees add a great dash of color to both salads and dessert dishes. Furthermore, the young seedpods, while still purple, can be used similarly to peapods, either raw or in a stir-fry.
Unbeknownst to most owners, flowering quince is an edible plant and a member of the apple family. Firstly, the blooms of this plant are completely edible, similarly to the quince tree, a relative. The flowers give off a sweet, pineapple-like fragrance and are wonderful garnishes to salads and desserts. The fruit, produced after the flowers in the spring, are described by author Maria Woodie, as “hard, speckled, yellowish-green crabapple-like fruit.” She also mentions that though these fruit can be eaten raw, they are somewhat bitter and are more often used in jellies and jams, especially due to the fruit’s levels of natural pectin, alongside apples or other fruits. Flowering quince fruits also are said be used medicinally for nausea, inflammation, and joint pain. Furthermore, these fruits, similar to other bitter fruits, are full of Vitamin C and important nutrients, making them a safe and nutritious wild snack.
Our last early spring blooming specimen is the yucca, another plant commonly used as a landscaping plant for its unusual appearance and spring flowers. Even the parts of this plant that are not edible have uses that make them great plants with which foragers should be familiar. For instance, the new flowers are edible raw or cooked, though are best boiled or fried; the flower stalks of both the thick- and thin-leaved Yucca are edible raw or cooked, and can be cooked similarly to asparagus with or without peeling; and the fruit is edible, but only on the thick- or wide-leaved variety, and is best cooked baked or roasted like eggplant. The seeds of this plant are also edible and the best preparation is to roast them, crush them, and then boil them until tender. The wide-leaved yucca can be identified by the base of the leaf blade being at least 4 inches across where the leaf meets the stalk. The flower stalk tastes sweet before the yucca produces pods or flowers and the pods can be either roasted or pickled. Other uses of the yucca include twisting the leaf fibers into cordage – simply soak the leaves in water for a week or more to rot away the non-fibrous part of the leaf in a process called retting. Furthermore, yucca leave and roots contain saponins, or chemicals that act as natural soap, which can be rubbed in water and used to wash the hair or body. In some people, these chemicals cause stomach upset, so it is best for those individuals to cook the plant parts first. One plant expert notes that Native Americans used to put smashed yucca roots into woven bags that they then dropped into small ponds or streams they had dammed. The saponins from the yucca enter any trapped fish’s bloodstream through their gills, stunning or stupefying them, which allows the fishermen to collect the fish after they float to the surface of the water. Native Americans also used the needle at the end of the leaves as emergency needle and thread.
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