I know what you’re thinking. Florida – that’s where the oranges come from – and this is a guide to citrus picking in Florida. Well, in fact I wrote this first paragraph after completing this edibles list from the top of my head, and I didn’t even consider oranges!
Needless to say, foraging is fun and rewarding. Who doesn’t like to sweat, hike in the sun, bend and climb, and haul armfulls of loot back to where you came from?
By the way, foraged plants are even more nutrient-dense than those delicate and coddled ones you buy in the produce section. Why? They didn’t receive special treatment; they simply fought for survival right where they landed. How’s that for fighter food?
12 common edibles found in Florida landscapes
Please proceed with caution and look closely to make sure you’re eating what you think you’re eating. Notice I haven’t placed any mushrooms on the list.
Seagrape – Coccoloba uvifera
Commonly found seaside but many sightings in urban, suburban and rural inlands as well. Add some sugar and they’re just as good as those store-bought grapes.
Water hyssop – Bacopa monnieri
This is excellent brain food.
Dollarweed – Hydrocotyle spp.
Your typical yet most-hated-on pond plant. Don’t herbicide it, eat it!
Persimmons – Diospyros kaki
Look closely and you’ll see these sneaky fruits growing on that unsuspecting tree.
Stinging nettles – Urtica chamaedryoides
Careful when you go to touch – gloves are highly recommended. However, simmer these in water and the sting disappears. Pour out the liquid and drink it as tea. Then slather the leaves with butter for something akin to sauteed spinach!
Purslane – Portulaca oleracea
Commonly found seaside. Salty and delicious, and much higher in resveratrol than a bottle of wine.
Spanish needle – Bidens bipinnata
Stuffy nose? Make a tea out of the leaves and flowers – they’re an expectorant! Once you drink the tea, eat it too. It’s good for you.
Aloe – Aloe vera
If you’re from Florida like me, you’ve rubbed this over many a sunburn. But did you know you can also slice the gooey inside into your smoothie for prolonged hydration!?
Yaupon holly – Ilex vomitoria
Caffeinated leaves – abundant throughout the state and a great replacement for coffee if you haven’t begun growing your own coffee plants.
Beautyberry – Callicarpa americana
These purple beauty berries make a lovely jam or anything else your creativity desires. Not the MOST delicious nor nutritious but they’re pretty!
Muscadine grapes – Vitis rotundifolia
Once you know the vine, you’ll see it EVERYwhere (at least in Central Florida). The fruit can be rough on the outside, but bypass the glyphosate and it’s worth it.
Coconut – Cocos nucifera
You’ll likely only find this one if you’re in South Florida. And if you’re down there, lucky you, you have all access to many a tropical fruit.
Edibles in Florida: the best is yet to come
Here I’ve focused on the most common things I tend to find growing wild and free, out there in the open. There are many many more potential edibles with just a one-time planting of a perennial, a fruit tree, and any form of backyard gardening. Stay tuned.