Edible Plants
Listed here are some of the southeastern Arizona edible plants, the plants with edible parts such as their flowers, fruit, leaves, or roots. Edible plants are quite common here in the Sonoran Desert, and many of them have traditionally been gathered and used by this area's Native Americans.
Caution: If you are not certain of a plant's identity, please do not eat it! Use this list at your own risk. It's always best to get edibility information from more than one source. See my Wildflower and Plant Books page for edible plant guides and check out the Plants For A Future website. Also, note that just because a plant is listed here as edible does not mean that the entire plant is safe to eat. Some plants with edible parts may also have poisonous parts.
- Amaranthus palmeri – Carelessweed
- Anemopsis californica – Yerba Mansa
- Arctostaphylos pungens – Pointleaf Manzanita
- Arundo donax – Giant Reed
- Brassica tournefortii – Asian Mustard
- Calandrinia ciliata – Fringed Redmaids
- Capsella bursa-pastoris – Shepherd's Purse
- Carnegiea gigantea – Saguaro
- Celtis ehrenbergiana – Spiny Hackberry
- Celtis laevigata var. reticulata – Netleaf Hackberry
- Chamaesaracha coronopus – Greenleaf Five Eyes
- Claytonia perfoliata – Miner's Lettuce
- Conyza canadensis – Canadian Horseweed
- Cucurbita foetidissima – Missouri Gourd
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa – Buck-horn Cholla
- Cylindropuntia spinosior – Walkingstick Cactus
- Dasylirion wheeleri – Common Sotol
- Daucus pusillus – American Wild Carrot
- Dichelostemma capitatum – Bluedicks
- Encelia farinosa – Brittlebush
- Ephedra trifurca – Longleaf Jointfir
- Ferocactus wislizeni – Candy Barrelcactus
- Helianthus annuus – Common Sunflower
- Helianthus petiolaris – Prairie Sunflower
- Hoffmannseggia glauca – Indian Rushpea
- Hyptis emoryi – Desert Lavender
- Juniperus deppeana – Alligator Juniper
- Juniperus monosperma – Oneseed Juniper
- Linum lewisii – Lewis Flax
- Malva parviflora – Cheeseweed Mallow
- Marrubium vulgare – Horehound
- Medicago sativa – Alfalfa
- Melilotus officinalis – Yellow Sweetclover
- Mimulus guttatus – Seep Monkeyflower
- Oenothera elata – Hooker's Evening Primrose
- Opuntia engelmannii – Cactus Apple
- Opuntia ficus-indica – Barbary Fig
- Papaver somniferum – Opium Poppy
- Parkinsonia microphylla – Yellow Paloverde
- Passiflora caerulea – Bluecrown Passionflower
- Passiflora foetida var. arizonica – Arizona Passionflower
- Phemeranthus aurantiacus – Orange Flameflower
- Pinus discolor – Border Pinyon
- Plantago ovata – Desert Indianwheat
- Populus fremontii – Fremont Cottonwood
- Portulaca oleracea – Little Hogweed
- Proboscidea louisianica – Ram's Horn
- Prosopis velutina – Velvet Mesquite
- Rhus trilobata – Skunkbush Sumac
- Rumex hymenosepalus – Canaigre Dock
- Salix gooddingii – Goodding's Willow
- Salvia columbariae – Chia
- Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis – American Black Elderberry
- Sisymbrium irio – London Rocket
- Sonchus asper – Spiny Sowthistle
- Sonchus oleraceus – Common Sowthistle
- Taraxacum officinale – Common Dandelion
- Thelesperma megapotamicum – Hopi Tea Greenthread
- Trianthema portulacastrum – Desert Horsepurslane
- Tribulus terrestris – Puncturevine
- Veronica anagallis-aquatica – Water Speedwell
- Vitis arizonica – Canyon Grape
- Yucca elata – Soaptree Yucca
