They Invaded the US… and You Can Eat Them: 10 Edible Invasive Plants

Summary

This video uncovers 10 edible invasive plants that have shaped both human history and ecosystems. From the burrs of burdock inspiring Velcro to the sweet yet destructive Japanese honeysuckle, these plants have adapted to thrive in their new environments, often at the expense of native species. While many are notorious for their invasiveness, these plants also offer surprising culinary value, from root vegetables to flowers with rich flavors. The video highlights the fine line between weeds and resources, urging viewers to consider how these invaders can be foraged and enjoyed in unexpected ways.

Takeaways

• 😀 Edible invasive plants are often overlooked but can be valuable resources, hiding in plain sight across highways, gardens, and backyards.
• 🌱 Some invasive plants, like burdock, are a nuisance but also offer culinary benefits, such as in Japan, where the root is a prized vegetable called gobo.
• 💐 Dame's rocket, although beautiful, outcompetes native plants and disrupts local ecosystems, but its leaves and flowers can be eaten in salads, providing a peppery, vitamin-rich addition.
• 🌹 Multiflora rose, initially introduced for soil erosion control, became a notorious invader, producing nutrient-rich rose hips used historically for vitamin C during WWII.
• 🦠 Japanese barberry, though popular in landscaping, harbors ticks that spread Lyme disease, but its berries can be used in jams and jellies.
• 💧 Watercress, a celebrated superfood, has become an invasive species clogging streams, but its health benefits are still appreciated in culinary dishes.
• 🌸 Japanese honeysuckle, despite its sweet fragrance, chokes out other plants in forests, though its blossoms can be made into fragrant teas and syrups.
• 🧄 Field garlic, an invasive plant with strong garlic flavor, is edible, making it useful for foragers despite its agricultural nuisance.
• 🌊 Salsify, also known as oyster plant, offers a mild, oyster-like flavor and has seen a resurgence in modern kitchens after being abandoned in the past.
• 🌼 The Asiatic day flower, though fleeting, has a legacy in art history and can be foraged for its edible parts, offering a mild sweetness.
• 🌻 Ditch lilies, known for their vibrant orange flowers, are both a persistent invader and a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, demonstrating how invasives can blur the lines between pest and resource.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video about edible invasive plants?

The video highlights the fascinating yet troublesome world of invasive plants that are edible. These plants often disrupt ecosystems, but many are also valuable for culinary use, with historical and cultural significance.

How did the burr of Berdo inspire a famous invention?

The burrs of Berdo, a weed, inspired Swiss engineer George de Mestral to create Velcro. He observed how the tiny hooks on the burrs clung to his dog's fur and clothes, leading to the invention of the hook and loop fastener.

What is the ecological impact of Dame's rocket?

Dame's rocket, an invasive plant, crowds out native wild blue flax, which is an important food source for local insects and butterflies. This disruption affects the entire local ecosystem, starving wildlife of essential resources.

How did the U.S. government contribute to the spread of multiflora rose?

In the 1930s, the U.S. government introduced multiflora rose as a solution to soil erosion, promoting it as a living fence. However, it spread uncontrollably, creating dense thickets that outcompeted native vegetation and rendered pastures unusable.

What connection does Japanese barberry have to Lyme disease?

Japanese barberry creates a humid environment under its dense canopy, which harbors blacklegged ticks, the primary carriers of Lyme disease. This shrub, introduced as a decorative plant, inadvertently facilitated the spread of Lyme disease.

What are the benefits and dangers of watercress as an invasive plant?

Watercress is celebrated as a superfood with high nutritional value, but in the wild, it becomes invasive, clogging streams and outcompeting native aquatic plants. It thrives in slow-moving waters, disrupting ecosystems in the process.

What culinary uses does Japanese honeysuckle have despite being an invasive species?

Despite its invasive nature, Japanese honeysuckle's flowers are edible and can be used to make fragrant teas or syrups, which carry notes of jasmine, vanilla, and honey.

Why is field garlic considered both a nuisance and a resource?

Field garlic is a nuisance for farmers because it can ruin the taste of milk, butter, and wheat. However, it is also a valuable resource for foragers, as all parts of the plant are edible and offer a strong, savory flavor.

What makes salsify unique among invasive plants?

Salsify, also known as the oyster plant, is unique because its root has a mild oyster-like taste, making it a prized ingredient in European kitchens. Though it is now often found in the wild, it is being rediscovered for its culinary potential.

What is the significance of the Asiatic day flower in both art and ecology?

The Asiatic day flower, known for its fleeting blue blooms, was historically used to create blue pigment for woodblock prints by famous Japanese artists. Ecologically, it is an invasive species that forms dense mats, crowding out native plants.