Are These Food Producing Plants Growing on Your Homestead? — Homesteading Family

You might be missing out on a harvest of free food that you don’t even know exists. You put time and effort into nurturing and caring for your garden, but what about the plants that are growing all around you on their own?

Have you taken the time to look to see what you might be able to harvest for free? You might be overlooking established plants that are already growing on your property that could provide you with free food.

Why Wild Edibles Matter

Anyone who grows their own food knows that the harvest some years is better than others. Crops can fail. Weather can work against us – too much or too little rain, an unexpected freeze or a late frost.

We can plan, but we really can’t predict what each season will bring. This is where the wild edibles come in. They may just be your insurance policy against crop failure or hard times.

Wild-growing fruits and greens are a boon to homesteaders who face difficult financial or seasonal challenges. These plants want to grow where you live, and they do so without cultivation or any investment of time or money from you.

They can fill in the gap when an unexpected freeze hits or a crop you planned just doesn’t pan out. Often, they are more resilient and hardy to weather shifts than cultivated plants, and some are even perennials that will come back year after year with no added work on your part.

Even the most common weeds are often edible and nutritious. Take a walkabout your property with an open eye to these plants. You never know. You might just find something you didn’t realize was there before.

Berries! Free Bounty for your Pantry

1. Blackberry (Rubus species)

Habitat: Blackberry can be found growing wild in the Eastern Midwest states and the East Coast of the United States, as well as along the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and Canada. It is not found in the wilds of the Mountain States. 

Points of Identification: Blackberry grows a cluster of fruit on thorny canes with leaves alternating position up the stem, and toothed leaf margins. In the Spring, before the fruit forms, the plant displays the white five-petaled flowers with many stamens, which is common to all plants of the Rose Family. Berries transition from green when immature, to red, to black. The berry is often longer than it is wide, and the underside of the leaves can contain prickles.

When and How to Harvest Blackberries: Most Blackberries ripen mid to late summer, depending on the growing zone, but can often last well into the fall, depending on temperature and growing conditions. To tell if a berry is ripe, grasp and gently pull. If the fruit easily falls from the receptacle, it is ripe. If force must be applied to remove it, it must ripen longer. Always wear long pants and sleeves when harvesting Blackberries to avoid the thorns and mosquitoes that often accompany them. East Texas blackberry growers recommend wearing work gloves with the fingertips cut off to protect your hands (Source: Indian Creek Farm).

Blackberry Look-Alikes: Blackberries look remarkably similar to Red or Black Mulberries, though Mulberry is a tree, and Blackberry tangles are more shrub-like. Raspberry canes or branches of invasive Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) can be mistaken for Blackberries.

Ways to Use Blackberries in the Kitchen: Blackberries are less acidic than raspberries, so they are better eaten fresh or used in pies and cobblers rather than jams and jellies. The flowers are also edible, but remember, if you remove the flower, you remove the fruit.

Best Blackberry Recipes: Try this homemade blackberry fool recipe. Also, refer to the June 2025 edition of the Homestead Kitchen Magazine.

2. Raspberry (Red Raspberry, Rubus idaeus; Black Raspberry, Rubus occidentalis; Purple Flowered Raspberry, Rubus ordoratus)

Habitat: Found throughout the northern half of the U.S. and most of Canada. It grows happily in sun or shade, and thickets are often found in woodland areas.

Points of Identification: Arching canes with Black Raspberry canes being either green or purple, often with a white bloom on the stem. Flowers contain numerous stamens and are usually white, but sometimes purple, with five petals characteristic of the Rose Family. Red Raspberry has red fruit when ripe, and Black Raspberry fruit ripens from red to black with a bloomy coating. Leaf margins are toothed.

When and How to Harvest Raspberries: Fruits ripen in late spring to early summer. Like Blackberries, care should be taken during harvesting due to the numerous thorns. Red and Black Raspberries are ripe when the berry detaches easily from the receptacle.

Raspberry Look-Alikes: Because Black Raspberries ripen from red to black, unripe Black Raspberries can be mistaken for ripe Red Raspberries, and ripe Black Raspberries can be mistaken for Blackberries. Black Raspberries could also be mistaken for Mulberries in terms of the berry’s appearance, but Black Raspberries are much smaller than Mulberries, and Mulberries grow on trees, not in thickets.

Ways to Use Raspberries in the Kitchen: Black Raspberries are less acidic than red raspberries and better for fresh eating and baking. Red Raspberries make excellent jams. Raspberries can be preserved by freezing, canning, or dehydrating.

Best Raspberry Recipes: Try using the berries for this homemade fruit leather recipe or these homemade whole wheat scones. Also, refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine for the best berry recipes (July 2023, November 2024, June 2025).

3. Mulberry (American Mulberry, Morus ruba; Asian Mulberry, Morus alba)

Habitat: Asian Mulberry (Morus alba) is not native and considered invasive. It is found across the United States except for some of the far northern states and parts of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming. American Mulberry (Morus ruba) is native to the United States and grows in the Southeast – as far west as Central/Eastern Texas and Oklahoma, and as far north as New York and Massachusetts.

Points of Identification: The main point of identification is the large purple, red, or white berries. If fruit is absent, look for a mature height of 40-60 feet, grayish brown bark with yellow or orange colored fissures, and dense, bushy branches coming out at odd angles. Leaves can be heart-shaped or lobed with toothed edges. Stems contain a milky sap.

When and How to Harvest Mulberry: The tree produces fruit from late spring into summer. The easiest way to harvest Mulberries is to lay a cloth on the ground and shake the tree. The ripe berries will fall, and the folds of the fabric can be gathered and easily brought into the kitchen for washing and sorting out any leaves or twigs.

Mulberry Look-Alikes: Morus alba is most often mistaken for Morus ruba. Some might think that the large red or purple berries of Mulberries are Raspberries or Blackberries, not knowing that Raspberries and Blackberries grow on canes and in thickets and not on trees. When the tree presents lobed leaves, they often look very similar to the shape of Sassafras leaves, but Mulberry leaves have toothed leaf margins, and the edges of Sassafras leaves are smooth. Sassafras has a distinctive smell that would easily distinguish it from Mulberry.

Ways to Use Mulberries in the Kitchen: You can eat mulberries straight off the tree by the handful, but when brought into the kitchen, use them in jam, pies, or ice cream. Mulberry wine is a homemade delicacy, and dehydrated mulberries are a pleasant addition to breakfast cereals or baked goods. Preserve by freezing, canning, or dehydrating.

Best Mulberry Recipes: Mulberries can be use in place of Raspberries and Blackberries. Refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine for the best berry recipes (July 2023, November 2024, June 2025).

4. Blueberry (Vaccinium species – Highbush Blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum; Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium)

Habitat: Eastern United States and Canada

Points of Identification: Large shrub with oval leaves with pointed tips and smooth edges. Some species have leaf edges with very, very fine teeth. Often found in poor, acidic soil.

When and How to Harvest Blueberries: Fruit usually ripens mid to late summer.

Blueberry Look-Alikes: Huckleberries (Gaylussacia sp.), found in northern latitudes of North America, along the northern Pacific coast, and in high elevation forests. Mayberry (Vaccinium elliottii), found in the deep South of the United States, and Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum and Vaccinium cespitosum), found in the far north of Canada and areas of high elevation in the Pacific Northwest. All three plants mentioned here are cousins of the Blueberry, and distinguishing between them is of little importance. Just be aware that there are other plants that contain blue berries that should not be eaten. These include Pokeweed, Virginia Creeper, Nightshade, and some species of Juniper. Beware of these blue berries and be sure that you have a positive identification before consuming any berries in the wild.

Ways to Use Blueberries in the Kitchen: Eat fresh or use in baked goods like pies, muffins, or pancakes. They really shine when made into a compote or jam. Blueberry Earl Grey jam is one of my favorite uses. You can preserve by freezing, canning, or dehydrating.

Best Blueberry Recipes: Try adding blueberries to this healthy broccoli salad recipe. Also, refer to the June 2024 issue of the Homestead Kitchen Magazine.

Wild Greens! A Hidden Harvest in Common Weeds

5. Stinging Nettle (European Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica; American Stinging Nettle (native), Urtica gracilis)

Habitat: Found worldwide. Found throughout the United States and Canada except in the deep South. Grows in sun or shade.

Points of Identification: Tall, erect, non-branching stems with opposite leaves that alternate positions up the stem. Leaves have toothed edges that come to a point at the tip. Unassuming greenish flowers in summer that dangle from the stems like earrings. Perennial leafy herb that spreads from tubers and seed.

When and How to Harvest Stinging Nettle: Wear gloves and long sleeves to harvest the leafy tops, preferably before flowering. If you do not have gloves, you can sometimes harvest without getting stung if you reach up from underneath to grab the stem and avoid the stinging hairs on the leaves. Harvest the tops freely in the spring; the plants will return with a second flush before flowering.

Stinging Nettle Look-Alikes: Mint Family plants have similar leaf positioning and square stems just like Stinging Nettle. Mint Family plants lack the stinging hairs of Nettle and will have a minty aroma unlike Nettle which smells earthy and musty. Can also be confused with other species of nettle.

Ways to Use Stinging Nettle in the Kitchen: Nutritive potherb that can be added to soups, sauces, pesto, custards, omelets, or breads. Do not eat raw. It can be eaten as other greens like spinach – boiled, steamed, or sauteed. Remove leaves from stems for cooking. Stems can be used also if they are tender and green. Air dry and store to use as a tea or add to soups.

Best Recipes for Stinging Nettle: Try using stinging nettle in this vegetable frittata recipe. Also, refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine, Leafy Greens You May Not Know, April 2025.

6. Garlic Mustard in the United States, Jack-by-the-Hedge in the United Kingdom (Alliaria petiolata)

Habitat: Found worldwide. In North America, it is found in the eastern and Middle United States north of Texas, the Pacific Northwest coast and northern Idaho, southern Canada.

Points of Identification: Rounded or heart-shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette with rounded teeth. Garlic/mustardy scent when picked or crushed. A biennial that grows from a taproot. Clusters of white, four-petaled flowers will appear in the second year. Leaves on the flower stem alternate position up the stem and a triangular shape which differs from the leaves at the base of the plant. Reseeds easily from needle-shaped seed pods.

When and How to Harvest Garlic Mustard: Leaves can be harvested at any point in the season. Young shoots can be harvested before flowers open for a milder flavor. Considered invasive (non-native), so harvest freely. Summer heat causes the leaves to have a bitter flavor, so harvesting in cooler spring or fall weather is sometimes preferable. Roots can be harvested as well.

Garlic Mustard Look-Alikes: Leaves can be mistaken for Violet leaves, as Garlic Mustard leaves can sometimes look heart-shaped. Garlic mustard leaves can be a slightly brighter green than Violet leaves. Garlic Mustard has deep, branching veins unlike Violet. Violet leaves are tasteless and will lack scent. Garlic Mustard leaves will have a strong garlicky aroma and flavor.

Ways to Use Garlic Mustard in the Kitchen: Use freely as a wild green. The flavor can be strong (a mixture of garlic and mustard), so it may be best mixed with other food or greens or used in sauces and smoothies. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Leaves can be made into a wild pesto. Roots have a horseradish flavor and can be infused in vinegar. 

Best Recipes for Garlic Mustard: Try adding mustard greens to this mixed vegetable stir fry recipe. Also, refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine Historical Cooking article, April 2025.

7. Lamb’s Quarters or Wild Spinach in the United States, non-native, Fat Hen in the United Kingdom (Chenopodium album) 

Habitat: Found worldwide. Widely distributed throughout North America except for the northernmost parts of Canada. Likes rich soil, but can grow in dry, bare soil.

Points of Identification: Erect hairless stems with alternately positioned fleshy, almost succulent-like triangular leaves that have a three-pointed, goose-foot shape. Deep center vein on the leaves with leaf margins that can vary in appearance – some can be toothed, some wavy, etc. The leaves can have a dull grayish appearance due to a waxy coating, which protects them from excess moisture loss due to transpiration. An interesting point of identification is that water will roll off the leaves rather than soaking in due to the waxy coating. Flowers are often non-noticeable. 

When and How to Harvest Lamb’s Quarters: Harvest leafy tops by cutting rather than pulling the whole plant from the roots.

Lamb’s Quarter Look-Alikes: Black Nightshade and Belladonna, which are both toxic. Beware of any plants with black berries. Flowers of Nightshade look like tomato blossoms. Both plants lack the powdery gray/white coating, which is distinctive to Lamb’s Quarter leaves.

Ways to Use Lamb’s Quarters in the Kitchen: Related to Quinoa and Amaranth, Lamb’s Quarters is useful as a leafy green and can be eaten raw or cooked, as you might use spinach in omelets or lasagna.

Best Recipes for Lamb’s Quarters: Refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine, Leafy Greens You May Not Know, April 2025.

8. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), non-native

Habitat: Found worldwide. Found everywhere in the United States and Southern Canada. Likes sandy, grainy soils.

Points of Identification: Creeping, branching succulent with tear-drop or paddle-shaped green and reddish brown leaves and stems that lay flat on the ground. The leaves branch alternately up the stem and are hairless and smooth. Stems are thick and crisp.

When and How to Harvest Purslane: Gather young leaves and stems any time. Snap stems a couple of inches above the ground to avoid dirt from the parts closest to the ground, as the dirt and grit can be hard to clean off. Unlike other plants, which can become bitter or unpalatable in the summer heat, Purslane leaves stay fresh and crisp well into the fall. Because it is an annual, the plant may be harvested by pulling it whole since the following year’s plant will need to grow from seed anyway. If you want your patch to grow next year, leave some plants to reseed.

Purslane Look-Alikes: Spurges (Euphorbia) have a similar appearance but flatter and thinner leaves and are not succulents. Learn to distinguish carefully, as Spurge is mildly toxic. The plant should not be ingested, and the sap should not be touched.

Ways to Use Purslane in the Kitchen: Can be eaten cooked or raw. Slightly sour or tangy taste. Leaves and stems have a crisp and crunchy texture. Because it is so low-growing be sure to wash away any dirt before eating. Add to salads or cook in soups and sauces. Its mucilaginous texture can be similar to okra and can be substituted for okra in Creole dishes. Stems can be pickled or turned into a summer relish.

Best Recipes for Purslane: Refer to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine, Leafy Greens You May Not Know, April 2025.

Incorporating Wild Edibles into Your Homestead Plan: Take a Walk-About

Did you take a walk about your homestead yet? Did you read the introductory paragraph or skip right to the plants? It’s okay if you did, but if you find any of these edible plants on your homestead, you’ll want to consider how you can cultivate these plants to produce more for you, and that starts with a walk-about so that you can find what is growing on your property that you just haven’t noticed yet.

So, take a walk. What did you discover, and how can you make that free food work better for you?

Did you find Black Raspberries growing in the woods? Can you dig those up and move them to a sunnier spot on your homestead where they will yield more, and the patch will grow.

Did you find a patch of nettle? Collect the seeds and start your own patch closer to your house for easy harvesting. And don’t overlook the cracks in the patio or driveway. That is where the Purslane likes to grow at my house.

Look in unusual places, and you might just find something you can use to fill your bellies or fill your pantry. 

Be sure to mark your calendars to look around your property in early spring. Another advantage of wild greens is that they often leaf out much earlier than greens planted from seed, so if you know what is growing on your property, then you might be able to have a harvest of spring greens before your garden greens have even sprouted.

Before you pull that weed in the garden, see if you can figure out what it is first. If it’s edible, you might just want to move it to a place of honor in your garden where it can grow and spread on its own.

Want to learn more about how to recognize plants easily by sight?

Botany in an Hour offers comprehensive courses that cover basic Botany and plant recognition. Teach yourself, or use the information to teach your kids what you wish someone had taught you. Use Coupon Code “HFblog20%” to get 20% off the Basic Course.

Common Sense Plant Identification and Safety Considerations

Use common-sense practices when identifying plants on your homestead. Do not consume any plants unless you are sure that you have identified them correctly. Refer to the Look-Alikes section for each plant above in conjunction with a reliable field guide to be sure that you don’t accidentally eat something that is toxic or poisonous.

If in doubt, find a reliable Facebook group for plant identification so that you can get a positive ID from Botanists and plant experts. Do not trust information given to you from AI-powered photo identification or plant ID apps. They are unreliable and often mistake one plant for another.

Troublesome plants mentioned above that might get mixed up in a plant ID app are Purslane, which can be easily confused for Spurge (which is toxic), Lamb’s Quarters, which might be mistaken for Nightshade (poisonous), and Nettle, which can easily be confused for Mints. It would not be pleasant if you put a raw Nettle leaf in your mouth.

If you find a plant on your property that you believe is edible, don’t immediately harvest it. Watch how it changes through the growing season to be sure that the flowers and any fruit match the plant that you believe it to be.

Plants with flowers or fruit are much easier to narrow down with certainty than ones with foliage only. If you do harvest plants on your property, take into consideration possible contaminants from pesticides if you live near farms that grow crops for commercial sale, or near major roadways where herbicides may have been used for weed control.

Find the best books for identifying edible plants on your Homestead – Grab a free download from Botany in an Hour!

Rachel Parks is passionate about teaching Botany to children. She is an elementary school teacher and homeschooling mom who has taught Botany and plant identification classes in the New York Metro area since 2018.

One summer day, after finishing her first year of teaching Botany, she went on a walk with her four-year-old daughter. On their walk, her little girl began to point out flowers. By the end of the walk, she had recognized and named flowers in 13 different plant families – just from listening to what her older sister had been learning during the previous school year.

With such success, Rachel immediately began to incorporate the methodologies that she had used to teach her own children plant recognition into her in-person Botany classes. Now you can learn it too! In one hour after registering for the Basic Course, you can be out in the garden sharing your love of plants with your own kids!

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Interested in exploring and foraging safely with your kids?