Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie

Kelly Kindscher is professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Kansas and a senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey. He is the author of Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide and Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide and coauthor of The Nature of Kansas Lands.

“Kindscher’s Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie was already an ethnobotanical classic; this fantastic new edition, with excellent color photos and expanded text, is indispensable for the edible plant enthusiast.” - Samuel Thayer is the author of Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: of Eastern and Central North America and The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants“A casual visitor to a prairie in summer might think, ‘There's nothin’ to eat here.’ Would he be right? Not at all! According to award-winning ethnobotanist Kelly Kindscher, the prairie hosts over a hundred edible species. His new book, a revised version of his popular Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie, features striking color photos, useful descriptions, distribution maps, detailed uses, and both English and Indigenous names for 117 species. An excellent work and a go-to source for prairie lovers!” - C. Thomas Shay, author of Under Prairie Skies: The Plants and Native Peoples of the Northern Plains

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionMajor Wild Edible Plants of the PrairiAllium canadense, Wild OnionAmaranthus blitoides, Prostrate AmaranthAmbrosia trifida, Giant RagweedAmelanchier alnifolia, ServiceberryAmorpha canescens, LeadplantAmphicarpaea bracteata, Ground BeanApios americana, Hopniss or GroundnutAsclepias syriaca, Common MilkweedAstragalus crassicarpus, Groundplum MilkvetchAtriplex argentea, SaltbushCallirhoe involucrata, Purple Poppy MallowCamassia scilloides, Wild HyacinthCeanothus americanus, New Jersey Tea or Red RootChenopodium berlandieri, Lamb's QuartersCirsium undulatum, Wavy-Leafed ThistleCleome serrulata, Rocky Mountain Bee PlantCorylus americana, HazelnutCoryphantha vivipara, Pincushion CactusCucurbita foetidissima, Buffalo GourdDalea candida, White Prairie CloverErythronium mesochoreum, Midland Fawn LilyFragaria virginiana, Wild StrawberryGlycyrrhiza lepidota, Wild LicoriceHelianthus annuus, SunflowerHelianthus tuberosus, Tuberous Sunflower or Jerusalem ArtichokeIpomoea leptophylla, Bush Morning GloryIva annua, Marsh ElderLiatris punctata, GayfeatherLomatium foeniculaceum, Prairie ParsleyMonarda fistulosa, BeebalmOpuntia macrorhiza, Prickly PearOxalis violacea, Violet Wood SorrelPediomelum esculentum, Tipsin or Prairie TurnipPhysalis longifolia, Wild Tomatillo or Ground CherryProboscidea louisianica, Devil’s ClawPrunus americana, Wild PlumPrunus virginiana, ChokecherryRhus glabra, Smooth SumacRibes aureum, Golden CurrantRosa arkansana, Wild RoseRubus flagellaris, DewberryShepherdia argentea, Buffalo BerryStanleya pinnata, Prince’s PlumeTradescantia occidentalis, SpiderworViola pedatifida, Prairie VioletYucca glauca, Yucca or Small SoapweedOther Edible Wild Plants of the PrairieAbronia fragrans, Snowball Sand VerbenaAgastache foeniculum, Lavender HyssopAndrostephium caeruleum, Blue Funnel LilyAntennaria parviflora, PussytoesArgentina anserina, Silverweed CinquefoilArtemisia carruthii, Wild SageCalochortus gunnisonii, Sego LilyChamaesaracha coronopus, Greenleaf Five EyesClaytonia virginica, Spring BeautyComandra umbellata, Bastard ToadflaxCoreopsis tinctoria, Plains CoreopsisCymopterus acaulis, Stemless Indian ParsleyDescurainia pinnata, Tansy MustardDysoddia papposa, Fetid MarigoldElaeagnus commutata, SilverberryEricameria nauseosa, Rabbitbrush or ChimasaEriogonum alatum, Winged BuckwheatHedeoma drummondii, Drummond’s False PennyroyalHeliotropium convolvulaceum, Bindweed HeliotropeHoffmannseggia glauca, Indian RushpeaHymenopappus filifolius, Fineleaf HymenopappusJuniperus virginiana, Red CedarLactuca ludoviciana, Prairie Wild LettuceLathyrus polymorphus, Many-Stemmed PeaLepidium virginicum, Virginia PepperweedLespedeza capitata, Roundhead LespedezaLilium philadelphicum, Wood Lily or Prairie LilyLinum lewisii, Wild Blue Flax Maianthemum stellatum, Starry False Lily of the ValleyMatelea biflora, Star MilkvineMentzelia albicaulis, White-Stem Blazing StarMirabilis linearis, Narrow-Leaved Four O’clockMonolepis nuttalliana, Nuttall’s Poverty WeedNothoscordum bivalve, False GarlicOenothera biennis, Common Evening PrimroseOrobanche ludoviciana, Cancer RootPectis angustifolia, Lemonscent or LimoncilloPlantago patagonica, Woolly PlantainPolanisia dodecandra, Clammy WeedPolygonum erectum, KnotweedPortulaca oleracea, PurslanePycnanthemum virginianum, Slender Mountain MintQuincula lobata, Chinese LanternRatibida columnifera, Prairie ConeflowerRumex venosus, Winged DockSilphium perfoliatum, Cup PlantSolanum triflorum, Cutleaf NightshadeSolidago missouriensis, GoldenrodSophora nutalliana, Silky SophoraSphaeralcea coccinea, Scarlet Globe MallowStrophostyles helvola, Trailing Wild BeanSymphoricarpos occidentalis, Wolfberry or Western SnowberryThelesperma megapotamicum, Greenthread or CotaVicia americana, American VetchXanthium strumarium, CockleburThe Grasses (Poaceae)Achnatherum hymenoides, Indian RicegrassBouteloua gracilis, Blue GramaDistichlis spicata, Inland SaltgrassEchinochloa muricata, Barnyard GrassElymus canadensis, Canada Wild RyeEragrostis pectinacea, LovegrassHordeum pusillum, Little BarleyKoeleria pyramidata, JunegrassMuhlenbergia asperifolia, MuhlyPanicum capillare, Panic GrassPhalaris caroliniana, Maygrass or Carolina Canary GrassPoa fendleriana, BluegrassSetaria leucopila, FoxtailSporobolus airoides, Alkali SacatonTripsacum dactyloides, Eastern Gama GrassVulpia octoflora, Six Weeks FescueAppendix: Table of Edible Wild Plants of the PrairieLiterature CitedIndex