Henbit is in Bloom and Providing Free Food for You

A Pot of Henbit, an Edible Weed

By Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

Paso Robles, California

March 26, 2018 1:49am CST

I promised I would share photos of some of the weeds I eat from my yard. This is henbit. It springs up in early spring or after the rains. I think it's kind of pretty. I toss it in salads or soups. I suppose you could use it like sprouts in sandwiches, as well. It doesn't stay in season very long, so I make the most of it while it's here. It has a mild flavor. Be sure to wash it well, and don't use it if it's been near an area that was sprayed with pesticides. Have you ever eaten henbit? Have you ever seen it on your property? Have you ever tried any wild foods?

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13 responses

@LadyDuck (471506)

• Switzerland

26 Mar 18

Is this edible? We call it "falsa ortica" (fake nettle) here. It is an invasive plant, it last for several weeks here.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

26 Mar 18

I eat it. It doesn't sting like nettle. It's just a mild green with pretty flowers. Those broader leaves in the pot aren't part of it. It is invasive, but it doesn't last after it stops raining and the ground is dry.

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@LadyDuck (471506)

• Switzerland

26 Mar 18

@bagarad In our climate it does not stop growing, during all Spring and in Autumn the fields are covered with those little flowers.

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@LadyDuck (471506)

• Switzerland

27 Mar 18

@bagarad I translated liberally from Italian, we call it "falsa ortica" and it is the same plant, botanical name "Lamium purpureum".

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@tony1r (303)

• Nairobi, Kenya

26 Mar 18

Haven tried it, is it available everywhere?

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

26 Mar 18

I don't know. I haven't been everywhere to see.

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• Nairobi, Kenya

26 Mar 18

@bagarad will try it if i come across some

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

@tony1r It never hurts to try it to see if you like it. Just don't try anything unless you are sure what it is and that it's safe to eat.

@shaggin (72131)

• United States

26 Mar 18

I do not know for sure if that grows in my yard but I think it does look familiar. I am not very open to trying new things that grow out there though lol

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

To each her own.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317041)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

26 Mar 18

I don't recall seeing that plant. It looks pretty. No, I've never picked the weeds, even the dandelions to eat, though I know they're supposed to be good and good for you.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

Some taste good, some not so good. But I don't like all the different greens they sell in the produce section, either.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

@just4him That's too bad. They are very good for you.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317041)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

27 Mar 18

@bagarad I eat very few greens.

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@franxav (13837)

• India

26 Mar 18

I am not sure if it grows in our part of the world (South Bengal, India), where the weather is warm for a long time of the year. It may be found in the cooler north. I'd have loved to eat it in my salad or soup.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

26 Mar 18

I'm not sure where else it grows. But I enjoy eating it.

1 person likes this

• Chengde, China

27 Mar 18

Finally ,I got you. It looks strange, I haven't see this before. How does it taste? like coriander?

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

I honestly don't remember, since I never eat it by itself. I just tasted it raw, and it's a bit like parsley, but not quite. It's not as strong.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

28 Mar 18

@fei1125 That's one reason I like this site. We can learn about how ordinary people in other parts of the world live their daily lives and see things every day we may never have seen.

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• Chengde, China

27 Mar 18

@bagarad So, I can image it. It's cool, I think we can share something we haven't known before, something is normal to others.

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@allknowing (136435)

• India

26 Mar 18

This herb is new to me.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

It may not grow where you are. It only grows here in the late winter or early spring after the first rains.

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)

• China

26 Mar 18

Here henbit is a common weed.However I haven't eaten it,we use it as a herbal medicine that treat traumatic injury.At the moment,we eat edible wild herb called Indian kalimeris herb.

Kalimeris indica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Kalimeris indica Inflorescence of Kalimeris indica Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Asterales Family: Aster

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)

• China

27 Mar 18

@bagarad Indian kalimeris herb thrives in low banks between fields,they belong to the composite family.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

28 Mar 18

@changjiangzhibin89 That's why it's pretty.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

That's interesting. I don't remember seeing that growing wild here. It looks pretty enough to plant in a flower garden.

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@epiffanie (11326)

• Australia

28 Mar 18

I think I have seen that weed around here but I didn’t they can be eaten... I would love to try eating some of the wild plants that the Aboriginals here in Australia called “bush tuckers”... In the Philippines, we have wild plants that people eat.. I hope one day I could try them too..

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

31 Mar 18

It's amazing how many flowers are edible, too. I always thought an edible garden was hard to put in one's front yard, but then I found I could plant a lot of edible flowers.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

2 Apr 18

@epiffanie Absolutely. That's why my hobby is studying, photographing, and writing about nature.

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@epiffanie (11326)

• Australia

1 Apr 18

@bagarad Yes! . Isn't Mother Nature truly amazing! ..

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@Hate2Iron (15727)

• Canada

26 Mar 18

It looks vaguely familiar but I don't think that I have ever eaten it... However, now that I know, I will keep an eye out for it!

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

I was really surprised when I found out that weeds I'd been pulling and mulching every year could be used like spinach or salad greens.

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@Hate2Iron (15727)

• Canada

27 Mar 18

@bagarad I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for the plant! :)

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@marlina (154131)

• Canada

26 Mar 18

Not a thing that I would like to try at all.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

That is, of course, your choice. I will experiment as long as I know a plant is supposed to be good for food. If I'm not sure something is safe, I don't try it. The plants I will share here I've actually found in recipe books for wild plants.

@Icydoll (36717)

• India

26 Mar 18

Haven't tried it ...how does it tastes?

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

26 Mar 18

I don't remember except that it's a mild taste that blends well with other things. It's pleasant. it's not bitter like a dandelion.

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@Jessabuma (31700)

• Baguio, Philippines

26 Mar 18

It's my first time hearing that name. I never tried it yet.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

I had seen it growing in my yard for years before I know I could eat it.

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@Jessabuma (31700)

• Baguio, Philippines

27 Mar 18

@bagarad it can be eat as viand? How do you cook it?

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

27 Mar 18

@Jessabuma You can cut it in pieces and add it to vegetable soup, a salad, or a stir fry dish. I leave the stems out of the salads. They are better when cooked. The flavor is very mild. My book says it can be boiled alone or with other vegetables.

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