The document provides guidelines for foraging for wild foods locally. It discusses several edible plant species found in the area, including moringa, beauty berry, goldenrod, banana, wild amaranth, purslane, Spanish needle, bitter melon, Virginia creeper, palms, night blooming cactus, spiderwort, hibiscus, and spineless cactus. For each plant, it identifies the edible parts and notes any nutritional benefits or other uses. Safety tips are provided at the beginning for properly identifying and harvesting edible weeds.

1. LOCAL FORAGING
South Pinellas Wild Foods

2. Weed Harvesting Guidelines
 1. Only harvest weeds that you can positively identify
and know to be edible. The Complete Guide to Edible
Wild Plants, by the Department of the Army is a good
reference, if you aren't sure.
 2. Avoid picking weeds close to roadways. They'll
have absorbed exhaust fumes and road run off.
 3. Avoid harvesting weeds in areas that may have
been contaminated by animal feces.
 4. Do not pick weeds from yards that have been
treated with pesticides or herbicides.
 5. Only eat the parts of plants that you know to be
edible. Many edible plants have non-edible – and
sometimes poisonous – parts.

3. Moringa
 Edible Part:
Leaves, seed pods
& seeds
 Benefits: Highly
nutritious
 Other Uses: Water
purification
http://www.moringagardencircle.org/tree.html

4. Beauty Berry
 Edible Part: Berries
 Benefits: Tea from
berries & roots for
fever
 Other Uses: Leaves
as insect repellant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igKeqZjxPYQ
http://www.eattheweeds.com/beautyberry-jelly-on-a-roll/

5. Goldenrod
 Edible Part:
Flowers & Leaves
 Benefits: Tea for
bruises
 Other Uses:
Poultice for
toothache, burns
and insect stings
http://www.eattheweeds.com/solidago-odora-liberty-tea-2/

6. Banana
 Edible Part: Fruit &
flower
 Other Uses: Leaves
can be used as
wraps to steam food
http://heavytable.com/cooking-with-banana-flower/

7. Wild Amaranth
 Edible Part: Leaves
& seeds
 Benefits: Contains
calcium, iron, potass
ium, phosphorus, vit
amins A, C and E
http://www.eattheweeds.com/amaranth-grain-vegetable-icon/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcrZ5XYcbvk

8. Purslane
 Edible Part: Leaves,
flowers, stems
 Benefits: It has vitamin A,
B, C and E — six times
more E than spinach —
beta carotene — seven
times more of that than
carrots — magnesium,
calcium, potassium, folate,
lithium, iron and is 2.5%
protein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tw8DcGAGmo
http://www.eattheweeds.com/purslane-omega-3-fatty-weed/

9. Spanish Needle
 Edible Part: Leaves
& Flower
 Benefits:
Antimicrobial
 Other Uses:
Attracts pollinators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrAk_4r7Egc
http://www.eattheweeds.com/spanish-needles-pitchfork-weed/

10. Bitter melon
 Edible Part: Green
pod when cooked
 Benefits: Medicinal
 Other Uses:
Shading vine
http://freshfromyouryard.org/2009/10/15/balsam-pear-momordica-charantia/
http://www.eattheweeds.com/bitter-gourd-balsam-pear-pharmacy-on-a-fence/

11. Virginia Creeper
 Edible Part: Fruit-
raw, Stalk-
cooked, root-cooked
 Benefits: Medicinal
 Other Uses: Dye
http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/p/parthenocissus-quinquefolia=virginia-creeper.php

12. Palms
 Edible Part: Shoots,
seeds, heart,
leaves, sap see link
below
 Benefits: Highly
nutritious
 Other Uses:
Shelter, fiber
http://www.quisqualis.com/tv01ediblepalms.html

13. Night Blooming Cactus
 Edible Part:
Fruit, unopened
flower and seeds
 Other Uses: Juice
can be used to
make moonshine
http://www.eattheweeds.com/cereus-today-not-tomorrow/

14. Spiderwort
 Edible Part:
Flowers, leaves, stal
k
 Other Uses: Sap
used on skin
conditions
http://www.eattheweeds.com/spiderwort-pocahontas-and-gamma-rays/

15. Hibiscus
 Edible Part: Flower
and young leaves
http://www.eattheweeds.com/mallow-madness-the-false-roselle/

16. Spineless Cactus
 Edible Part: Young
pads & fruit
 Note: Use rubber
gloves to rub
paddles clean peel
off skin and use like
an onion
 Other uses: Attracts
bees, butterflies and
hummingbirds
http://www.eattheweeds.com/cactus-dont-be-spineless/