Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Wednesday - May 26, 2010

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southeast
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Is Texas Thistle edible from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Is Texas Thistle an edible plant?

ANSWER:

See this excerpt from Edible and Useful Plants of Texas by Delena Tull. See Bibliography below. Our answer to this question would have been, "Yes, if you are a bumblebee, turkey or goldfinch." However, according to this book, "thistles provide one of the best salad greens and cooked vegetables in the state." If you're really hungry.

From our Native Plant Image Gallery:

Cirsium texanum

Bibliography

Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest: Including recipes, harmful plants, natural dyes, and textile fibers: A Practical Guide (1999) Tull, D.

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