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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - November 10, 2011
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants, Edible Plants, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: Information on edible tubers of hog potato from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I inquired a while back about hog potato or Hoffmannseggia glauca. You gave me some information on the plant but no information on when the plant produces the edible tubers. Also how long does it take to produce the tubers after the seed germinates? Thank you,ANSWER:
We found the previous answer on Hoffmannseggia glauca (Indian rushpea) to which you are apparently referring. We suspect the the reason we didn't give you this information the first time around is that it was not available in our research resources. We did find a couple more websites that talk about the edibility of the tuber (mostly, as indicated by the common name, by rooting pigs).
Here are two references that did not appear in the original answer that might give you some more information:
Southwestern Arizona Wildflowers
Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses - this may give us a clue as to why no one is much interested in studying this plant, as it is referred to as "an aggressive noxious weed." Since it is a member of the Fabaceae or pea family, it does propagate by seeds and is a perennial. The swollen tubers are part of the system that permits this plant to spread, so we are assuming if the plant in question has been germinated from seed, and not tubers, it would probably be a year or more before that plant was mature enough to begin manufacturing the tubers and expanding the area of the plant.
From the Image Gallery
More Edible Plants Questions
Wine from Ampelopsis arborea?
September 06, 2006 - Hello, can you eat or make wine from the fruit of Ampelopsis arborea? I have found a few vines that are very fruitful and are ready to pick!
view the full question and answer
How was salal (Gaultheria shallon) used by the troops in WWII?
May 20, 2010 - We live in Vancouver BC. My mother says that during WW2 all the kids in her school were sent out to pick salal. They picked sacks of salal which were then sent to the troops. We are trying to find ...
view the full question and answer
Lindheimer's Muhly Grass Seeds for Human Use?
July 07, 2016 - Does anyone know if Lindheimer's Muhly seeds were ever used as human food source?
view the full question and answer
Wild plums for jelly from Conroe TX
December 18, 2012 - Do wild plum trees grow in my area? I want to get some next summer to make plum jelly.
view the full question and answer
Culture of Polytaenia nuttallii, Prairie Parsley
January 21, 2011 - Polytaenia nuttallii is listed at the Wildflower Center as a biennial. PLANTS database lists it as a perennial. Please clear this up if you can.
If I plant this at home with tomato plants will it...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |