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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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Thursday - February 12, 2009

From: Madison , OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Edible plants in northeastern Ohio
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I am doing a project and i was wondering what are five native edible plants to the northeastern Ohio region. Also if you could tell the seasons they are available. Thank You,

ANSWER:

Not only can we list five edible native plants of northeastern Ohio, but we can give you five from a single family, Rosaceae!

Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny serviceberry) fruits in the summer and can be eaten raw or dried like raisins.  Malus coronaria (sweet crabapple) produces small yellowish apples in the fall that are too tart to eat raw, but make good jelly and cider. Prunus americana (American plum) makes fruit in late summer that can be eaten right from the tree or cooked in a variety of ways.  Prunus virginiana (chokecherry) produces fruit too astringent to eat raw, but may be processed into jelly.  Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (grayleaf red raspberry) produces delicious fruit which ripens in summer and can be eaten raw or processed.
 

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