List of plants with edible leaves

These are plants whose leaves are known to have been eaten by humans, typically as leaf vegetables or herbs.

Inclusion on this list does not imply safety. Although most of these leaves are wholesome and unproblematic foods, many require special attention to avoid poisoning. Many species are safe to eat only after special processing. Depending on the species, this may mean cooking, boiling and changing water one or more times, drying, or some more specialized processing. Some species are safe in small quantities but become dangerous in large quantities or with long-term consumption. Some species include both poisonous and nonpoisonous forms, so that safe consumption requires the identification of the subspecies or cultivar. It is unwise to eat any unfamiliar plant without positive identification and trustworthy information about its safety.

The list given here is reproduced from the first edition of the book Cornucopia by Stephen Facciola^[1], cited on the Leaf for Life Web site.^[2]

Key

• Citations marked with Ecoport are from the Ecoport Web site, an ecology portal developed in collaboration with the FAO.^[3].
• Those marked with GRIN are from the GRIN Taxonomy of Food Plants.^[4]
• Sources marked with Duke are from James Duke's book Handbook of Energy Crops.^[5]
• Plants whose names are given in bold italics have leaves that are of particularly high value as food sources.

This page was originally computer generated.