Wow! I just found a really interesting chart in an old magazine showing the nutritional value of various wild plants.

For instance,

violet leaves have 8200 I.U. of vitamin A per 100 grams of leaves and 210mg of Vitamin C.

Dandelion has 45 calories per 100 grams, 187mg calcium, 14,000 I.U. ( this is not a typo) Vitamin A and 35 mg vitaminC

Dock has 28 calories per 100G, 66mg calcium, 12,900I.U. vitaminA, and 119mg vitaminC

Plant highest in protein - - - - - -soybean at 35.1 grams per 100gr, with sunflower seeds at 24.0

Plant highest in fat - - - - - - Pecan nuts at 84grams. All the nuts were high.

Plant highest in calcium - - - - -Amaranth at 313mg per 100G, closely followed by lambs quarters at 309

If anyone wants info on particular plants - - the chart lists calories, protein, fat, calcium,phosphorus,iron,sodium,potassium, vitaminA,thiamine,riboflavin,niacin,vitaminC.

Add wild greens to the lunch menu! There are 8700 units of Vitamin A in pokeweed!

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), May 28, 2002

Answers

The best part of gardening dandelions is they grow like weeds.... Oh I forgot they are weeds...... Never mind :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 29, 2002.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to dry some poke today. Weeds are just misplaced flowers.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), May 29, 2002.

There is an interesting Native American Ethnobotany Database, http://www.umd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/herb by Univ. Michigan-Dearborn listing: Foods, Drugs, Dyes, and Fibers of Native North American Peoples, that may be of interest, has tons of information.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), May 29, 2002.

Hi Granny Hen, does the list mention parsley? I'm curious as to the benefits of it. I saw on tv the other day where parsley, pound for pound, is loaded with more vitamins and minerals than alot of other plants. Surprised me, as I would have never thought of parsley.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 29, 2002.

Annie, I know that parsley is great for beating bad breath. It is loaded with chlorophyll and that is supposed to do something. It will kill garlic breath in a flash. I also have heard about the nutritional value but don't remember where.

-- Susan in Mn (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), May 29, 2002.

No Annie, parsley isn't listed. Unless there is another "name" for wild parsley. Probably there is? ?

You find the most interesting stuff on the web BC !

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), May 29, 2002.

Oh! Be careful with poke! Just in case you didn't know!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow1@aol.com), May 29, 2002.