“Munch, Munch”: Edible Plants at the U

A look into which plants can students eat at the U and if they are any good.

Sydney Jackson

Have you ever walked around the University of Minnesota campus, saw some delicious looking berries, and thought, “I wonder if I could have some?” Have you ever seen a student pick a few berries off of a tree, immediately  eat it, then asked yourself, “Is that even safe or healthy to do?” 

You are in luck, because in certain areas on campus, there are edible plants.

The UMN Garden for People and Pollinators 

One of the main sources for edible plants on campus is the University”s Garden for People and Pollinators. This lush green garden is full of plants that serve to benefit both the bees in this area, with the plants providing them nectar and pollen, and the people who eat the tasty food that the plants provide. Here, the garden sprouts new and diverse plants, fruits, flowers, and seasoning leaves. The garden has a variety of native plants like everbearing strawberries, lemon, French thyme, and garlic chives. They also have some non native tasty plants like lemon drop heirloom hot pepper and Alaska mix heirloom nasturtiums. To take a taste of these plants, go to the University’s Bee Research Facility Department of Entomology.

Edible Flowers

As the leaves sprinkle down on the ground from the incoming fall season, the flowers on campus continue to blossom and not only serve as a beautiful arrangement to look at, but possibly as a tasty treat. Most flowers are often not tasty on their own and rather should be used as a garnish. Enjoy an alpine strawberry in your tea to give it a fruity flavor, or a sunflower seed for a crunchy snack. It is important to not eat flowers that have pesticides in them, so specifically eat ones that are “certified organically grown.” Make sure to eat the right part of the plant; different flowers have different parts, with some parts of the flower being edible and other parts being extremely toxic. Here at The Wake, we highly recommend you to research which part of a specific flower is edible before taking a bite. 

Edible Fruits

Hidden fruits scattered all around campus—fruit that, depending on your taste buds, can be a tasty treat on your walk to class. On the side of Northrop Auditorium, there are a few shrubs of chokeberry bushes. These bitter berries leave a dry aftertaste; however they can work to improve your immune system and heart health. Near the entrance to Coffman’s Starbucks, there are a small amount of exotic grapes. They are not too tasty as many of them have a seed taking up the majority of the fruit. Throughout Scholar’s Walk, there are many serviceberry trees with juneberries that are tasty and edible. The berries on this tree taste like a mix of various fruits including apple, strawberries, and blueberries, and are rich in fiber and protein. It can be easy to mix up edible fruit for toxic fruit that looks edible, so it is important to make sure you are eating the correct edible fruit. To help with this, you can use the Seek app which helps to identify fruit from a picture. It is also always best to not just eat anything that is out in the open.

Again, with all of the diverse plants the University has, it is important to act with caution before eating any of the plants on campus. Although they might look similar to an edible, non-toxic plant, some plants can be highly toxic and poisonous to students, whether it be by touch or ingestion. To prevent this from happening, do not assume that all of the plants on campus are non-toxic then proceed to eat them. Instead, look intently at the plant you want to eat and detect if it is safe to eat or use other resources.