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.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - May 26, 2010
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southeast
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Is Texas Thistle edible from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Is Texas Thistle an edible plant?ANSWER:
See this excerpt from Edible and Useful Plants of Texas by Delena Tull. See Bibliography below. Our answer to this question would have been, "Yes, if you are a bumblebee, turkey or goldfinch." However, according to this book, "thistles provide one of the best salad greens and cooked vegetables in the state." If you're really hungry.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
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Native American barberry with edible fruit in New Mexico
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