Many wild and ornamental plants have more nutritional value than their cultivated counterparts

Many wild and ornamental plants have more nutritional value than their cultivated counterparts, Meredith said.

“For example, wild spinach [also called lamb’s quarters] is a common garden weed with more than three times the calcium of ordinary spinach,” she said. “Purslane, another common weed, contains the same omega 3 fatty acids that make fish oil and flax seed so healthy for us.”

But don’t overharvest, Zachos said.

“If you’re picking fiddleheads, you should never take more than three from each fern. Over-picking leaves the plant too weak to thrive,” she said. (agrarszektor.hu)