List of Edible Wild Plants in Louisiana

Many of the most filling wild plants in Louisiana are leafy shrubs and flowers with edible leaves and blossoms. The entire plants of the orach and the lotus flower (Nelumbo lutea) can be eaten. The chicory plant's roots are famously used to flavor New Orleans café au lait, but the entire plant is edible as well. The roots of the arrowhead plant are edible but should be boiled, if possible.

Grasses are an important source of wilderness survival because they often contain valuable sugars. In addition, edible reeds are very filling. Common edible grasses and reeds in Louisiana are the foxtail grass (but not false foxtail, which is inedible) and cat tails are easily found in the wild as well. Sugar cane is popularly cultivated for refining into sugar or molasses but can be found in the wild. Of course, the common reed (Phragmites) is very common in marshy areas throughout Louisiana and can be eaten.

Berries are among the most prized edible plants in the wild, but because many of them are poisonous is is crucial to know how to identify them properly. A quick mnemonic for identifying if a berry is safe to eat is to count the number of leaves: "leaves of three, not for me. Leaves of four, have some more." Because this rule is not infallible, seek out recognizable berries first and avoid conspicuous ones entirely. Common safe berries in Louisiana are mulberries (black or red), blackberries, and dewberries.