Category: Homesteading

Straight Line Winds

We had huge wind storms today – 85mph up at the airport. It was gusty all day, but it really picked up in the afternoon. I was working and heard wind noise. I looked out the window and saw a wall of brown that I realized was all of the dead needles blowing off the pine trees along the south side of our back yard. Then the trees all started to lay down – the willow first, but then the pines started reaching for the ground. One popped and flopped into the grass as the gust subsided and all of the other trees stood up.

Plant Bonanza

We are making a list of unique, nutritious to grow — I’ve gotten seeds for most of the ones that will grow in our area.

Plant Latin name Notes Annual or Perennial Zone Benefit
Alfalfa Medicago sativa True Leaf Market Perennial herb Zone 3-9 Nutritious sprouts; soil improvement via N-fixation
Amaranth Amaranthus spp. Already have seeds Annual herb Zone 2-11 Protein-rich grain; mineral-dense greens
American Chestnut Castanea dentata Already have trees Perennial tree Zone 4-8 Starchy, gluten-free nuts; wildlife support
Ashitaba Angelica keiskei Strictly Medicinal – sold out Perrenial Zone 7+
Asparagus Asparagus officinalis Planted at ridgeline Perennial vegetable Zone 3-8 High in folate, vitamin K, and fiber
Blue hubbard squash Cucurbita maxima ‘Blue Hubbard’ True Leaf Market Annual vine Zone 3-10 Beta-carotene-rich flesh; long storage
Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis Perennial tree Zone 10-12 Starchy fruit staple; carbs, fiber, potassium; eaten roasted/boiled/baked
Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Already have seeds Annual herb Zone 3-10 Gluten-free grain; high in rutin (flavonoid)
Cattail Typha spp. Perennial aquatic Zone 3-10 Multiple edible parts: spring shoots (“cossacks”), pollen (protein), rhizomes (starch)
Chickweed Stellaria media Dave’s garden seeds Annual (often self-seeding) Zone 2-9 Edible greens; vitamin C and minerals; mild flavor for salads
Chicory Cichorium intybus Perennial herb Zone 3-9 Inulin-rich roots; bitter greens for salads
Chokeberry / Aronia Aronia melanocarpa Perennial shrub Zone 3-8 Very high antioxidants (anthocyanins), vitamin C; tart berries for juice/jam
Chufa / Tiger Nut Cyperus esculentus var. sativus Perennial sedge (often grown as annual) Zone 8-11 Nut-like tubers with healthy fats, resistant starch, fiber; used for horchata
Comfrey Symphytum officinale Ridgeline Perennial herb Zone 3-9 Not nitrogen-fixing; excellent chop-and-drop mulch/biomass, accumulates K/Ca; use leaves sparingly if eaten due to PA alkaloids
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale All over the place Perennial herb Zone 3-10 Leaves/roots rich in iron, vitamin A, K, C; edible greens, flowers, root coffee
Duckweed Lemna spp. Aquatic Aquatic perennial Zone 4-11 High-protein feed; water remediation potential
Egyptian Walking Onion Allium × proliferum Perennial Zone 3-9 Reliable perennial onion greens and bulbs
Fava Bean Vicia faba Dave’s garden seeds Annual legume Zone 3-10 Protein, fiber, folate, iron; contains L-DOPA (used in Parkinson’s research)
Flax seeds Linum usitatissimum True Leaf Market Annual herb Zone 3-10 High in ALA omega-3, fiber, and lignans
Good King Henry Blitum bonus-henricus Dave’s garden seeds Perennial Zone 3-8 Edible spinach-like leaves and shoots; calcium, vitamin C, some B vitamins
Groundnut Apios americana https://peacefulheritage.com/products/lsu-groundnut-plants-apios-americana-naturally-grown Perennial vine (legume) Zone 4-9 Protein-rich edible tubers; nitrogen-fixing; also edible beans/flowers
Ironwort Sideritis spp. (e.g., Sideritis scardica) Perennial subshrub Zone 7-10 Traditional tea with antioxidant/soothing properties
Jerusalem Artichoke / Sunchoke Helianthus tuberosus Perennial tuber Zone 3-9 Inulin-rich tubers (prebiotic), potassium; prolific, can spread
Lamb’s Quarters Chenopodium album Dave’s garden seeds Annual Zone 2-11 Tender greens high in protein (for a leaf), calcium, iron, vitamins A/C
Lovage Levisticum officinale Already have seeds Perennial Zone 4-9 Strong celery-like flavor for stocks/salads; minerals; productive cut-and-come-again herb
Lupini Bean Lupinus albus True Leaf Market Annual legume Zone 4-10 High-protein beans; nitrogen fixation
Medlar Mespilus germanica (syn. Crataegus germanica) Perennial tree Zone 5-9 Unique fruit; vitamin C; winter delicacy
Mesquite Prosopis spp. (e.g., P. glandulosa) Perennial tree Zone 8-11 Low-glycemic flour from pods; nitrogen fixer
Moringa Moringa oleifera Perennial tree Zone 9-11 Leaves rich in vitamins A, C, calcium, and protein
Nine Star Broccoli Brassica oleracea https://plantingjustice.org/products/rare-perennial-9-star-broccoli – sold out Perennial Zone 6-9 Multiple harvests of white heads and side shoots
Oca Oxalis tuberosa Perennial (often grown as annual) Zone 8-10 Carbohydrate-rich tubers; vitamin C, potassium; cool-climate Andean staple
Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Fungus (cultivated) Zone 3-10 Protein; ergothioneine and other antioxidants
Palmer Amaranth Amaranthus palmeri Annual herb Zone 7-11 Nutrient-dense greens; drought tolerance
Prairie Turnip / Indian Breadroot Pediomelum esculentum https://www.nortonnaturals.com/products/prairie-turnip-pediomelum-esculentum Perennial legume Zone 4-7 Edible tuber with notable protein for a root; nitrogen-fixing
Prickly Pear / Nopal Opuntia ficus-indica Perennial cactus Zone 8-11 Pads and fruits edible; fiber, vitamin C, magnesium; glycemic-friendly
Psin wild rice Zizania palustris Aquatic Annual aquatic grass Zone 3-8 Nutritious whole grain; high in protein and minerals
Purple Collard Tree (cutting) Brassica oleracea var. acephala (tree collards) Perennial Zone 8-10 Nutrient-dense leafy greens year-round in mild climates
Purslane Portulaca oleracea Already have seeds Annual Zone 2-11 Supplies omega-3 (ALA), vitamins A/C, minerals; succulent, crunchy leaves
Rutabega Brassica napus var. napobrassica https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/products/rutabangin-rutabaga-grex?_pos=1&_sid=365a8b7a1&_ss=r Biennial (grown as annual) Zone 3-9 Vitamin C–rich storage root
Salsify Tragopogon porrifolius Biennial (grown as annual) Zone 5-9 Fiber-rich root with unique flavor
Scarlet Runner Beans Phaseolus coccineus Perennial vine (annual in cold climates) Zone 7-10 Edible pods/beans; attracts pollinators
Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides Already in orchard Perennial shrub Zone 3-7 Very high vitamin C; also vitamin E and carotenoids; edible berries and juice
Skirret Sium sisarum https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/products/skirret?srsltid=AfmBOoonPys7OfNy4DBFlsvT_QnLsmzgZ9nGsZ-KCrbNVE9gyPy7jyBa Perennial Zone 4-9 Sweet, parsnip-like roots; productive perennial
Sorghum Sorghum bicolor Already have seeds Annual grass Zone 6-10 Staple grain; antioxidant-rich varieties
Spirulina Arthrospira platensis Aquatic Tender perennial (cultured) Zone N/A Very high protein; iron; B vitamins (note: B12 present mostly as inactive analog)
Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Perennial herb Zone 3-10 Iron- and mineral-rich greens; tea; fiber crop
Sweet Potato Ipomoea batatas Make slips from sweet potato Tender perennial (grown as annual) Zone 8-11 High in beta-carotene (vitamin A) and fiber
Tamarillo Solanum betaceum Tender perennial shrub/tree Zone 10-11 Vitamin C–rich tangy fruit
Tepary Bean Phaseolus acutifolius FarmDirectSeeds Annual legume Zone 5-11 High vegetable protein and fiber; drought-tolerant staple bean
Wild Lettuce Lactuca virosa Biennial herb Zone 6-9 Leaves and latex traditionally used for calming
Winged bean Psophocarpus tetragonolobus True Leaf Market Perennial vine (grown as annual in cooler zones) Zone 9-12 Very protein-rich; multipurpose plant; nitrogen fixer
Wolffia Wolffia spp. Aquatic Aquatic perennial Zone 5-11 Very high protein biomass; potential food/feed
Wormwood Artemisia absinthium Dave’s garden seeds Perennial herb Zone 4-9 Bitter aromatic used sparingly as culinary/aperitif flavor; stimulates digestion
Yarrow Achillea millefolium Already have seeds Perennial herb Zone 3-9 Aromatic leaves/flowers used as a culinary herb/tea; digestive and bitter-tonic qualities
Udo Aralia cordata rhizomes are best Perennial herb Zone 4-8

 

 

Found on:

https://www.youtube.com/@LostNatureVault
https://www.youtube.com/@LostPlantRemedies
https://www.youtube.com/@ReclaimedNature