5 Wildflowers Fit for a Food Forest

by Rachel Bosley March 17, 2025

Filling a food forest with native flowering plants alongside common wild food plants like Ostrich Fern or Wild Leeks is a great way to add more function and fun. All 5 of these wildflowers provide visual interest, wildlife habitat, and food for your permaculture orchard or food forest.

1. Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)

One of the best cooked leafy greens around. Harvest in spring until plant starts to send up flower stalks at which point leaves become tough (but still edible). Can be harvested again in the fall after plant has flowered but spring leaves are the most tender.

Cut basal leaves at the base with a sharp knife. Cook soon after cutting. The leaves must be blanched for a few minutes at which point they can be used like spinach. Substitute for spinach in anything from omelets, stir-frys, soups or just in a cream sauce. Blanched leaves can be frozen.

The leaves have a rich, deep flavour that is unique to this plant.

2. Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)

Fireweed is a stunning ornamental tea plant you never knew you needed. It thrives in disturbed areas but also fits well in naturalized landscapes and informal gardens (though it spreads too much for formal garden settings). While commonly found in the wild, it still earns a spot in your garden with its striking pink flower spikes, extended blooming season, brilliant fall foliage, and significant ecological benefits. Plus, once you taste the delicious black tea alternative made from fireweed, you’ll appreciate how effortlessly and abundantly it grows.

Pick individual leaves or pick whole stems and run your fingers down them to strip leaves quickly and effectively.

A desirable tea, known as Ivan chai, can be made from the leaves. To make it, take fresh fireweed leaves and roll them between your fingers or palms. The idea is to bruise them until they are visibly darker. Next, place the leaves in a bowl with a loose-fitting lid and let sit for 1-3 days, stirring 2-3 times day to maintain airflow. When the leaves are dark brown and have a nice floral aroma to them then they are ready to be dried in the sun or dehydrator. They can now be used like black tea.

We are working on making Fireweed seeds available in our online store, check back soon!

3. Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum)

Its stems can be used much like chives and the bulbs are also edible. A ball of white/purple star-shaped flowers blooms at the end of the summer and are pollinated by native sweat bees. Note that first year plants may look a bit like grass at first. It is in their second year that stem girth increases and flowering occurs. Plants can also be propagated by splitting off the bulb-lets which develop on the side of the main bulb.

4. Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

The flower and its leaves are edible. In fact, the seeds are great for thickening soups! Spring shoots can also be cooked and enjoyed similar to asparagus. The plant is also known to be medicinal. Some medicinal uses are asthma prevention and treatment for fever, fungal infection and inflammation of the mouth. Both leaves and flowers can be brewed as a tea.

This plant really does get a bad rap, given that it is incorrectly blamed for causing hayfever. It's actually most likely Ragweed pollen to blame for allergies around the time Goldenrods bloom - Goldenrod pollen is not the right size or structure to cause allergy symptoms in humans.

5. Canada Elder (Sambucus canadensis)

Canada elder is highly valuable for wildlife, making it a fantastic option for supporting pollinators and fruit-eating birds. While it can grow quite large, this can be beneficial for restoration projects or as part of a hedgerow. Its edible berries are already popular in the supplement and specialty food markets, often carrying a high price tag. However, if you have the space, growing your own is an easy and cost-effective alternative.

Important Note: Both the flowers and berries must be cooked before consumption.

Flowers:
Harvest by snipping off entire flower clusters and bringing them to the kitchen. Separate the individual flowers by rolling them between your hands or picking them off, discarding bugs, stems, and unopened buds. Use them quickly, as they spoil fast. The flowers are excellent for making syrup or cordial, which can be drizzled over ice cream, mixed with carbonated water, or added to cocktails. They can also be used to make wine or a fermented cordial.

Berries:
Cut the entire fruit cluster and bring it back to the kitchen. Detach the berries by running your fingers or a coarse comb through them, removing any green berries and stems. Since they spoil quickly at room temperature, process them as soon as possible. They are great for jams, jellies, pies, and crumbles. The berries can also be turned into a sweet syrup for flavouring drinks or making hard candy. Additionally, they can be used for wine, fermented beverages, or kombucha. Often consumed in syrup, candy, or tincture form.