Vegetable Trees

Hi everyone,

I live in the Pacific Northwest (western Washington). As I've been planting trees this past year, I've come across several that have edible leaves or other parts that can be used as a vegetable. I'm interested in learning about other varieties that could possibly supplement my garden production in the future.

The vegetable-producing trees that I know about so far are:

1. Chinese Fragrant Spring Tree (leaves are said to taste like leeks)
2. Siberian Peashrub
3. Linden trees (leaves and flowers are said to be good to eat)
4. Yellowhorn trees (conflicting information, but some sources say the leaves and blossoms are both edible, in addition to the nuts).
5. Mulberry trees. I just learned today the young leaves are supposed to be good to eat for human beings, but I'd never heard that before.

Please let me know if you have experience eating these, or if you have any new varieties to share

Elms have edible seeds.  https://wildfoodgirl.com/2016/elm-samaras-edible-gourmet/

I learned when eating our local elm seeds to be careful not to let them begin to ripen as then they get tough.  Or they can be allowed to ripen completely and used as a grain.

I love my Linden tree ! Messy but tastes good, smells fantastic, and the pollinators go crazy for it.

Grape leaves are edible.  If Passion fruit will grow in your region, the leaves are edible raw in salads or you can cook it.  If the moringa tree will grow, even if it dies back to the ground that might be another option, or you can consider growing it as an annual.

Maples Trees, while I have not tried eating their leaves  ... it has crossed my mind.  I wonder if they are sweet like maple syrup?  We don't have any growing here so I can't just run out and try them.

This book I have, "Useful Wild Plant of Montana" by Minnie Rittel, says inner bark and pine nuts of white pine, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and sugar pine all were frequently eaten by native americans & early settlers. Book also says inner bark of cottonwood was eaten by early settlers.

You might also include the trees with edible but not super appetizing fruits such as mountain ash, red osier dogwood, hawthorne

Beech

Honey Locust, inner pith of the seed pods (not the seeds themselves) - it is said to be sweet though, so not quite a "vegetable" culinarily speaking.

Moringa has very nutritious leaves (surprisingly high in protein), although in Washington you'd probably have to grow it as an annual.  Although you might be able to get away with pollarding it at 4 feet or so and then wrapping the truck to protect it through the winter.

You can buy Moringa seeds cheap, and they grow fast.  In my experience, even the ones they sell by the pound for eating will sprout.