Permaculture, Homesteading, and Community Building // An Intro to Unusual Edible Plants (Part Three)

Hi everyone! I recently got some unusual edible plant seeds from a seed swap hosted by OAEC (The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center). I did some research about these plants before sowing the seeds, and want to share that information with you today. I love discovering new edible plants, especially perennial vegetables, that are different from your typical tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, ect that you usually find in a home garden. I get to grow plants with unique flavors that I've never experienced before, and most of the time these plants are much more resilient than the typical annual veggies that are grown.

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Glass Gem Popcorn

• Impossibly beautiful popcorn comes in an endless rainbow of kernal colors: pink, lavender, green, yellow, purple, ect
• Translucent seeds that shine brilliantly like glass
• The 3-8 inch ears are highly decorative as well as edible and delicious and make firm little morsels when popped
• They can also be parched or ground into meal
• Sturdy plants reach up to 9ft tall
• Bred from a number of Native varieties by Carl "White Eagle" Barnes, the famous Cherokee corn collector whose life work has been collecting, preserving, and sharing many Native corn varieties

Dijon Mustard (Brassica juncea)

• An annual brown-seeded mustard used for making the true Dijon-style French mustard
• The seeds are high in oil and protein
• Brown Mustard has been used medicinally for arthritis, foot ache, lumbago, and rheumatism
• It is grown as a summer annual and needs full sun

Purple-flowered Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

• A short-lived perennial medicinal native to the northern Mediterranean
• Used as an eyewash (hence the name, clear-eye)
• Used in aromatherapy for digestive problems
• Grows 4-5 ft tall and 1 ft wide
• Thrives in full sun/part shade in any soil with compost and regular water
• A very beautiful and aromatic sage

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Hopi Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica)

• Traditional ceremonial variety used for centuries by the people of the Four Corners country
• Also used for cramps, sharp pains, and headaches
• The high concentration of nicotine in its leaves makes it useful for creating organic pesticides
• Tender annual that grows 18-24 inches and produces clusters of green flowers that emit a rich, jasmine-like aroma
• More cold-hardy than other tobaccos

Smallage

• Ancestor of celery, sometimes called cutting celery
• Biennial plant that has parsley-like look and is very ornamental, grows to 12inches tall and 12 inches wide
• Intense celery flavor
• Great for use in seasoning soups and stews

Hergonas Favas

• This variety produces one of the most beautiful seeds imaginable
• The seed has two-toned brown swirling lines and is quite large
• One of the best tasting Favas
• Needs good moisture and cool weather
• Plant in September and October in mild climates and harvest in the spring

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