I’ve been often asked in reference to a survival or bug-out situation “which wild edible and medicinal plants should I study and know?”.

Unfortunately there is no clearcut answer for this since it’s highly dependent upon where you live. But if I would boil it down to the top 50 essential wild edible, tea, and medicinal plants that occur in most areas of the northern hemisphere this would be the list:

Note: I’ve added links to the plants which I’ve covered in detail on this site on how to identify, prepare, and use for food or medicine. Bookmark this page since these links will continue to grow as I demonstrate the uses of these plants in upcoming articles.

50 Essential Wild-Edible, Tea, and Medicinal Plants

Amaranth/Pigweed (Amaranthus) – Food Arrowhead/Wapato (Sagittaria L.) – Food Balsam Fir (Abies balsamia) – Food Blackberry (Rubus L.) – Food Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) – Food Blueberries (Vaccinium L.) – Food Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) – Food Burdock (Arctium lappa) – Food Bulrushes (Schoenoplectus L.) – Food Bur-Reed (Sparganium L.) – Food Birch (White) (Betula pendula) – Food, Drink Catnip (Nepeta L.) – Medicine Cattail (Typha L.) – Food Chamomile (Anthemis L.) – Tea Chicory (Cichorium L.) – Food Clover (Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L.) – Food Curly Dock (Rumex crispus L.) – Food Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – Food Daylily (Hemerocallis L.) – Food Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) – Food False Solomon Seal / Treacleberry (Maianthemum racemosum) – Medicine Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) – Food Goldenrod (Solidago L.) – Tea Heal-All (Stachys L.) – Medicine Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) – Food, Medicine Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) – Food Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) – Tea Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) – Food Mints (Mentha L.) – Tea Mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.) – Medicine Mustard (Sinapis L.) – Food Oak (acorns) (Quercus L.) – Food Pine (Pinus L.) – Food Plantain (Plantago L.) – Food Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) – Food Queen Anne’s Lace / Wild Carrot (Daucus carota L.) – Food Rose Hips (Rosa L.) – Food Sheep’s Sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) – Food Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) – Food Sumac (Rhus typhina L. and Rhus glabra L.) – Food Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) – Medicine Thistle (Cirsium L.) – Food, Medicine Violet (Viola L.) – Food Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) – Medicine Wild Lettuce (Lactuca L.) – Food Wild Leek (Allium tricoccum) – Food Wild Rice (Zizania L.) – Food Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) – Food Wood Sorrel (Oxalis L.) – Food Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – Tea, Medicine

Most Common Places to Find these Plants

ROADSIDES

Chicory

Curly Dock

Daylily

Elderberry

Fireweed

Japanese Knotweed

Meadowsweet

Milkweed

Mullein

Queen Anne’s Lace

Yarrow

WOODS

Balsam Fir

Blue Aster

Bracken Fern

Oak (acorns)

Pine

White Birch

Wood Sorrel

BROOK AREAS OR SWAMPS

Arrowhead/Wapato

Bullrushes

Bur-Reed

Cattail

False Solomn’s Seal

Weeping Willow

Wild Rice

FIELDS, LAWNS and GARDENS

Amaranth

Blackberries

Blueberries

Burdock

Catnip

Chamomile

Dandelion

Daylily

Field Sorrel

Goldenrod

Heal-All

Lamb’s Quarters

Mint

Mustard

Plantain

Purslane

Raspberries

Red & White Clover

Rose Hips

Sumac

Strawberry

Tansy

Thistle

Wild Lettuce

Some Helpful Hints on Identifying and Getting Started

Be sure to check out my article on How to Identify Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants for some helpful tips and recommended resources in getting you started.