Unusual Eden

Just over a week ago I spent a couple of hours at the Eden Project, so I thought I would show you some of the more unusual edible plants I came across while I was there.

This Buffalo berry, Shepherdia argentea, was in the forest garden outside the Eden Project, which you see on your walk down from the car park. According to the label it “tolerates infertile soils, fixes nitrogen and the berries are used in jellies”. PFAF suggests that the fruit be consumed in moderation, due to its saponin content.

Another forest garden plant was this Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Ballerina’). It should produce “a mass of flowers in spring and edible fruit in the autumn.” And yes, it was about to rain.

In the warmth of the Mediterranean biome, this prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) was fruiting, but according to ‘How to Grow Perennial Vegetables’, it can be grown in the UK reasonably easily for its edible pads.

Toyon was new to me, but is a drought-tolerant shrub that’s a prominent part of coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities. Its berries were eaten by indigenous Americans.

And the California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) has these pretty flowers, although normally only one fruit sets from each one. The seeds can be used as a source of protein, but only once they have been processed to remove the saponins.

Unless otherwise stated, © Copyright Emma Doughty 2023. Published on theunconventionalgardener.com.

Saponins seem to be a bit of a theme in this post, Emma. “Our” horsechestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum could be similarly processed should you so wish, but I lack the patience required to slow roast then leach the sliced seeds in water for several days.

I meant to say that buffaloberry is quite similar to sea buckthorn,