Background

• Before humans planted crops, they relied heavily on found food. Anything they did not kill, they found in the wild. It took a lot of chancy culinary experimentation, but edible perennials were identified and consumed. The ancients learned that watercress and lamb's quarters were highly nutritious. The indigenous people in Nevada used pine nuts as a staple food. Wild leeks and onions have been flavoring stews since fire was a new technology.
  
  

Suggestions

• It's not just about weeds; fruit and nut trees and berry bushes are also edible perennials. If you don't already have some in your lawn, try the dwarf varieties of fruit trees and berry bushes for a quicker reward. They work in small spaces too. You'll want some reliable vegetable perennials too--the old standbys are asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes and rhubarb. But plenty of herbs are perennial too, thyme, lemon grass, horseradish and oregano show up every year.
  
  

Ornamentation

• Master gardener Robert Kourik makes a bid for using edible perennials as landscaping. "There are many perennial edibles that have as much color as ornamentals. The silver-grey highlights of artichokes and the bold pattern of their leaves are as dramatic a show as any plant makes. The fiery fall colors of an Oriental chestnut (Castanea mollissima), Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), cherry (Prunus avium), or peach (Prunus persica) are as impressive as those of virtually any ornamental shade tree."
  
  

Foraging

• Food foraging is the hunt for edible perennials. From the lowly and lovely dandelion to sassafras leaves, from chickweed to field mustard, it is about knowing your botanicals and finding them at home. Edible plants we think of as weeds grow everywhere, even in the hearts of cities. Burdock and chickweed are two very commonly foraged plants, and fiddlehead ferns are a delicacy in the New England springtime.
  
  

Safety

• Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor of the University of Vermont, says, "Before gathering and grazing in your garden, however, be sure you know your plants. Within the same genus, some may be edible, others toxic....Some plants can be safely consumed in small amounts or through careful preparation..." He recommends looking for the plant's description in Dr. Francois Couplan's book, The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America.