I come back to you with other 3 precious plants lesser known for their nutritional qualities.
The first one is ** Evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis)** that is usually grown as an ornamental flower for its yellow flower that opens during the night. It is a biennal plant that seed itself easily and acts like a perennial. In the first photo there are the plants of evening-primrose started from seed. The carrot-like root of this plant is edible and it used to be a delicacy in french cuisine and it used to be called ”jambon du jardinier” (gardener's ham). The ephemeral flowers are used in salads for their sweet taste.
Here is a photo of the mature plant found on a field nearby.
**Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) ** is a perennial that grows to 1,2m with beautiful flowers and a tap root similar to the carrot. Some varieties are currently grown as ornamentals and people forgot that this plant used to be the source of what we call today the marshmallow sweets. Childreen used to chew on the sweet roots or roast them in the fire and eat them. They are a good source of starch and sugars and posses multiple health benefits. The variety I grow from seed is the original one that used to be eaten.
Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) is a perennial climbing bean hardy to zone 9 but some varieties are adapted to zone 7 and 8 too. It is a vigurous plant that produces seed pods like any other climbing bean. It grew faster than any other variety I ever planted. The pods are a bit hairy and have a wild look but once cooked they have a good texture and it tastes delicious. I planted it in the greenhouse because I am hoping it will come back as a perennial next year.
