Wild Edible Plants
Wild Chard
BETA VULGARIS SUBSP. MARITIMA
Wild chard is recognized by its glossy, tough green leaves that can take on reddish hues. It is considered the ancestral form of cultivated chard and other varieties such as sugar beet and red beet. Wild chard grow sporadically along the coasts of Europe, the Mediterranean and other brackish areas. The resilience of this plant lies within the ability to flourish solely on groundwater thanks to a long tap root that helps the plant adapt to lack of water and reemerge in the fall once the rainfall begins again. The young, tender leaves of wild chard can be eaten raw in salads. Wild chard also lends itself to sautéing, stir-frying, steaming or boiling – it is a welcome addition to soups, stews or as a filling for dishes like stuffed pasta, pastries or omelets.
SEED SAVERS
Aterraterra Lab, Palermo (Italy) ︎︎︎
Eixarcolant, Barcelona (Spain) ︎︎︎
Spore initiative, Berlin (Germany) ︎︎︎
Wild Chard
BETA VULGARIS SUBSP. MARITIMA
Wild chard is recognized by its glossy, tough green leaves that can take on reddish hues. It is considered the ancestral form of cultivated chard and other varieties such as sugar beet and red beet. Wild chard grow sporadically along the coasts of Europe, the Mediterranean and other brackish areas. The resilience of this plant lies within the ability to flourish solely on groundwater thanks to a long tap root that helps the plant adapt to lack of water and reemerge in the fall once the rainfall begins again. The young, tender leaves of wild chard can be eaten raw in salads. Wild chard also lends itself to sautéing, stir-frying, steaming or boiling – it is a welcome addition to soups, stews or as a filling for dishes like stuffed pasta, pastries or omelets.
SEED SAVERS
Aterraterra Lab, Palermo (Italy) ︎︎︎
Eixarcolant, Barcelona (Spain) ︎︎︎
Spore initiative, Berlin (Germany) ︎︎︎