Thoughts on Edible Houseplants
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In the past several years, I have grown about 100 genera of edible houseplants. This is a tiny per cent of the 925 genera that I am studying. But, based on my experience so far, the following 16 genera are the most promising in my house. Just as every garden has unique growing conditions, so do the indoor environments. Thus, what works easily for one site may flop utterly in another.
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| Acalypha |
| Aloe |
| Ardisia |
| Begonia |
| Capsicum |
| Cnidosculus |
| Codiæum |
| Ficus |
| Gnetum |
| Oxalis |
| Pachira |
| Peperomia |
| Pisonia |
| Polyscias |
| Sauropus |
Zingiber
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| Here are 16 major disappointments: |
| Adansonia |
| Bauhinia |
| Carissa |
| Clerodendrum |
| Coccinia |
| Erythrina |
| Garcinia |
| Gynura |
| Hibiscus |
| Ipomœa |
| Manihot |
| Moringa |
| Musa |
| Passiflora |
| Piper |
Pueraria
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Various specific reasons account for calling a plant's performance unsatisfactory. For example, it may be insect- or disease-prone; finicky as to temperature or humidity; it may grow at a snail's pace; it may be a space hog that yields little food withal, and so on.
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Beware that some of the above genera contain both edible and toxic species; and some are edible only if cooked properly. Don't eat if you don't know.
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(originally published in my February 2014 newsletter)
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