Succulents are extremely popular. Keeping them as houseplants is very much on trend. But did you know that you can be part of this trend and the other growing trend of growing your own edible crops at one and the same time?
Most succulents are kept purely for their ornamental value, and because they are so easy to grow. But if you want to make the most of your space and keep houseplants that are edible as well as attractive, there are a number of edible succulents to consider.
Edible succulents that you could potentially grow as houseplants include:
- Yucca (The stems, leaf bases, flowers, stalks as well as the fruit of most types of yucca are edible.)
- Agave (Care must be taken with the sap, which can cause dermatitis, but the different parts of the plant have several edible uses.)
- Sedums/ Stonecrops (A number of members of the genus have limited potential, but potential none-the-less, as cooked vegetables.)
- Portulaca oleracea sativa (Purslane) (This common weed could be grown as a houseplant and is one succulent with fantastic edible potential. It is great both raw in salads or cooked.)
- Dudleya lanceolata (and other Dudleya) Edible leaves.
- Carpobrotus edulis (Ice plant) – Edible leaves and fruits.
- and Salicornia (marsh samphire/samphire greens)
If you like to keep succulents, and would like to expand your diet and grow at least a little food at the same time, if could be worth considering one or more of the above. Of course, it is unlikely that the food they provide will be much more than a novelty.
But if you already grow succulents, growing some edible cultivars could ease you into the world of home food cultivation. Before long, you might be growing all sorts of food on your windowsills, alongside your ornamental plants.
EWSP Consultancy 