Edible plant options for dry areas | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Jerry recommends a few good edible plants for people that are doing it tough in dry areas. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe

Cassava:
Cassava is a tropical shrub. Around 800 million people depend upon this plant to produce leaves which are cooked like spinach, and the tubers, which are used like potato.

Society Garlic:
If you like garlic but have trouble growing it in drier climates, try Society garlic. It produces a wonderful, flavoursome leaf for very little water.

Purslane and Warrigal Greens:
Every year in spring, when Brisbane is at its driest, Jerry grows two natives – golden purslane and Warrigal greens. These native plants are delicious and really productive – even in dry areas.

Queen of the Night:
Jerry loves dragon fruit – and if you love dragon fruit, then you might want to try growing Queen of the Night, which also produces a delicious fruit.

Prickly Pear:
A similar fruiting cactus is this – Opuntia. The Opuntias produce Barbary figs, which are delicious and juicy, and you can use the pads as nopales – just like green beans!

NOTE: This plant is a WEED OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE: https://weeds.org.au/weeds-profiles/

Agaves:
The larger-growing varieties produce very big flower spikes, and before they open, they can be cooked rather like giant asparagus. And when the flowers open, they can be cooked and turned into fritters. And, of course, don’t forget tequila, which comes from the sap of the agave plant.

Rainbow Bush:
In Africa, this plant is very commonly eaten by elephants, and you’ll find Portulacaria growing in almost every arid-land garden. When cooked, they make a lovely spinach.

If you live in a dry climate, there are a range of things that you can grow with very little water, and some of them are hiding in full view!
___________________________________________

Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia’s leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.

Watch more: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gardening-australia
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gardeningaustralia
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gardeningaustralia
Web: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening

___________________________________________

This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC’s Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).