Chomp! Chomp! Edible Wetland Plants of Delaware

Written on: May 21st, 2025 in Education and Outreach

By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program

We know. This one sounds a little crazy. And by no means are we saying to throw on some boots and go out into the waist-deep mud to get yourself an afternoon snack. But, to add to all the other ways wetlands are wonderous, we wanted to cover a more niche topic: edible wetland plants. Grab your fork and knife, and let’s cut into some types of wetland plants you can eat that are native to Delaware.

Wild Rice (Zizania aquatica)

Seen abundantly and occasionally eaten, wild rice is a very tall grass native to North America that produces an edible seed. As a grass grain, it is easy to collect, hence why many Indigenous and Native American tribes had it as a staple in their diet. Full of carbohydrates and sprinkled with a dash of protein, the grains can be cooked, ground into flour, or used as a thickener in recipes. Additionally, the grains are rich in amino acids and glutelin, plus a good source of B vitamins. Birds also really dig this grain! When in bloom from June to September, flocks of wetland birds, like the red-winged blackbird, chow down on the rice blooms, grains, and even insects that live on the vegetation. Tidal freshwater and brackish marshes and non-tidal marshes are common places to find wild rice.

Glasswort (Salicornia virginica)

Now this one is rather tasty. Also known as pickleweed or marsh samphire, the leaves are the edible portions of the plant and have been harvested for centuries for culinary, industrial, and medicinal uses. Its physical characteristics are quite interesting, as it is a low-growing succulent with fleshy, branched stems that appear to be fused together. Though glasswort does have inconspicuous fruits and flowers, both the green and red leaves are the true delicacy which can be eaten raw, cooked, or even pickled. From personal experience, the red leaves are the best (very salty!) and pair excellent with a lemony fish, buttery meat, or citrus-based salad.

Broadleaf Cattail (Typha latifolia)

You can eat everything on this plant – young shoots, to pollen, to the roots! Found in tidal and non-tidal wetlands, the cattail provides a plethora of flavors to tantalize the tastebuds. When in the shoot stage, raw, it tastes like cucumbers and is ideal for dicing, slicing, or pickling. But when steamed, has a rather earthy undertone much like cabbage. The base of the stem, where it attaches to the root, can be boiled or roasted and has been said to taste like potatoes. Additionally, the roots themselves can be dried and ground into a powder that is rich in protein and can be used for making biscuits or muffins. Cattail pollen can substitute flour in bread making and the flower stalks can be taken out of their sheaths and cooked just like corn. With certain plant parts high in starch and full of carbohydrates – plus cattails abundance around the world – there may be potential to utilize this wetland-loving plant as a food source.

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)

Beautifully colored and tasty. As an emergent wetland species, this plant is rooted in soil but grows with its stems and leaves extending above the water’s surface. The seeds, stalks, and unfolded leaves are edible to humans, and the violet-blue flowers produce a sweet nectar that attracts pollinators like butterflies and bees. Its starchy seeds can be roasted or boiled, but still retain a nutty taste – a good addition to a bowl of granola or on top of any type of gourd. The stalks and leaves have a milder taste, being just slightly sweet, and can be eaten raw on salads or boiled as a vegetable side with melted butter. Reaching 4 feet in height, this plant can provide an abundance of stalk snacks!

Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

Ah, the duck potato. In mud, the stems of this aquatic perennial produce starchy tubers – an underground storage organ – that can be fried, roasted, or broiled. It’s a rather simple flavor, like sweet chestnuts with a crunchy, potato texture. The shoots, leaves, roots, and flowers are also edible, but the tuber is what is most widely used for food. In Indigenous and Native American communities, it historically was used for medicinal purposes to treat everything from headaches to stomach blockages, clean and treat wounds, reduce fevers, and rubbed on as a dermatological aid. Blooming mid to late summer in Delaware’s wetlands, you may also be able to spot the species by its 3-petalled white flower or arrowhead-shaped leaves.

Wetland plants certainly will not feed the world or fix global hunger issues. But as we look to 2050, when we’ll need to feed two billion more people then currently on the planet, it may not be a bad idea to incorporate new foods into our diet. The foods we choose to eat and the methods we choose to harvest them in the coming decades will have ramifications for the planet. How can we better understand the ecological and nutritional benefits of edible wetland plants? Are these species a perk to wetland conservation and restoration? Can they be considered a delicacy to shine the spotlight on wetland habitats? Food for thought. But in the slim chance you find yourself stranded in a salt marsh or in a wet forest with an apocalyptic-like society, you wouldn’t go completely hungry.