Edible Mojave Desert Plants

Prickly Pear Cactus

• Prickly pear cactus refers to about dozen species of the genus Opuntia. Prickly pear cactuses have large fleshy pads and large spines. The pads produce flowers, store water and carry out photosynthesis. The cactus's flowers range from red to purple to yellow.The edible parts of the cactus include both the fruit and the paddles. The fruit is sold in Mexican markets as "tuna." It is peeled and eaten raw but it is also enjoyed as jelly, candy, juice and wine. The pads are cooked and eaten like a vegetable. Prickly pear is high in fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Honey Mesquite

• Honey mesquite trees grow highly nutritious pods resembling string beans. The fleshy pulp provides food for several species of wild and domestic mammals. They are a staple food amongst California desert Indians and rural Mexicans. They are eaten both fresh and dried and also ground into meal for sun-dried cakes, bread and fermented beverages.

Pinyon Pine

• Pinyon pine trees grow in the Mojave's higher elevations. The tree's cones produce edible nuts which Native Americans collected from squirrel caches, picked up from the ground and picked from the cones. They ate them whole and ground them into meal for bread, baby food and beverages.They are still collected in some areas for both food and trade. Some pine tree stands are endangered from over harvesting.

Oak

• The fruit of the oak tree, acorns are used as hog feed, a source of oil and tannin and an important food for many tribes of American Indians. A mature oak can produce 150 to 300 pounds of acorns in three years. The Indians soaked them in water to leach out tannic acid which gave them a bitter flavor and then cooked them in a variety of ways.