PHOENIX — The Sonoran Desert is clearly distinct by its dry, hot, and prickly appearance but did you know most of it is edible?
“I just want to connect to the native plants around us,” said Kelly Athena with Arizona Foraging.
Athena, better known as "Cactus Kelly," is a long-time lover of nature.
“My dad gave me a book when I was 9 years old about ethnobotany to learn how to use the plant,” said Athena.
Since 2016 she has been a full-time desert forager and now brings her knowledge of desert edible plants to the classroom. She takes people out into the desert to harvest beans, flowers, berries, and more.
“A natural sustainable way to eat and it often is in your front yard,” said Athena.
Four things are ready to harvest right now, like the desert willow tree. It has a nice, sweet flower.
“You suck on this end and you can taste what the hummingbirds taste a little bit of nectar…oh it’s sweet like honey,” said Athena.
The blue Palo Verde tree, the one with all the yellow flowers this time of year, has thousands of beans on it ready for picking.
“Some of us call this desert edamame because it tastes a lot like soy edamame except it is a little more buttery,” said Athena.
Next is the Mesquite tree which has a flower you can harvest right now that when fried taste like French fries and beans that you can pick right before the start of the monsoon that can be used to make flour and other things. In two weeks, the Ironwood tree will have thousands of pods to pop right off.
“They taste kind of like pistachios or peanuts,” said Athena.
There is also Jo Joba Bush, Elephant Plant, and Wolve Berry Bush, honestly, the list goes on and on.
Now before you head out to the desert and start harvesting, make sure you check with your city’s parks and rec department. Get permission first…especially if it is your neighbor’s tree. And always triple-check that what you're picking is safe for human consumption!
“I think it’s good for people to first go out with an experienced forager and make sure they are getting the right beans,” said Athena.
