Pima County Public Library: Garden Talk – Edible Plants of the Southwest

Join us for a free gardening presentation by Pima County Master Gardeners from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Today’s topic is Edible Plants of the Southwest. There are many plants in the desert southwest that are edible and have been eaten for centuries by the indigenous people who have inhabited the Tucson basin. We are going to explore some of the edible plants of the Sonoran Desert and, in particular, plants that we have right here in Tucson and the surrounding area. We’ll discuss the edible parts of each plant, how it was used in the past and if it is still being used today, and then the nutritional value of each plant part. I have a few recipes to share with you and a handout on how to process prickly pear fruit.