Add Native Edibles to Your Landscaping
Las Vegas is known primarily for its many and varied attractions, both indoor and outdoor. However, it is also located in one of the most beautiful desert areas in the United States with many edible varieties of herbs, flowers, fruits, and plants. Using native and nearly native flora for your edible landscaping can help you reconnect with nature in general as well as the desert in particular. In an area that usually gets only about 7 inches of rain a year, using native plants, even edibles, with your Las Vegas turf can help conserve water and help offset increased water usage for your backyard garden, if you have one.
Is It Okay to Choose Any Plant in Edible Landscaping?
Selecting particular species for your edible landscaping can be a daunting and, in some cases, dangerous prospect. For example, in Colorado, the Water Chestnut and Water Hemlock plants grow wild and look very similar. The first is edible. The second is considered the most poisonous plant in North America. In the Sonoran Desert alone, there are as many as 540 species of edible flora, there are bound to be similar comparisons such as mushrooms and toadstools. Be sure to seek help from your Las Vegas turf specialist to ensure your flora is not only beautiful but also safe.
Some Native Edibles You Might Recognize
All cactus fruits are edible. Agave, which resembles aloe, is also edible from the tip of its spiny fronds down to the roots. Many of you have likely heard of chia seeds. They come from what is commonly known as the Chia Sage. Though its origins lie within Central and South America, the Chia Sage grows wild in the Sonoran Desert. It has small flowers, periwinkle-colored, and the entire plant, from leaf to root is edible. Work with your turf Las Vegas specialist for other choices to help make your yard beautiful, efficient and delicious.