Plants · 50 species

Edible, medicinal and dangerous

Fifty plants of north-west Argentina and the Yungas: some are perfectly fine to eat, some have been used as remedies for centuries and some can seriously hurt you. Many look alike. This atlas describes them; it does not teach you to identify them in the field.

Do not pick anything unless you are with an expert

This is the most important thing on this page. A misidentification can be serious, even fatal. Before you eat, prepare or try any wild plant, always consult experts, such as those at Horco Molle, or the guides and rangers of the National Park.

Look, photograph, enjoy. Leave plants where they are.
Many edible plants have toxic look-alikes.
Children and pets are most at risk.

01Edible

Guabiyú

Myrcianthes pungens

Sweet, aromatic fruit, much loved in north-west and north-east Argentina.

Part: fruitNative

02Edible

Pitanga (Surinam cherry)

Eugenia uniflora

A tangy little fruit eaten fresh or in preserves.

Part: fruitNative

03Edible

Horco molle

Blepharocalyx salicifolius

A typical montane-forest tree; its small fruits are edible.

Part: fruitNative

04Edible

Criollo walnut

Juglans australis

Its nut is edible. A valuable, scarce tree: never felled or uprooted.

Part: seedsNative

05Edible

Blackberry

Rubus ulmifolius

Edible blackberries from a thorny plant that turns invasive.

Part: fruitIntroduced

06Edible

Tree tomato

Solanum betaceum

An Andean fruit eaten ripe; do not use other parts of the plant.

Part: fruitCultivated

07Edible · With care

Blue passionflower

Passiflora caerulea

The ripe fruit pulp is eaten; leaves and stems only with expert knowledge.

Part: fruitNative

08Edible · With care

Cape gooseberry

Physalis peruviana

Only fully ripe fruit. Green fruit is not eaten.

Part: fruitCultivated

09Edible

Ice-cream bean

Inga spp.

Sweet, cottony white pulp inside long pods.

Part: fruitNative

10Edible

Chal-chal

Allophylus edulis

Edible little red fruits, much sought by birds.

Part: fruitNative

11Edible

Tala hackberry

Celtis tala

Small sweet fruit of a Chaco-woodland and foothill tree.

Part: fruitNative

12Edible

Chañar

Geoffroea decorticans

Sweet fruit used to make arrope, a Chaco classic.

Part: fruitNative

13Edible

White algarrobo

Prosopis alba

Its pods are ground into flour (patay, añapa) with traditional technique.

Part: fruitNative

14Edible

Mistol

Ziziphus mistol

Sweet fruit, the base of Chaco arrope and añapa.

Part: fruitNative

15Edible · With care

Prickly pear

Opuntia ficus-indica

The fruit is eaten, but spines and fine hairs irritate skin and mouth: never handle without protection.

Part: fruitIntroduced

16Edible

Pigweed

Amaranthus hybridus

Tender leaves, cooked; the seeds are edible too.

Part: leavesNative

17Edible

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Edible leaves and flowers; gather away from roads and sprayed fields.

Part: leavesIntroduced

18Edible

Purslane

Portulaca oleracea

Fleshy edible leaves; choose clean places.

Part: leavesIntroduced

19Edible

Yacón

Smallanthus sonchifolius

A sweet, crunchy root eaten raw; an Andean crop.

Part: rootCultivated

20Edible

Caigua

Cyclanthera pedata

A hollow fruit stuffed or cooked; a north-west Argentine crop.

Part: fruitCultivated

21Edible · With care

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Edible and aromatic, but easily confused with poison hemlock. Never harvest it if in doubt.

Part: leavesIntroduced

22Edible · With care

Peruvian pepper tree

Schinus molle

Its fruits are used as a spice (pink pepper). Some relatives irritate, such as chichita.

Part: fruitNative

23Edible · With care

Creeping woodsorrel

Oxalis corniculata

Sour edible leaves in small amounts: they contain oxalates.

Part: leavesIntroduced

24Traditional use

Muña

Minthostachys mollis

A traditional aromatic, digestive infusion from the hills of the north-west.

Part: leavesNative

25Traditional use

Burrito

Aloysia polystachya

A traditional infusion of north-west sierras, used as a digestive.

Part: leavesNative

26Traditional use

Incayuyo

Lippia integrifolia

An aromatic infusion herb, well known in Tucumán and Catamarca.

Part: leavesNative

27Traditional use · With care

Carqueja

Baccharis crispa

A bitter traditional infusion. See a professional before using it, especially on medication or when pregnant.

Part: stemsNative

28Traditional use · With care

Southern marigold

Tagetes minuta

A traditional seasoning and medicinal plant with a very strong scent; used sparingly.

Part: leavesNative

29Traditional use

Plantain

Plantago major

Its leaves are traditionally laid on wounds; also eaten cooked.

Part: leavesIntroduced

30Traditional use · With care

Nettle

Urtica urens

Stings on touch. Cooked, it loses its sting and is eaten.

Part: leavesIntroduced

31Traditional use · With care

Giant horsetail

Equisetum giganteum

Traditional diuretic use. Species are easily confused and it is not harmless in long use.

Part: stemsNative

32Traditional use · With care

Epazote

Chenopodium ambrosioides

A traditional seasoning and antiparasitic. Its oil is toxic in quantity: not without expert guidance.

Part: leavesNative

33Traditional use · With care

Rue

Ruta chalepensis

Widely used in the north-west. Dangerous in pregnancy, and its sap in sunlight can burn skin.

Part: leavesIntroduced

34Traditional use · With care

Yellow trumpetbush

Tecoma stans

Traditional use in the Andes and north-west. See a professional before using it.

Part: flowersNative

35Traditional use

Beggarticks

Bidens pilosa

A traditionally used plant; its seeds cling to clothing.

Part: leavesNative

36Traditional use · With care

Elder

Sambucus nigra subsp. peruviana

Flowers and cooked fruit are used; raw fruit, leaves and twigs can make you ill.

Part: flowersNative

37Toxic

Green cestrum

Cestrum parqui

All parts are toxic (it damages the liver), especially for livestock and children. Its black fruits attract attention.

Part: whole plantNative

38Toxic

Jerusalem cherry

Solanum pseudocapsicum

Orange berries that look edible and are not.

Part: fruitCultivated

39Toxic

Angel’s trumpet

Brugmansia suaveolens

Very potent alkaloids throughout the plant; can be fatal.

Part: whole plantCultivated

40Toxic

Fierce thornapple

Datura ferox

Seeds and leaves are very toxic. Spiny capsule.

Part: whole plantNative

41Toxic

Castor bean

Ricinus communis

Its seeds contain ricin: a few can be fatal, especially for children.

Part: seedsIntroduced

42Toxic

Tree tobacco

Nicotiana glauca

Contains anabasine, very toxic. Its leaves have been mistaken for greens.

Part: leavesNative

43Toxic

Lantana

Lantana camara

Unripe fruits are toxic and attractive to children.

Part: fruitNative

44Toxic

Glossy privet

Ligustrum lucidum

An invader of the Yungas; its fruits are toxic to people.

Part: fruitIntroduced

45Toxic

Yellow oleander

Thevetia peruviana

Heart-acting glycosides; the seeds are very dangerous.

Part: seedsCultivated

46Toxic

Oleander

Nerium oleander

Leaves, flowers and twigs are toxic to the heart.

Part: whole plantCultivated

47Toxic

Poison hemlock

Conium maculatum

Looks like parsley, fennel and wild carrot. It can be fatal.

Part: whole plantIntroduced

48Toxic

Coral tree

Erythrina falcata

Its showy red seeds are toxic.

Part: seedsNative

49Toxic

Chichita

Lithraea molleoides

Its sap and leaves cause strong allergic dermatitis, even from brushing past.

Part: sap and leavesNative

50Toxic

Mountain cherry

Prunus tucumanensis

Seeds and leaves hold compounds that release cyanide: not eaten.

Part: seedsNative

Medicinal uses are traditional and described for cultural interest only. They are not medical advice or treatment: consult a health professional.

If someone is poisoned

Do not induce vomiting or wait for symptoms. Call emergency services or a poison-control centre right away, and bring a photo or piece of the plant.

Always ask those who know them

Horco Molle · National Park rangers and guides · Tucumán botanists and institutions. Ask them before you go, not after you taste.