Works for me!
-Blast

I think I have to agree with Craig on this one. In an urban environment I just can't see a need for resorting to eating plants or shrubs.

In the case of a disaster where you'd have to find some form of nutrition (i.e., some form of multi-day event like Katrina), I'd suggest that vending machines, unmanned stores and even abandoned homes are perfectly acceptable sources of food. You may need to make reparations later, but I think surviving such a disaster comes first.

I think the big problem here is how to determine what is abandoned and what is not.

I know I'd be very upset if I went out to try to find my wife or a family member only to come home and find my place robbed of MY SUPPLIES because I had the foresight to have some extra food.

OR, even worse, what if you thought it was abandoned because you couldn't see anyone, or no one answered the door but I was out back getting some fruit or veggies from the garden... I walk back in my back door to find you rummaging through my cabinets.... that wouldn't end well.

Trust me, I know many people think they can just take what they need but that will get you in even more trouble than you are in.

Obviously if you are STARVING TO DEATH you are gonna do what you gotta do but that doesn't normally occur during a "Katrina" like event.. you get hungry, you may not eat for a few days but you are not going to go 3 weeks w/out food and starve to death.

Todd,

You're right of course, resorting to savaging in homes would be the highest risk and therefore an absolute last resort.

I guess a problem with discussing this is actually trying to picture a situation we'd find ourselves in where, in an urban environment, we'd actually have to forage for food to survive off of.

I'm trying to image a scenario where I'd actually resort to picking dandelions to survive. I'd assume that I'd have to be in a position to understand I'd be without help for more than you'd normally be prepared for (i.e., this is a highly unlikely scenario I've found myself in).

It would also have to be something that didn't occur while at home, but where I couldn't expect to be able to make it to any sort of friendly location within many days.

You're likely right that something like Katrina wouldn't fit this criteria; so were likely talking about something more catastrophic; maybe like that asteroid mini-series just on TV .

So maybe we should step back and first ask in what situation would we find ourselves where we would have to start grazing through the landscaping plants?

Denis - Well said!

Dandelion wine?

More relevant, maybe the question should be "what landscaping plants do we need to stay away from?" Oleander and Dieffenbachia come to mind.

If you work in a high-rise with vending machines, be sure to keep a ResQMe in your desk drawer.

Local easy-to-identify food around here: Cattails. You can't mistake them for anything else.

Cattail soup (pollen scraped off heads)
Cattail root shish-kabob
Roasted cattail roots
Cattail and squirrel stew
Cattail and pigeon quiche
Creamed cattail roots
Pitbull stuffed with cattail roots, pit-roasted

The recipes are endless, but bring a good supply of seasoning, they're pretty bland.

Lunchtime?
-Blast

Sago palms
Chinaberry tree
Pokeweed more than 6" tall
Virgina Creeper
Chinese Privet
Trumpet vine
Poinsettia
Butterfly weed (aka Mexican milkweed)
Mushrooms

-Blast

You are making me hungry!!!