Edible tree fruits, nuts, and leaves

A student stops by the persimmon tree in Canfield Court to check on the fruit. This tree, behind the Bookstore, is a remnant of a faculty home in that spot. Sairus Patel, 16 Dec 2018

The following trees have edible fruits or other parts, though not all parts of such trees are themselves edible, and individual allergic reactions are always possible. Should you eat anything foraged, we recommend the same caution as with fungi: be confident of the identification and fully aware of any preparation requirements and potential dangers.

‘Every day was about survival’: Inside the graduate student affordability crisis. The Stanford Daily, 28 Feb 2019. “Students scavenge for produce from campus trees to make ends meet.”

Araucaria family Birch family Buckthorn family

Citrus family (Citrus Courtyard)

Ebony family

  • Japanese persimmon. Diospyros kaki. We have both the fuyu and hachiya varieties of persimmon.  Fuyu is the firm fruited form eaten like an apple, growing at the Rains complex. The Hachiya type is astringent when unripe, and must be eaten when soft; it grows behind the Bookstore.

Ginkgo family

Heath family

Laurel family

Loosestrife family

Maple family

Mulberry family

Myrtle family

Oak or Beech family

Olive family

Palm family

Pea family

Pine family

  • Pine nuts. Pinus species. Most pine have edible nuts. Italian stone pine, Pinus pinea, is a common source of pinóli or pignóli.

Rose family

Tea family

  • Tea, chai. Camellia sinensis.

Viburnum family

  • Blue elderberry. Sambucus mexicana. Particular caution is required using elderberry. The leaves, bark, buds, and sometimes berries have caused poisonings. Species with red or white berries should be avoided.

Walnut family

Bibliography