Bidens alba

Laurasea · Jan 14, 2020

Spanish needles or Bidens alba, is an edible weed for people. It grows like crazy, and I just found out I can eat the leaves like salad. So can the parrots eat this too?????
I'm going to eat some tommorow! Has anyone else? Anyone know if it's safe for parrots??

Laurasea · Jan 15, 2020

Nobody??
I tried the leaves, a little bitter, not horrible. Thevest the weeds people said you can stir fry them, so I will try that next.

SailBoat · Jan 15, 2020

Seems that you have come across one of those weeds that like many greens can be eaten, but they have a fairly specific period when they are not tart. Young leaves are edible but, as they become larger, well as you said, they become bitter.

Good for parrots? Well, that question is likely near to your findings. Because there is a narrow window for the leaf to have reasonable flavor, they likely would avoid them in the wild.

As you know, a plant that develops a bitter taste does so to limit its being eaten. Since this may involve their increasing a toxin contain in the leaf and as you have likely found, there is very little documentation.

I would not target them as a food source. Based on a very limited time that they maybe safe.

Bidens alba

Laurasea

Well-known member

Laurasea

Well-known member

SailBoat

Supporting Member

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