With rising grocery costs nationwide, many people are looking for ways to save on healthy foods.
For example, foraging is a creative way to cut grocery bills and help the environment at the same time.
One comedian, Jack Grossman (@jackscomedybus), shared a TikTok video about how to eat invasive fennel in the Los Angeles area.
@jackscomedybus eat invasives! and stop planting them! #invasive #plants #planttok #northamerica #california #LA #losangeles #botany #wildflower #foraging #comedy #naturetok #wildlife #butterfly #fennel #mustard #radish #didyou #LearnOnTikTok #plantlover #nativeplanttok #bayarea #sanfrancisco #herbs #edibleplants #wildedibles #biodiversity #flowers #hike #outdoors #garden #gardentok #eco #invasiveplants ♬ Glimpse of Us - Joji
In the video, Jack explained that fennel is an invasive plant in Los Angeles that shouldn't be growing here. Fennel originated in Europe and the Mediterranean, but it was brought to the region for culinary use.
Jack demonstrated how the fennel plant is edible by breaking off the stalk and peeling it. He recommended choosing a tender stalk of fennel, rather than one that's too old.
"It tastes like a mild licorice candy," Jack said. "It's pretty sweet."
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Later in the video, he explained it's good to remove fennel growing in Los Angeles because it's invasive and harmful to the native environment. Fennel produces many seeds and spreads quickly, often taking up space and resources that other plants need to grow and thrive.
Jack also suggests trying other invasive edibles growing in the area, such as mustard plants, radishes, and flowers.
Not only is Jack's video entertaining, but it's also an excellent reminder of the benefits of foraging and removing invasive, non-native plants.
When you learn about edible invasive plants growing where you live, you can eat healthy foods for free and connect with nature on a deeper level. You'll also help reduce the spread of harmful species that outcompete plants that local wildlife and pollinators depend upon.
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$200 or more 💰 Eating invasive species can be a healthy, delicious, and affordable way to supplement your diet and restore ecological balance where you live.
Some TikTok users were surprised to learn about invasive fennel growing in California and shared their feedback in the video's comments.
"So, I buy fennel from the grocery store constantly, and it's just sitting there in LA," one TikTok user wrote after learning from Jack's video.
Jack revealed that the fennel he discovered was at UCLA but added: "You can find this all over the place, unfortunately, especially in disturbed areas like roadsides and recently abandoned places."
"iNaturalist is an ID app where local foragers photograph, and an AI identifies the plant and marks coordinates," another TikToker suggested as a tip for how to locate fennel growing in the area.
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