Partner Blog on Invasive Species: From the National Aquarium
- Our Common Table
- Jul 31
- 6 min read
This month, we are sharing a featured post on invasive species from our partners at the National Aquarium.*
In the lush, tangled landscapes of the Chesapeake region, not everything green is good. As we walk the trails, drive the backroads, or even tend to our own backyards, we encounter an army of fast-growing, fast-spreading plants that weren’t here a few centuries—or even a few decades—ago.
Invasive species like kudzu, garlic mustard, wineberry, and phragmites may appear beautiful or harmless at first glance, but they pose serious threats to the balance of our local ecosystems. Originally brought to North America with good intentions—from erosion control to ornamental gardening—these plants have since outstayed their welcome, crowding out native flora and disrupting wildlife habitats. But there’s another side to the story: what if the same plants causing ecological headaches could also become part of the solution?
As it turns out, some of these invaders are edible, even delicious—and foraging them is one small way to turn a problem into a plate.

Sprawling Kudzu
Come one, come all, and see the wondrous kudzu! Or maybe it's not so wonderful. Brought from east Asia, kudzu was introduced as an ornamental plant with much fanfare at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. During the Great Depression and into World War II, primarily southern states planted kudzu for erosion control, making it prolific in the South—it even made its way up to the eastern side of Maryland. It grows almost anywhere a node touches moist soil, forming thick mats on the ground and over trees. Kudzu vines can grow one foot daily, blocking other plants and trees from accessing sunlight.
Kudzu is often used in tea or as a supplement, but the roots are also edible and can be prepared like a potato or dried and ground into a powder to use as breading or thickener. This plant also flowers in late July through early September, and its flowers can add sweetness to foods like jams or sauces.
Bitter Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard is known for its heart-shaped leaves and small, white flowers. Originally brought to New York in the 1860s for medicinal uses, garlic mustard began to threaten biodiversity because of its ability to spread and bloom quickly. Each plant produces thousands of seeds that can be carried by the wind and easily take root in fields and forests. Garlic mustard blooms quicker than most other plants, meaning it has early access to the limited moisture and nutrients in the soil. Its leaves also extend beyond the plant itself, casting nearby plants in shadows before they can start growing.
Garlic mustard has a bitter taste that can add flavor to a dish. It can be prepared like broccoli by being roasted, blanched, sautéed and more—with a pinch of salt and pepper, of course! Older garlic mustard plants are typically more bitter than younger ones, so they need to be cooked longer.
Sour Wineberry
Wineberry stands out with dense patches of up to 9-foot-long arching canes covered in thick hairs. The plant also grows flowers and red berries closely resembling raspberries. In fact, wineberry was brought to North America in the 1890s to be bred with raspberries. Wineberry grows quickly, choking out other plants with its dense vegetation, which also takes away cover for many animals that can't navigate wineberry's foliage. It spreads by re-rooting through its tips when they grow long enough to touch the ground.
Often compared to a sour raspberry, this fruit will make your taste buds dance. It packs an acidic punch and can be used like raspberries when cooking, making it an excellent addition to muffins, sorbet, syrups, preserves, salads and more!
Towering Phragmites
Much like the wineberry, phragmites are known for their size. Phragmites, also known as common reed, are found in wetlands, growing vertically up to 13 feet. European ships inadvertently carried the seeds to America in the 19th century, and the plants spread quickly after that. Phragmites spread through seeds, rhizomes (underground stems) and stolons (stems that grow along the surface of soil). In small amounts, phragmites offer cover for animals. However, they spread quickly, forming dense groupings usually too thick for animals to use. They also block sunlight and choke out native plants that wildlife rely on, like small, native grasses that birds use for nesting.
However, phragmites are not entirely harmful and offer some benefits. They store more carbon dioxide than small, shorter grasses, which helps combat climate change. Phragmites also absorb nutrients, like nitrogen, from water, which reduces the chance of algal blooms that suffocate wildlife.
Parts of phragmites are edible and are an excellent choice for asparagus lovers because they're so similar! Simply wash the shoots and peel back the first three to four tough layers to get to the delicious soft core. Then, you can boil them and serve with butter, salt and pepper.
Foraging Invasive Species
Due to the pervasiveness of invasive species, you can find garlic mustard, wineberry, kudzu and phragmites all over Maryland, providing ample opportunities for spring or summer foraging lessons. In Baltimore, foraging experts Chris Amendola, executive chef and owner of Foraged, and Atiya Wells, founder and executive director of Backyard Basecamp, encourage people to find an expert and try foraging.
For Chris, foraging inspires the menu at his restaurant. Featuring a rotating menu, Foraged serves seasonal ingredients, including invasive species like wineberries and blue catfish, in elevated dishes inspired by Chris' love for the woods and food. After attending culinary school in Florida, Chris further developed his culinary and foraging skills by working in restaurants and exploring nature in different states. This experience encouraged Chris to learn to cook with foraged foods, which would eventually lead him to open his restaurant in Baltimore.
"Learning to cook with foraged ingredients starts with trying the ingredients, which involves a lot of tasting and spitting out and tasting again," Chris said. "You learn to be patient when foraging because sometimes you aimlessly wander around without finding anything, and other times you can find a lot."
Unsurprisingly, a love for nature also led Atiya Wells to foraging. After a series of walks with her children, who were curious about the plant life around them, she took her first plant identification class. From there, Atiya started to forage regularly in her neighborhood and even incorporated foraging classes into the Backyard Basecamp programming. Backyard Basecamp is an organization focused on reconnecting Black, Indigenous and people of color to nature in Baltimore, making foraging a natural fit.
"There are so many plants around us that we don't pay attention to. There are plants with medicinal and edible purposes that we're missing out on, and I'm lucky enough to have a small forage footprint. There's so much around where I live that I don't have to go far to find enough of what I need for personal use," Atiya explained.
Both Chris and Atiya encourage people to always put safety first when foraging—never eat anything you can't positively identify, don't put yourself in harm's way to harvest, and avoid eating foods along trails or highways that might be contaminated with herbicides or other pollutants. Instead, find a trusted foraging expert in your area, grab some plant identification books and have fun safely expanding your palate!

Invasive Species ... They're Everywhere
Stopping the spread of invasive species can be as ordinary as picking something off a menu or as adventurous as heading into the woods. But addressing invasive species doesn't need to stop with our appetites.
Other ways to get involved could include researching recommended native plants for gardening and landscaping in your area. You can also learn about measures your state has taken to stop the spread of invasive species and encourage the growth and sale of native plants. For example, in Maryland, the Aquarium has successfully advocated for state laws that prohibit the use of state funds to purchase invasive plant species for landscaping, improve classification systems to limit invasive plant use and distribution in Maryland, and promote the use and sale of native plants at places like garden centers.
You can also use iNaturalist to record your findings when foraging! While you should not use iNaturalist as a foraging identification guide, you can upload pictures of what you find to help the iNaturalist database track the spread of invasive species.
*From our good friends at the National Aquarium of Baltimore, partnering with us to shine a light on what we can do to protect, restore and rebuild our shared resources in the amazing Chesapeake Watershed.

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