Contribute

Help improve the database

The Edible Plant Database is a community project, and we welcome contributions from anyone with knowledge about edible plants. Whether you're a botanist, a gardener, a forager, or just someone who noticed a mistake — your input helps make this resource better for everyone.

Every plant page has an Edit button that lets you suggest text changes and upload photos. All contributions are reviewed before they go live, so don't worry about making mistakes — we'll catch them.

How it works

1. Find a plant page — browse or search for any plant, then click the Edit button in the top-right corner.
2. Make your changes — update any of the text fields: descriptions, distribution, uses, cultivation info, notes, and more. You'll see which fields you've modified highlighted in real time.
3. Write a summary and submit — briefly describe what you changed and why, then click Submit for review. Below the text editor you can also upload a photo of the plant.
4. Upload photos — signed-in users can upload photos from the edit page. Drop an image, add a caption and attribution, choose a Creative Commons license, and submit.
5. Changes go live — your edit goes into a review queue. An admin will review the changes and either approve or request corrections. Once approved, your contribution appears on the plant page for everyone to see.

What you can edit

The following fields are open for community contributions:

Signed-in users can also edit Common Names and Other Names. Fields like scientific name, family, and edible parts are managed by admins to ensure accuracy and safety.

Photos

Signed-in users can upload photos of plants to help illustrate the database. Many species don't have images yet, so your photos are especially valuable. You'll find the upload section at the bottom of the Edit page for any plant.

When uploading, please keep these guidelines in mind:

• Your own photos — only upload images you took yourself, or that you have explicit permission to share.
• Of the right plant — make sure the photo clearly shows the plant species for the page you're editing.
• Creative Commons license — all uploaded photos are shared under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA by default). This means others can reuse them with attribution.
• Clear and useful — photos showing leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, or the whole plant are most helpful.

Like text edits, all photos are reviewed by an admin before appearing on the site.

Versioning and history

Every edit is stored as a revision with a full history, similar to Wikipedia. You can view the complete edit history for any plant by clicking the History link on its page. Each revision shows exactly what changed, who made the edit, and when — with a word-level diff view so you can see every modification.

Admins can revert any edit if needed, restoring the previous content. The original data from Food Plants International is always preserved separately, so community edits are layered on top without risk to the source material.

Join the discussion

Beyond editing plant pages, you can also participate in the community forum — a space for open discussion about foraging, plant identification, cultivation, and anything else related to edible plants. Ask questions, share regional knowledge, or help others identify what they've found.

Accounts

You can make text edits anonymously — no account required. However, signing in with your email gives you access to more editable fields, the ability to upload photos, and lets your contributions be attributed to your chosen display name. We use passwordless sign-in: just enter your email and click the link we send you. We don't store passwords or share your email with anyone.

Guidelines

• Be accurate — only add information you're confident about. Cite sources where possible.
• Be specific — "Leaves are eaten cooked in Southeast Asia" is more useful than "It's edible."
• Write clearly — use plain language that anyone can understand.
• Respect safety — never remove warnings or safety-relevant information about preparation methods, toxicity, or look-alikes.
• Describe your changes — a good edit summary helps reviewers approve your contribution quickly.