Edible woody plants growing wild in the Tbilisi environs (Georgia, South Caucasus)

Abstract

In the environs of Tbilisi (Georgia, South Caucasus), 57 species of wildly grown trees and shrubs used for food by the local population have been identified. Five species of them are naturalized plants for Tbilisi area. The usage of edible trees and shrubs for food is diverse. Their different parts are used for food purposes - fruits, flowers, leaves, shoots. Moreover, the same species is used in different ways. It should be noted that the use of wildly grown trees and shrubs for food has decreased a lot in the last period. The main reasons for this are: (1) the population of Tbilisi and its surroundings mostly buys products in agricultural markets and supermarkets, (2) the rural population also grows various fruits in their homesteads, (3) a large part of the city population does not know about the use of various edible trees and shrubs.