Aeonium arboreum growing wild on a vertical rock bank in a Wellington suburb.
Aeonium arboreum, native to the Canary Islands, is a common weed in Wellington, New Zealand, usually found on steep rocky cliffs, including very exposed coastal sites.
There only seems to be one reference to the Aeonium of the Canary Islands being used as food (1), at least 500 years ago the immature inflorescences of unidentified species were eaten raw, possibly all of the species found on the Canary islands were used, it is not clear.
I've tried the immature inflorescence of Aeonium arboreum raw, when the flowers were almost mature. It is acceptable, rather astringent I thought, probably not something I'd seek out. But boiled for a few minutes it is much nicer, rather like broccoli in texture, which is also an inflorescence, with a mild but pleasant flavor a bit like beans.
I imagine the leaves could be eaten too but there is probably no record of this because they grow pretty slowly so would not be a sustainable crop, unlike the inflorescence which can be harvested sustainably whenever it appears.
I would rate this a good potential crop for exposed steep rocky and coastal places where you might not expect to get much of a food harvest.
The smaller Aeonium haworthii, also from the Canary Islands, is also found growing wild in similar niches around Wellington, I have not tried eating it yet.
Reference.
1) https://www.academia.edu/7183303/Wild_plants_gathering_Canary_Islands
Gathering in a new environment: the use of wild food plants during the first colonization of the Canary Islands, Spain (2nd-3rd century BCE to 15th century CE) J Morales, J Gil (in) Wild Plants gathering Canary Islands. E Giloyan.1977.
