By Dorothy Janick
Edible plants in Central Park, Manhattan, NYC, as mapped on Falling Fruit.
Urban areas might seem like unlikely places for foraging, but if you know where to look, cities are teeming with edible plants. Falling Fruit, an open-source map launched in 2013, helps users discover the flavorful botanical curiosities in their neighborhoods by mapping the locations of edibles in cities around the world. Its mission is to foster deeper connections between people, food, and the natural world around them.
By using Falling Fruit, urban dwellers can view their neighborhoods from a fresh perspective, transforming cities into abundant sources of freely accessible food. The map relies on user contributions and incorporates datasets like municipal tree inventories, which are then refined to include only edible varieties. Currently, the map lists over 3,000 types of edibles across more than 1.6 million locations and is available in a dozen languages.
To ensure responsible foraging, Falling Fruit promotes the Foraging Code of Conduct, which emphasizes asking permission to pick, avoiding over-harvesting, and being mindful of health and legal considerations. While many of the edibles on Falling Fruit are located on public land, foraging laws vary by municipality. When plants are located on private property, the map clearly indicates that so users can ask landowners for permission to harvest.
As spring arrives here in the Northern Hemisphere, ushering in a new growing season, Falling Fruit offers a unique opportunity for urban residents to explore their neighborhoods in a new way, allowing them to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the natural world that thrives right beneath their feet.
Sources:
Falling Fruit. (2025). Falling Fruit. https://fallingfruit.org/?c=forager%2Cfreegan&locale=en.
Karp, L. S. (2023, April 5). This Website Reimagines Cities as Foraging Utopias. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/falling-fruit-urban-foraging-map