Plantlife is scarce, and tends to be thin and less prone to being edible. Cultivating plants is still possible in some areas, but the yields are increasingly meager. Orchards and fields for harvest are usually commandeered by the ruling elite, and heavily guarded. It is dangerous for commonfolk to grown their own crops, even in secret, for fear of the same commandeering, but also out of fear of being raided by marauders, scavengers, or wild animals. People who do so will usually hide their plants indoors.
There are forests, especially in the Lothlan and Aeryl regions, though they are thin and filled with underbrush. This underbrush makes the forests prone to wildfires, so governments in those areas use slave labor (or criminals) to clear out the brush, as forests would not likely grow back at all after a fire.
The harsher the environment, the harsher the names are for the plantlife. In the Verges, for example, plants have names like Nagweed, Fire Thistle, Grimthorn, etc. Flowers have flowery names like Silkfoot or Lady of the Moon.
Many plants are used in herbal remedies and have medicinal value. These are usually only known to occultists like the Arcaeni, wilderness experts like the Outriders, or folk shamans who practice things like Salarian or Catican. For example, the plant Thamis is used to make Thamisil, a topical cream used to provide relief against Fire Thistle, insect stings, rashes, etc. Many street vendors will attempt to sell people false remedies to make a profit.
Spices made from plants are also a delicacy.