Foraging for Wild Plants in Spring

With the spring comes the possibility to forage for wild edible plants. This is increasingly trendy and last year's booklet of nature outings published by the Département of Indre et Loire was full of workshops and outings to teach the public how to forage for edible plants and how to prepare them.

 

Autumn Crocus photographed in March.

Part of being able to forage for edible plants is knowing how to correctly identify them and not poison yourself. Between 2020 and 2022 there were 28 cases of poisoning, resulting in four serious cases of liver damage and two deaths, because people mistook toxic Autumn Crocus Colchicum autumnale (Fr. Colchique) leaves for the delicious edible garlic flavoured wild leaf of Ramsons Allium ursinum (Fr. Ail des ours). There is a risk of mistaking Wild Arum and Lily of the Valley for Ramsons too.

People mostly make pesto with Ramsons, but it is also used in salads, sautéed or in quiches. One simple way to tell if you have Ramsons is to rub the leaves between your fingers. This should produce a strong garlic smell. If it doesn't, do not eat your harvest.

 

Ramsons.

Autumn Crocus leaves are stiffer, slightly fleshy, with rounded tips and no stem. Ramsons leaves are pointed ovals, with stems. 

The French Anti Poison Centres recommend the following as best practice:

• make sure you know the plants you harvest well.
• check each leaf for a smell of garlic by rubbing it between your fingers.
• don't cut the leaves in handfuls, to avoid cutting several species at once and mixing the toxic with the edible.
• if you have any doubt about the identification, don't eat it!
• stop eating it immediately if you experience any bitter or unpleasant taste.
• photograph what you pick to facilitate identification in case of poisoning.