Spring is finally in full swing here in Sussex. The sun is shining, March winds are blowing out the winter grey and lots of wonderful young edibles are popping up in the meadows and hedgerows.
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is one of the most delectable of these and also one of the most easily recognisable as well as being abundant in damp and shady places such as woodlands and stream edges.
A warning that is often given alongside foraging information on wild garlic is to be wary of its similarities to the leaves of Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum) which often grows amongst it. The leaves can be easily camouflaged but, on closer examination, actually look quite different so getting to know the characteristics of these two plants is important for wild harvesting.
I suspect the majority of problems arise from people picking handfuls of young leaves without too much attention to detail so it’s always good to harvest a little more mindfully and respectfully to avoid getting any unwanted hitchhikers in your basket.
The leaves of wild garlic are convex, broadly lanceolate and glabrous (smooth and hairless) and have one main central vein with parallel secondary veins.
Lords and Ladies on the other hand has a broad arrow shaped leaf, with a more wrinkled appearance. However the mature leaf shape may not be fully present in the youngest leaves so the most important thing to notice is the difference in patterning of the veins. In Lords and Ladies they are pinnate, meaning the secondary veins are paired oppositely, emerging out to the edge of the leaf from the central vein. On close inspection they look quite different from the parallel veins of wild garlic.
It also often has characteristic purple spots on the leaves though these are not always present, especially in the young leaves, so cannot be relied upon for a positive identification.
Wild garlic can also be confused with the leaves of Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) before they are in flower and the two do in fact look very similar. Lily of the Valley is highly poisonous when eaten, though it is also a valuable medicine when given in the correct dosages. One of the main differences is that Lily of the Valley usually has pairs of leaves on a single stem where as wild garlic only has one. Lily of the Valley is rarer now than it used to be but it is still important to be able to recognise the differences.
The most important id feature of wild garlic is its distinctive smell which neither Lily of the Valley or Lords and Ladies have. If you have any doubts at all, leave aside the plants you are unsure of.
Below we can see wild garlic growing up amongst two poisonous neighbours. Dog mercury with the small green flowers and the larger leaves of Lords and Ladies next to it.
Alongside our usual pestos and infused vinegars I have been enjoying wild garlic cashew nut ‘cheese’ this year which is a lovely creamy treat spread on crackers or used as a sauce on pasta or millet.
Ingredients and Method:
1 cup cashew nuts (soaked in enough water to cover for at least an hour and drained)
A large handful or wild garlic leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water (you can add more to make a thinner sauce consistency)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional but adds a nice cheesy flavour)
Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until combined and smooth. Store in the fridge and use within a few days.
If you fancy picking some wild garlic with myself and Anna Richardson next month we are holding a spring greens foraging day at Wowo Campsite in East Sussex. Other dates for summer and autumn are also available.
Edible and medicinal spring greens- Saturday 25th April 10.30am – 4.30pm
Women’s Flower Day – Saturday 11th July 10.30am – 4.30pm
Autumn Wild Foods and Medicines – Saturday 19th September 10.30am – 4.30pm
You can find out more and book online here: http://www.wowo.co.uk/faq/30-services/107-anna-richardson-wild-crafts.html
I don’t notice any wild garlic around here…. but then again I really haven’t been looking for it. :0) We do have an abundance of wild onions that pop up in the spring and I love gathering that. Harvesting some today to add to my stir fry for this evening.
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I love he smell of wild garlic. Your photos are superb.
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Thanks for this. Useful post. I’ve seen a few foraging guidebooks before that don’t show you similar plant that you could get with your desired plant/flower/berry. Getting it wrong could make you seriously ill.
I might try to collect some wild garlic when it shows up at the end of April.
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Good Morning Lucinda,
I grow all three in the garden. I love wild garlic and use the leaves in salads, which I love. For me personally my nose is the key in this instance. Just a little nick in the leaves tells me it is wild garlic…….
Very informative post ……….lots of useful information.
Hope you and yours are well…………..
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I’ve been eating wild garlic for a few weeks now. That pungent whiff is certainly the key for correct identification! Actually, looking at your photos the young lords & ladies remind me a bit of sorrel…. another one not to confuse with.
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Wild garlic grows abundantly in the woods around me in Wiltshire. I like it simply added as a last-minute spring green to other vegetables, simmered for a minute or so with peas or purple sprouting broccoli at the end of their cooking time. Your guide to identifying correctly is very wise.
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Lovely post, thank you. New and recent member of mailing list.
I haven’t come across Ransoms here in Hemel Hempstead yet but I have a damp and shady bit in my garden so, hopefully, I can encourage it in… I am also planning some lily of the valley there too, so I had best get out my ID hat to make sure I can truly distinguish them! I am a herbalist so I have the tools just not sure yet that I would know them apart straight away/without consulting a book first! 🙂
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Wonderful! Growing them both will be the best way to be sure of your id as you will get to know them both well. I haven’t grown Lily of the Valley in my garden but am hoping to this year, it is such a beautiful flower! x
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Hey Lucinda,
Iv seen your facecreme recipes and I love it! I just started to diy my own skin care, and I have a question about my own recipe, I hope you can clear up?
Fat fase:
Almond oil
Jojoba wax
Water face:
Aloe Vera gel
Floral water
Hylaronic acid
C-vitamin
Green tea exstrct
Is this a good recipe or is it lacking something? It it possible to mix hylaronic acid and c-vitamin?
Thank you 🙂
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Hi Castor, I have never used jojoba wax before, only the oil so I don’t know how it would perform compared to the beeswax and coconut oil combination I use. I’d be interested to hear how you get on if you try this recipe though! Sorry I can’t be more help.
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The cashew cheese has my mouth watering, and the entire post has me nostalgic for spring in England. Somehow wild leeks just don’t live up!!
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[…] perhaps they will be happy to share their secret harvesting spot? A word of caution: please know the difference between wild garlic, lords and ladies, and lily of the valley before you go out collecting. One tastes great, the others not so much. Know the rules of […]
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I have something growing in my backyard that I thought was a lily hiding under a hosta. I thought I would transplant assuming that the hosta took its sun. When I pulled one of the out, I noticed it kinda looked like garlic and smells strongly of garlic (both the leaves and the bulb – but only has 3 attached, uncovered bulbs). I have not planted garlic. Do you think it is likely an animal could have deposited seeds and I actually have garlic/wild garlic? I don’t want to eat it if there is a chance it is poisonous.
TIA
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It sounds likely that it’s wild garlic but I couldn’t say for sure without seeing it. Maybe wait until it flowers in the spring and then compare to a good guide book.
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