Ramsons (wild garlic) Allium ursinum
Young leaves smell clearly of garlic and are picked in spring, before the white flowers open. Good in quark, pesto or butter.
- Season
- Mar · Apr · May
- Habitat
- Moist, nutrient-rich deciduous woods, often near streams
Safety:
Only pick when the garlic smell is unmistakable – rub a leaf to check. When in doubt, leave it.
Look-alikes
- Lily of the valley – Poisonous. Does not smell of garlic, has hood-shaped leaf tips and usually two leaves per stem.
- Autumn crocus – Poisonous. No garlic smell; leaves are smooth. Without flowers it can be hard to tell apart in spring.
- Lords-and-ladies (cuckoo pint) – Lords-and-ladies grows in the same habitat and is confused in spring. Very poisonous, including the berries.
Plants are hints, not guarantees. Mushrooms only grow where weather, soil and trees fit together.