When collecting wild garlic, you should not confuse it with the poisonous doubles lily of the valley & autumn crocus. But how do you recognize wild garlic?
Recognizing wild garlic: the difference to poisonous doubles
Wild garlic is not only delicious and he althy, but is also said to awaken the power of a bear. When collecting, however, one must be able to recognize his poisonous doubles. Because every year in Germany, several dozen people poison themselves with autumn crocus or lily of the valley. While the foliage of the doppelganger is confusingly similar to that of wild garlic, the appearance of the flowers and the smell serve as clear distinguishing features. We have compiled the most important distinguishing features with pictures for you below. Nothing stands in the way of a delicious and safe wild garlic harvest.
Distinction: wild garlic and lily of the valley
The following characteristics of wild garlic and lily of the valley can help you distinguish between the two plants:
wild garlic:
- Occurrence: floodplain, deciduous and mixed forests
- Flower: April to June
- Smell: Intense smell of garlic
- Matte underside of leaf
- Delicate Foliage
- Leaves grow from the ground on individual stems
- Larger / older leaves hang down
- Smells intensely of garlic
Lily of the Valley:
- Occurrence: Forests and Gardens
- Flower: May to June
- Odor: Leaves neutral, flowers intensely fragrant, no smell of garlic
- Underside of leaf quite similar to upper side; not mate
- Firm Foliage
- Two leaves per stem
- Upright growth of the leaves
- Doesn't smell like garlic
Distinction: wild garlic and autumn crocus
The autumn crocus also has some characteristics that can be used to differentiate it from wild garlic:
Autumn Crocus:
- Occurrence: meadows, rarely in forests
- Flowering: Only in autumn
- Odor: Leaves neutral, no smell of garlic
- Leaves: Upright growing; several leaves come out of a stalk from the ground; enclose the fruit capsule inside
Summary: Identifying and distinguishing wild garlic
The easiest way to tell the difference between wild garlic and its poisonous doubles is the smell. While the wild garlic leaves smell intensely of garlic, the leaves of the lily of the valley and the autumn crocus have a neutral smell. The flowers of the lily of the valley smell intense and pleasant, while those of the wild garlic smell like garlic at best. However, the smell can also be deceptive if a layman has also mixed leaves of its poisonous doppelganger with his wild garlic harvest. Then our sense of smell is usually saturated and quickly overwhelmed.
Recognizing wild garlic: The plant is mostly found in lowland, deciduous and mixed forests. The small, white flowers appear between April and June. Even a little pressure leaves pressure marks on the wild garlic leaves, which also release its intense garlic smell. In contrast to its doubles, the underside of the leaf is matt. Only one leaf grows per stem. Especially in April, the more developed and larger leaves hang down slightly.
Recognizing lily of the valley: Lily of the valley is mainly found in forests and gardens. The intensely scented flowers appear between May and June. The leaves smell neutral and especially not like garlic. The upper side of the leaf is quite similar to the underside and not dull. The foliage is firmer and much less sensitive to pressure than that of wild garlic. Two leaves emerge from each stalk, the growth of which is upright and not drooping even in an advanced stage of development.
Recognize autumn crocuses: These are mainly found in meadows and extremely rarely in forests. Conversely, wild garlic is not found in open meadows. In the case of autumn crocuses, several leaves emerge from the ground/per stalk and enclose the inner fruit capsule, which only blossoms in autumn. The smell of the autumn crocus is neutral and not garlic-like.
When collecting wild garlic, it's best to play it safe by growing the delicious vegetables yourself. In this guide you will learn how to plant wild garlic in your own gardenArticle.
The Plantura team wishes you a successful wild garlic harvest with lots of delicious dishes.