Spring Foraging List

This week I have a list of plants to watch out for this spring!

I figured I have enough of a backlog now that I can start to put together seasonal guides for you as we go from one season to the next.

In each section I have a brief overview of each plant with a link to each previous article where I go in depth on each of them!

Please read each article carefully and don’t go on just this single list to help you identify things, this is a summary! Each individual article will help give you all of the essential information you need to properly identify and get familiar with each plant.

1. Conifers

Conifer trees are anything related to pine, fir, juniper, and spruce, and many of them have edible needles.

In particular, spruce tips are good to keep an eye out for in the spring.

2. Wild Ramps

Ramps are by far one of my favorite things to forage in spring, and they happen to be the most common onion in the US despite being endangered in some states.

These have an incredible onion-garlic flavor that is incredible to swap for green onion or garlic in any dish.

This time of year, they’re starting to emerge but aren’t typically ready to eat until mid-late April or so.

They should be very easy to spot from a distance and usually carpet the floor in dense patches where they grow.

3. Violets

The wild dog violets and wood violets are in season around this time for a couple months!

I highly recommend taking advantage of this since the leaves are highly medicinal and the flowers are a flavor unique to the wild.

These are best made into desserts and can be spotted in large purple patches in lawns and in forests.

4. Chickweed

Chickweed is a weedy plant that grows in short dense mats in lawns and recently disturbed areas.

It’s basically the wild equivalent of microgreens since they’re so nutrient dense and can be used the same way!

I love chickweed and it’s so easy to find and forage as a beginner. Keep an eye out for it since it’s currently in season!

5. Broadleaf/Narrowleaf Plantain

Plantain is a potherb that grows in meadows, lawns, and weedy areas. I find it in pastures pretty frequently and it has a lot of medicinal benefits as well as culinary qualities.

This is the best time of year to find it since the leaves are less fibrous right now. Later in the year you can eat the seeds as well, so finding patches now will prepare you to get a second harvest!

Generally, you will find it in larger patches so when you find a little you won’t often have to look much farther.

6. Cleavers

Cleavers are a wildly invasive weedy plant that are not only easy to find but are highly nutritious.

They are known for their sticky properties that “cleave” to clothing like Velcro and their distinct leaf orientation.

Cleavers are prepared most ways you’d use leafy greens but are best when cooked to avoid the odd texture.

These are very fun for kids to forage for and this time of year they are small. This is a great time to watch out for cleavers since they’ll absolutely take over an area when they get larger! Harvesting while young will keep them from getting as out-of-control.

7. Purple Deadnettle

Purple deadnettle is a member of the Lamium genus and is a great spring medicinal herb.

On top of the vitamins and minerals it has, it is very common and easy to identify.

This won’t be in season quite yet but going into late April and May you’ll want to be able to harvest it as soon as you see it flower!

8. Nettles

While not related to purple deadnettle, nettles are another excellent spring green.

Nettles are one of the most nutrient dense plants on the planet and have very high concentrations of chlorophyll, iron, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin C.

They are excellent replacements for things like spinach (but with a milder flavor) and are one of our favorite leafy greens period. We eat nettles more than lettuce.

The only thing to be careful of is that these plants tend to sting you. There are non-stinging species as well, but I’d recommend bringing gloves just in case.

9. Forsythia

Forsythia is a common ornamental landscaping shrub with medicinal flowers.

There’s a bit to know about the specifics of using forsythia, but it’s common and very easy to identify.

These bright yellow flowers are another one that kids will probably enjoy harvesting and can be used in tinctures, desserts, and syrups.

10. Dandelion

Dandelion is just starting to emerge at this time of year which is the best time to harvest the greens! Later in the year they tend to get more bitter, but in the early spring they’re significantly more palatable.

I recommend using these as salad or cooking greens, but however you eat them I’d recommend mixing them with a milder leafy green and pairing it with meats and rich flavors.

The entire plant is edible, so when you have a good source of dandelion, you’ll be coming back a few times!

This is another great plant to watch carefully because it acts as a great indication of when to plant different garden plants.

The taproot acts as a temperature gauge that pushes the plant into different stages as temperatures shift dramatically in spring. Green leaves mean the hardy things (like lettuces, onions, parsnips, radish, etc) can be planted, yellow flowers mean semi-hardy plants (asparagus, brassicas, beans etc) can be planted, and white fuzzy seed heads mean that it’s safe to plant the sensitive crops (melons, cucumbers, peppers, squash).

11. Trout Lily

I recently wrote about trout lily and while I wouldn’t harvest a ton of it, it makes for a great spring edible that’s worth trying at least once.

Trout lily also gives you a good indication of where to find ramps if you’re out looking for those too.

12. Henbit

Henbit is a close relative of the purple deadnettle but looks different and has different medicinal and nutritional properties.

This is another mundane but common plant that is fun to find and can be used in many versatile ways.

I don’t usually see henbit until later in the spring but it’s still good to keep an eye out for!

So, write these down, learn them, and use them to practice the first permaculture principle (observe & interact).

Let me know if you like seasonal lists like this and I’ll do more of them!

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