Written by: Jan Dash, Colorado Master Gardener Apprentice, 2024
The thought of eating something fresh and green right out of your yard in March and April might seem ambitious. But, if you take the time to look you might be pleasantly surprised by what’s peeking up from the soil this time of year. As a kid growing up in Indiana we always picked dandelion greens in the spring for my mom to sauté and dandelion flowers in the summer for my dad to make dandelion wine. As I’ve gotten older I enjoy my dandelion greens fresh in salads along with Purslane, plantain and watercress. Only recently I discovered that the lambsquarters and pretty blue violets growing all over my property are also very tasty.
The art of finding food in the ‘wild’ is called foraging. There are a few rules that must be followed to stay safe and make the most of your foraging experience. Be sure to adhere to these before you enjoy any ‘wild’ plants that you gather in your yard or neighborhood.
First, avoid contaminants by staying away from trails and roadsides where pesticides and herbicides are sprayed, or areas where animals graze heavily. Also be aware of where your own pets ‘do their business’ in your yard. Be aware of the surroundings and potential chemical applications that may occur or even naturally occurring contaminants such as salt and heavy minerals leaching from the soil.
Second, understand toxicity. Some plants may be toxic if you eat too much, such as sorrel, or if you eat them raw, such as curly dock. If you’re not sure don’t eat the plant until you learn more about it.
Third, know where to go legally. Be aware of any foraging rules in your local parks or wildlife areas. Also stay off of private property unless you have been given permission to forage.
Fourth, take only what you need and can realistically consume in the next day or two. You don’t need to pull up an entire plant when you forage (unless you plan to roast dandelion roots in the fall). Generally you should only take the tender inner leaves of plants and leave about half of them so the plant can continue to grow through the summer.
Fifth, leave no trace. Pick up after yourself and even leave the area cleaner than you found it if possible. Always carry a trash bag with you in addition to your collecting basket.
Sixth, know what you’re doing. If you don’t recognize a plant, don’t eat it. If you’re not sure, there are apps available for your phone that identify plants from a picture taken in the field. You will need cell coverage for the app to work. Or you can take a photo (or specimen) and identify the plant later. If it’s something you want to try eating then you can go back and collect some. You can also ask someone who knows plant species to go with you at first.
Some common edibles in Colorado include Dandelion, Chickweed, Garlic Mustard, Purslane, Plantain, Stinging nettle, Sheep sorrel, Curly dock, Elderflowers, Wood sorrel, Lambsquarters and Violets. Other wild plants with edible features in spring include cattails, prickly pear, wild onions, bergamot, wild strawberries, wild asparagus, watercress, and yarrow. Some of these will not be ready to eat until later in the spring so I’m going to focus on the ones you can probably find right now or at least in the next couple of weeks, depending on your climate zone.
DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale)
Family: Asteraceae
Meaning: French: dents de lion (teeth of the lion)
Fresh dandelion greens can be used as you would other greens, including fresh in salads and cooked down in sautés. The leaves have an earthy bitterness similar to arugula and kale. Dandelions are in the sunflower family and are related to lettuce, chicory and endive.
Photo credit: Gary A. Monroe; www. plants.usda.gov
COMMON PLANTAIN (Plantago major)
Family: Plantaginaceae
The broadleaf plantain weeds that you find in your yard can be eaten entirely, but the young leaves are the tastiest. Use these raw in any way you would spinach, such as in salads and sandwiches. You can also use the older leaves raw, but they tend to be more bitter and stringy. If using larger leaves raw, consider removing the veins first. As for most leafy greens, the older leaves are less bitter if blanched first.
Photo credit: Richard Old, XLT Services Inc, www.bugwood.org
LAMBSQUARTERS (Chenopodium album)
Family: Amaranthaceae
Other Names: Common pigweed, wild spinach, white goosefoot, fat hen
Lambsquarters is a tasty and versatile edible wild plant that’s probably growing in your garden already. A relative of spinach, lambsquarters is a nutritious plant to add to your salad bowl, one of many underappreciated weeds you’ve pulled from your garden.
Photo credit: Richard Old, XLT Services Inc, www.bugwood.org
PURSLANE (Portulaca oleracea)
Family: Portulacaceae
After harvesting the succulent Purslane, rinse the leaves and stems well and gently remove the leaves from the stems. The leaves can be eaten raw in a simple salad. It is mild-tasting with a lemony flavor, similar to but stronger than watercress and spinach. Purslane becomes moist and sticky when heated, making it a good thickener for soups and stews.
Photo credit: Al Schneider, Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com
BLUE VIOLET (Viola sororia)
Family: Violaceae
Violets, both the leaves and flowers, contain high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. The edible violet plant can be used to make syrups, brew teas, and in baked desserts. Flowers can be added to salads and soups as garnish. Moderation is important, as this plant does contain a compound called saponin, so eating violet flowers and leaves in excess may cause digestive issues.
Photo credit: Richard Old, XLT Services Inc, www.bugwood.org
WILD ASPARAGUS (Asparagus officinalis)
Family: Asparagaceae
Wild asparagus is the escaped version of cultivated asparagus. It’s only called wild because it is growing somewhere unexpected or where it wasn’t planted on purpose. While finding the mature plants is easy it’s tricky to find the asparagus exactly at the right time for picking. You just need to remember the locations and return to them in the spring for harvesting. Because most wild asparagus is found near fields where it was cultivated, along fence rows and roadsides, you have to be very cautious and make sure the area hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals.
Photo credit: Ohio State Weed lab archive, The Ohio State University, wwwforestryimages.org
WATERCRESS (Nasturtium officinale)
Family: Brassicaceae
Watercress is an aquatic plant with a zippy flavor. The leaves are light, crunchy and peppery. They are delicious in salads and on sandwiches. Watercress leaves, stems and fruit can be eaten raw. You should be cautious when harvesting watercress in the wild because of possible contamination from water-borne parasites such as girardia. I have several springs on my property where watercress is abundant and I’m confident the water source isn’t contaminated.
Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service database, fs.usda.gov
After reading this I hope you take some time to observe the plants that are starting to pop up around your property. If your yard is anything like mine, the dandelions and plantain are already growing nicely. I expect to see some wild asparagus and lambsquarters in the next couple of weeks. Maybe you’ll consider these pesky weeds in a different light this year and forage some fresh greens for your spring salads!