Mistaking wild garlic – how to spot poisonous doppelgangers

How to recognise bear’s garlic

Before you start collecting bear’s garlic, you should know the most important characteristics:

• Smell: Ramsons leaves give off an intense garlic smell when crushed.
• Leaves: The leaves are soft, lance-shaped and have a clearly visible midrib.
• Growth: Two to three leaves sprout from the bulb in spring.
• Occurrence: Ramsons grows in large clumps, often in shady, damp woods.
• Flower: White, star-shaped flowers appear in loose umbels between April and June.
• Season: Ramsons appears in spring from March onwards.

Poisonous lookalikes and how to tell them apart

1. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)

The leaves of lily of the valley look very similar to those of ramson. However, lily of the valley sprouts later, in mid-April.

Toxicity: Highly toxic! All parts of the plant contain toxic glycosides which can cause nausea, vomiting and cardiac arrhythmia.

Differences from wild garlic:

• Smell: No garlic odour when crushed.
• Leaves: Stiffer than wild garlic, the leaves grow in pairs from a stem.
• Growth: Individual leaves emerge directly from the ground, usually in small clusters.
• Flower: Small, white, bell-shaped flowers from May to June.
• Season: April to May, later than ramsons.

2. Meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale)

Autumn saffron grows mainly in meadows and on banks. Its leaves appear in late spring.

Toxicity: Highly toxic! Contains colchicine, which can be fatal even in small doses.

Differences between Autumn Crocus and Ramsons:

• Smell: No garlic smell.
• Leaves: Shiny, thicker than ramsons, without a prominent midrib.
• Growth: Several leaves growing directly from the ground in a rosette; there is no distinct stem.
• Flower: Delicate purple, appears only in autumn.
• Foliage: Leaves grow in spring, but flower only in autumn.

3. Cuckoo pint (Arum maculatum)

The problem with cuckoo pint is that, like wild garlic, it grows in chalky woods. Sometimes the two plants grow side by side. As they also germinate at the same time, this can easily lead to confusion.

Toxicity: Very toxic! Contains irritants that can cause mucous membrane irritation, nausea and shortness of breath. 

Differences to bear’s garlic:

Smell: No garlic odour.

• Leaf: Wider, arrow-shaped and often with dark spots. There are two ears at the base of the leaf.
• Growth: Individual leaves from a short stem.
• Flower: Not an inflorescence like ramsons, but a cob-like spike with a cap.
• Flowering time: April to May, similar to ramsons.

Summary: How to pick wild garlic safely

When collecting wild garlic, always do the smell test!

 Rub a leaf between your fingers – only wild garlic has an intense garlic smell. One problem with the smell test is that the smell of wild garlic may still be on your fingers. That’s why it’s important to know and remember all the characteristics.

Collect only individual leaves to avoid confusion, and be especially careful in mixed stands. If you are unsure, leave the plant where it is!

With these tips, you can safely enjoy the delicious wild plant and avoid the poisonous ones. Happy foraging!