Walking through Scottish woodlands in spring, you might notice a distinctive garlicky aroma before you see its source. That’s wild garlic, one of the easiest and most satisfying wild foods to collect in spring.

How to Identify Wild Garlic

Wild garlic is relatively easy to identify, but it’s always important to be 100% certain before consuming any foraged plant. Here’s what to look for:

Leaves: Broad, pointed green leaves that grow directly from the ground.

Smell: Crush a leaf gently between your fingers – it should release an unmistakable garlic aroma. This is your most reliable identification method.

Flowers: From late spring, wild garlic produces clusters of small star-shaped white flowers.

Growth pattern: Wild garlic grows in dense clusters in woodland areas.

Timing: First appears in March and peaks through April and May.

Look for wild garlic in deciduous woodlands, especially beneath beech, oak, and ash trees, and in damp, shaded areas near streams or rivers.

When foraging, remember not to dig up the bulbs to ensure the plants return next year. The garlic smell is your best identifier – if a leaf doesn’t smell strongly of garlic when crushed, don’t take chances.