Guide · Food

Foraging safely

Wild plants can add vitamins and variety to your food, but a single mistake can make you very ill or kill you. The golden rule is simple: if you are not 100% sure what it is, don't eat it.

The core rules

1. Be completely certain. "Pretty sure" is not enough. Several deadly plants look very like common edible ones.
2. Learn in person. The safest way to learn a plant is from someone experienced, out in the field, over more than one season.
3. Check against a field guide. Use a guide written for your region and match every feature: leaves, stem, flowers, smell, roots and where it grows.
4. Know the look-alikes. For every plant you eat, know what dangerous plants it can be confused with and how to tell them apart.
5. Never taste-test unknown plants. Some poisons have no bad taste and act hours or days later.

Where you pick matters

• Avoid roadsides, railway lines and the edges of farmed fields, which may be sprayed or polluted.
• Avoid plants growing in or near dirty water, drains or industrial land. Water plants can soak up pollution.
• Pick above dog height on paths.
• Wash everything in clean water before eating.

Eating something new to you

Even when you are sure of a plant's identity, start with a small amount. Some people are allergic or sensitive to foods that are safe for most. Wait a day before eating more.

Look after others

• Don't give foraged food to young children, pregnant women or people who are ill unless you are completely certain it is safe for them.
• Keep a sample of anything you eat until the next day. If someone becomes unwell, it helps doctors identify the problem.

Respect the land

• Rules on picking plants vary by place. Some areas and species are protected.
• Take only a little from each patch so it can grow back.
• Never dig up roots without permission from the landowner.

If someone may have been poisoned

Signs can include vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, confusion, a racing or slow heartbeat, or seizures. Some appear many hours later.

Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe and many other countries, 911 in North America), or a poison advice line if your country has one. Bring a sample of the plant if you can. Don't try to make the person vomit.

Keep perspective

Most wild plants are low in calories. Shelter, warmth and clean water matter far more in the first days of an emergency.

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