What to Forage in March – The Best Wild Food Plants to Harvest

Discover over sixty wild food plants you can forage and harvest in March.

Availability should only be seen as a rough guide. Variations in climate and location will make a difference to what’s available.

AshFraxinus excelsior
Seed: Raw, cooked

BeechFagus sylvatica
Leaf: Raw, cooked

BirchBetula pubescens
Sap: Raw, cooked

BittercressCardamine spp.
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Black mustardBrassica nigra
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Bristly oxtongue – Helminthotheca echioides
Leaf: Raw, cooked

BurdockArctium spp.
Petiole: Raw, cooked

Bush vetch – Vicia sativa

Cat’s ear – Hypochaeris radicata
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Chicory – Cichorium intybus
Leaf: Raw, cooked

CleaversGalium aparine
Shoots: Raw, cooked

Cow parsleyAnthriscus sylvestris
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Creeping thistle – Cirsium arvense
Stem: Raw, cooked

Crosswort – Cruciata laevipes
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Cuckooflower / Lady’s smockCardamine pratensis
Leaf: Raw, cooked

DaisyBellis perennis
Leaf/rosette: Raw, cooked

Dame’s violet – Hesperis matronalis
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Dittander – Lepidium latifolium
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Duke of Argyll’s teaplantLycium barbarum
Leaf: Cooked

Garlic mustardAlliaria petiolata
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Ground elderAegopodium podagraria
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Ground ivyGlechoma hederacea
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Hedge bedstrawGalium album
Shoots: Raw, cooked

HogweedHeracleum sphondylium
Shoots: Cooked

Honesty – Lunaria annua
Root: Cooked

Hop – Humulus lupulus
Leaf: Cooked

HorseradishArmoracia rusticana

Hottentot figCarpobrotus edulis
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Lesser celandineFicaria verna
Leaf: Cooked

MahoniaMahonia aquifolium
Flower: Raw

MallowMalva sylvestris
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Marsh thistle – Cirsium palustre
Stem: Raw, cooked

MeadowsweetFilipendula ulmaria
Leaf: Raw, cooked.

MugwortArtemisia vulgaris
Leaf: Cooked

NavelwortUmbilicus rupestris
Leaf: Raw, cooked

NipplewortLapsana communis
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Orpine – Sedum telephium
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Oxeye DaisyLeucanthemum vulgare
Leaf: Raw, cooked.
Shoots: Raw, cooked

Pink purslane – Claytonia sibirica
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Primrose – Primula vulgaris
Flower: Raw
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Red dead nettle – Lamium purpureum
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Red valerian – Centranthus ruber
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Rock samphireCrithmum maritimum
Shoots: Raw, cooked

Rosebay willowherbChamerion angustifolium
Shoots: Raw, cooked

Rough hawkbit – Leontodon hispidus
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Saxifrage – Chrysosplenium spp.
Leaf: Cooked

Scurvygrass – Cochlearia spp.
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Sea beetBeta vulgaris subsp. maritima
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Sea kaleCrambe maritima
Shoots: Raw, cooked

Sea purslaneAtriplex portulacoides
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Shepherd’s purse – Capsella bursa-pastoris
Leaf/rosette: Raw, cooked

Silver birchBetula pendula
Sap: Raw cooked

Sneezewort – Achillea ptarmica
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Spear thistle – Cirsium vulgare
Stem: Raw; cooked

Springbeauty – Claytonia perfoliata
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Sycamore – Acer pseudoplatanus
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Three cornered leekAllium triquetrum
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Tufted vetch – Vicia cracca
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Violet – Viola spp.
Leaf: Raw, cooked
Flowers: Raw, cooked

Water mint – Mentha aquatica
Leaf: Raw, cooked

White dead nettleLamium album
Leaf: Raw, cooked

White stonecrop – Sedum album
Leaf: Raw

Wild angelicaAngelica sylvestris
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Wild garlic / RamsonsAllium ursinum
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Winter cress – Barbarea vulgaris
Leaf: Raw, cooked

Wood avensGeum urbanum
Leaf: Cooked
Root: Raw, cooked

Woodruff – Galium odoratum
Leaf: Raw, cooked

YarrowAchillea millefolium
Leaf: Raw, cooked

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  1. Hello Robin,
    For some reason I have never yet come across ramsons with its wide leaves. Our rose bed has been invaded by hairy garlic, with its much narrower hairy leaves. I’ve sampled its leaves and flowers, but have not as yet made a dish with it, mainly because it gets mixed up with ornamentals like grape hyacinth. I finally identified it last year, having wondered why the leaves were so narrow, yet the plant bears a typical white garlic flower.
    Are you familiar with hairy garlic?
    Steve.

    Reply
  2. I love wild garlic. Every year I collect loads and make my own garlic salt using Sel de Geurande, a years supply!! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Hi Robin, I found our first little shoots of Wild garlic on Islay this morning. Last year I made my own wild garlic butter and put it in all my soups and stews. I may try the Garlic salt this year, We are lucky enough to live in ancient woodland and are surrounded by it and many other plants, which with your advice I am adding recipes all the time, thank-you.

    Reply
  4. Hi Robin, we have been foraging and picked some wild garlic to make garlic butter, the leaves taste strong and beautiful. Rich green colour, beautiful to see growing in the Woodlands

    Reply

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