It's wild garlic season again, but those who collect the plant in the forest should be careful.
Because some doppelgangers are poisonous.
Kassel – A spicy smell of garlic in the middle of the forest?
Then there could be wild garlic (Allium ursinum) nearby.
You can grow the plant yourself or go in search of it in the forest.
According to the Nature Conservation Union (Nabu), you should look around in "herb-rich, shady deciduous forests".
However, you should be careful when collecting them, because wild garlic has two poisonous doubles.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warns that consumption can have serious or even fatal consequences.
Wild garlic not only looks good and smells interesting, it can also be used as a kitchen herb.
You can add it to your own herbal mixture, use it for herb quark, in a salad or in a homemade pesto.
According to Nabu, wild garlic also has “a calming effect on stomach and intestinal problems and can help to lower high blood pressure.” Wild garlic is therefore also good in a medicine cabinet.
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Wild garlic often grows in large quantities on damp forest soil.
But be careful when harvesting, because the plants could also be a poisonous double.
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
Wild garlic, lily of the valley or autumn crocus?
Caution!
The plants look very similar
Because wild garlic is becoming more and more popular, many people plant it in their own garden, but you can also search for the plant in the forest.
However, there is a deadly risk of confusion: wild garlic has two poisonous doubles - lily of the valley and autumn crocus.
The leaves of the three plants look confusingly similar.
This is how you can distinguish the leaves of wild garlic, lily of the valley and autumn crocus:
A basic rule:
Determine the plants on site.
If you collect everything in one basket, you can quickly lose track of things.
Location:
While wild garlic and autumn crocus grow in the same regions, lily of the valley is found in comparatively drier areas.
Appearance:
The individual leaves of wild garlic are easier to identify, while lily of the valley and autumn crocus often have several leaves curling around each other.
In addition, a wild garlic leaf has a shiny upper side, the underside is matt.
With the lily of the valley it is the other way around.
Smell:
If you rub a wild garlic leaf between your fingers, the typical penetrating smell of garlic is produced.
"Although the garlic-like smell is a typical feature of wild garlic, the plant is often confused with poisonous "doubles" such as lily of the valley or autumn crocus," says Professor Dr.
dr
Andreas Hensel, President of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
According to the findings of the BfR, such mix-ups lead to cases of poisoning, some of which are fatal, every season.
Once the plants start to flower, differentiation becomes easier.
The flowers can be assigned to the individual plants comparatively easily.
But how do the leaves of the wild garlic differ from those of the lily of the valley and the autumn crocus?
In order to avoid collecting the poisonous plants, one can examine the smell, location and appearance.
Wild garlic: massive risk of confusion?
Poisoning can occur
Wild garlic and lily of the valley are in season at about the same time, from mid-March to the end of May.
As a result, they can often be distinguished by the flowers alone.
Autumn crocuses, on the other hand, bloom in autumn, as the name suggests.
Before that, there is a massive risk of confusion due to the similarity of the leaves - and the risk of potentially fatal poisoning when consumed.
Both the leaves of the lily of the valley and those of the autumn crocus contain toxic substances.
These can lead to death in a person.
In the case of poisoning, symptoms usually appear two to six hours after consumption.
Cramps, diarrhea or vomiting can be the first symptoms and should immediately ring all alarm bells.
In addition, dizziness and blurred vision may occur.
In the worst case, poisoning by lily of the valley or autumn crocus can lead to heart failure.
The wild garlic and its poisonous doppelganger: Safety through smell test
Anyone looking for suitable kitchen and household helpers in the woods and meadows should follow a basic rule: all collected plants, mushrooms, berries and the like should always be identified on site.
Once everything ends up in one basket, it becomes difficult to distinguish the individual leaves from one another.
What is toxic - and what is not?
The shape of the stems or the leaf growth are then no longer meaningful.
Nevertheless, at least one feature can be trusted when looking for wild garlic - the smell.
"But the most characteristic thing is the smell: Only wild garlic leaves smell like garlic," explains Stefanie Klein, author of a wild garlic cookbook, explaining a crucial difference to the Berliner Kurier.
The Nabu also points out that hobby collectors can use the smell test to make sure that their basket really contains wild garlic - and none of its poisonous doubles.
List of rubrics: © Julian Stratenschulte/dpa