What to Forage in March: Wild Garlic, Nettles & Spring Greens
March is when the countryside wakes up. After the quiet patience of winter, the hedgerows suddenly burst into life. Green shoots push through the soil, woodland floors turn white with wild garlic flowers, and the air smells fresh and earthy and full of promise.
This is the month foragers wait for all winter. The true start of the foraging season. The month when you can finally fill your basket with tender greens, pungent wild garlic, and the first young nettles of the year.
If you've never foraged before, March is the perfect time to start. The plants are easy to identify, abundant, and absolutely delicious. So grab your basket, pull on your boots, and let's see what the spring countryside has to offer.
What to Forage in March
1. Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)
Where to find it: Damp woodland, shaded riverbanks, hedgerows near streams. Wild garlic loves moisture and partial shade.
How to identify it: This is the big one—the plant everyone's looking for in March. Wild garlic grows in dense carpets, with broad, bright green leaves that emerge from the ground in clusters. The leaves are smooth, lance-shaped, and smell strongly of garlic when crushed. In late March and April, you'll see beautiful white star-shaped flowers.
The smell test: This is your foolproof identification method. Crush a leaf between your fingers. If it smells like garlic, it's wild garlic. If it doesn't, leave it alone—there are toxic lookalikes (like lily-of-the-valley) that look similar but don't smell of garlic.
Why it's brilliant: Wild garlic is one of the most versatile and delicious wild foods in the UK. The leaves have a mild, fresh garlic flavour (less harsh than cultivated garlic), and you can use them in almost anything. Plus, it's absolutely everywhere in March—once you find one patch, you'll start seeing it everywhere.
What to make: Wild garlic pesto (the classic), wild garlic butter, wild garlic soup, add to salads, stir into risotto, make wild garlic bread, or simply wilt into pasta.
Foraging tip: Pick the younger, smaller leaves—they're more tender and less fibrous. Avoid leaves that are yellowing or damaged. And never pick more than you need—wild garlic is abundant, but leave plenty for wildlife and other foragers.
Safety note: The toxic lookalike is lily-of-the-valley, which has similar leaves but NO garlic smell. Always do the smell test. If in doubt, leave it out.
2. Young Nettles (Urtica dioica)
Where to find them: Everywhere—woodland edges, hedgerows, waste ground, gardens, anywhere nitrogen-rich. Nettles thrive in disturbed soil.
How to identify them: You probably already know what nettles look like—they're the plants that sting you when you brush past them. In March, look for the fresh young shoots, no more than 15-20cm tall. The leaves are heart-shaped, serrated, and covered in tiny stinging hairs. They grow in opposite pairs along the stem.
Why March is perfect: Young spring nettles are tender, mild, and packed with nutrients (iron, calcium, vitamins A and C). Once nettles flower (usually May onwards), they become tough and bitter—so March and April are your window.
Why they're brilliant: Nettles are one of the most nutritious wild foods you can forage. They taste like a cross between spinach and cucumber, with a fresh, green flavour. And they're free, abundant, and grow almost everywhere.
What to make: Nettle soup (the classic), nettle pesto, nettle tea, nettle spanakopita, or blanch and use like spinach in any recipe.
Foraging tip: Wear gloves! Pick only the top 4-6 leaves from each plant—these are the most tender. The stinging hairs are neutralised by cooking or drying, so don't worry about getting stung when you eat them.
How to handle nettles: Fold the leaf in half (so the stinging hairs are on the inside) and pinch the stem. Or just wear gloves. Once you get home, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds—the sting disappears completely.
3. Three-Cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum)
Where to find it: Hedgerows, roadside verges, woodland edges, waste ground. Common in southern England and Wales, less common further north.
How to identify it: Three-cornered leek has long, narrow leaves (like chives) and distinctive white bell-shaped flowers with a green stripe down each petal. The stem is triangular in cross-section (hence "three-cornered"). It smells mildly of onion/garlic when crushed.
Why it's brilliant: It's like a milder, sweeter version of wild garlic. The leaves, flowers, and bulbs are all edible. It's also considered invasive in some areas, so foraging it is actually helpful.
What to make: Use like wild garlic—in pesto, salads, soups, or as a garnish. The flowers are beautiful in salads.
Foraging tip: You can dig up the small white bulbs (they look like mini spring onions) and use them like shallots. Just make sure you're on land where you're allowed to dig.
4. Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Where to find it: Coastal areas, hedgerows, waste ground, roadsides. Common near the sea.
How to identify it: Alexanders looks a bit like celery—thick, hollow stems, glossy dark green leaves divided into three leaflets, and clusters of yellow-green flowers (in late March/April). It smells strongly of celery when crushed.
Why it's brilliant: Before celery was cultivated, people ate alexanders. The young stems taste like a cross between celery and parsley—slightly bitter, aromatic, and delicious.
What to make: Peel the stems (the outer layer can be stringy) and use like celery—in soups, stews, stir-fries, or raw in salads. The flower buds can be pickled like capers.
Foraging tip: Pick the young stems before they get too tough. The plant gets more bitter as it matures.
5. Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria)
Where to find it: Gardens, woodland edges, hedgerows, waste ground. It's considered a weed by gardeners, so you'll often find it in abundance.
How to identify it: Ground elder has bright green leaves divided into three oval leaflets with serrated edges. It grows in dense patches and spreads via underground rhizomes (which is why gardeners hate it). In late spring, it produces white umbrella-shaped flower clusters.
Why it's brilliant: Ground elder was introduced by the Romans as a vegetable. It has a mild, slightly celery-like flavour and is packed with vitamins. And because it's so invasive, you're doing gardeners a favour by foraging it.
What to make: Use the young leaves like spinach—in soups, stir-fries, or wilted into pasta. Older leaves can be tough, so stick to the tender new growth.
Foraging tip: Pick before it flowers for the best flavour. And if you find it in your garden, eat it rather than trying to dig it out—it's almost impossible to eradicate.
6. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Where to find it: Meadows, grassland, woodland edges, hedgerows. Prefers slightly acidic soil.
How to identify it: Sorrel has arrow-shaped leaves with backwards-pointing lobes at the base (like an arrowhead). The leaves are bright green and grow in rosettes. In late spring, it produces tall spikes of reddish-brown flowers.
Why it's brilliant: Sorrel has a sharp, lemony flavour (due to oxalic acid) that's absolutely delicious in salads or soups. It's like adding a squeeze of lemon to your dish.
What to make: Add raw to salads (use sparingly—it's quite sharp), make sorrel soup (a French classic), or wilt into omelettes and quiches.
Foraging tip: Pick the younger leaves—they're less acidic. Don't eat huge quantities if you have kidney problems (oxalic acid can be an issue in large amounts).
7. Primrose Flowers (Primula vulgaris)
Where to find them: Woodland edges, hedgerows, grassy banks. Primroses love dappled shade.
How to identify them: You probably already know primroses—pale yellow flowers with five petals, growing on short stems close to the ground. They're one of the first wildflowers of spring.
Why they're brilliant: Primrose flowers are edible and beautiful. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavour and make salads look absolutely stunning.
What to make: Scatter over salads, crystallise for cake decorations, or infuse in vinegar or syrup.
Foraging tip: Only pick a few flowers from each plant—leave plenty for the bees and for the plant to set seed. Primroses are protected in some areas, so check local regulations.
8. Violet Flowers (Viola odorata)
Where to find them: Woodland edges, hedgerows, shaded banks. Violets love cool, damp spots.
How to identify them: Small purple or white flowers with five petals, heart-shaped leaves, and a sweet scent. They grow low to the ground in small clumps.
Why they're brilliant: Violet flowers are edible, beautiful, and smell amazing. They have a delicate, slightly sweet flavour.
What to make: Crystallise for cake decorations, add to salads, infuse in syrup, or make violet jelly.
Foraging tip: Like primroses, only pick a few flowers from each plant. And make sure you're picking sweet violets (Viola odorata), not dog violets (which are edible but tasteless).
How to Identify Wild Garlic Safely
Because wild garlic is the star of March foraging, let's talk about safe identification in detail.
Wild Garlic (SAFE):
- Broad, lance-shaped leaves
- Grows in dense carpets
- Smells strongly of garlic when crushed
- White star-shaped flowers (late March/April)
- Grows in damp woodland
Lily-of-the-Valley (TOXIC):
- Similar broad leaves
- Grows in smaller clumps
- NO garlic smell
- White bell-shaped flowers (May)
- Prefers drier woodland
Lords-and-Ladies (TOXIC):
- Arrow-shaped leaves (more pointed than wild garlic)
- Often has dark spots on leaves
- NO garlic smell
- Produces red berries in autumn
- Grows in hedgerows and woodland
The foolproof test: Crush a leaf and smell it. If it smells like garlic, it's wild garlic. If it doesn't, leave it alone.
What You'll Need for March Foraging
A Good Basket
March is when your foraging basket really earns its keep. You'll be bringing home armfuls of wild garlic, bunches of nettles, and handfuls of spring greens. A proper wicker basket lets everything breathe and keeps your finds fresh.
The Hedgerow Berry Picking Basket is perfect for spring foraging—handwoven from sustainable willow, with a sturdy handle that won't break under the weight of a good haul.
Gloves
Essential for nettles. Bring two pairs—one for picking, one for your pocket in case the first pair gets wet.
Scissors or Secateurs
For cleanly cutting stems without damaging the plant.
A Foraging Guide
Even though wild garlic is easy to identify, it's always good to have a field guide for reference. We recommend "Food for Free" by Richard Mabey or "The Forager's Calendar" by John Wright.
A Bag for Nettles
If you're picking a lot of nettles, bring a separate bag (they'll sting through your basket).
Waterproof Boots
March can be muddy, especially in the damp woodland where wild garlic grows.
Recipe: Wild Garlic Pesto
The classic March recipe. This pesto is fresh, vibrant, and tastes like spring.
Ingredients:
- 100g wild garlic leaves (washed and roughly chopped)
- 50g toasted pine nuts (or walnuts, or sunflower seeds)
- 50g Parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese)
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden (watch them—they burn quickly).
- Put the wild garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan in a food processor.
- Pulse a few times to break everything down.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until you get a smooth paste.
- Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Store in a jar in the fridge (top with a thin layer of olive oil to preserve).
Uses: Toss with pasta, spread on toast, stir into risotto, dollop on soup, or use as a marinade for chicken or fish.
Storage: Keep in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.
The Joy of March Foraging
March foraging feels different from any other month. After the quiet patience of winter, the countryside suddenly feels alive again. The hedgerows are green, the woodland floors are carpeted with wild garlic, and everywhere you look, there's something new pushing through the soil.
It's the month when foraging stops being a quiet, solitary activity and becomes something joyful. You'll see other foragers out with their baskets, families teaching their children to identify wild garlic, and dog walkers stopping to pick a few nettle tops.
And there's something deeply satisfying about coming home with a basket full of wild garlic and nettles—about making pesto from something you gathered yourself, about eating soup made from plants that grew in the woodland down the road.
March reminds us that the best things are often free, abundant, and growing right under our noses. We just have to slow down enough to notice them.
So this March, take a walk in the woods. Look for the white carpets of wild garlic. Pick a few nettle tops. And see what the spring countryside has to offer.
Next month: What to Forage in April: Spring Herbs & Early Blossoms (coming 1 April 2026)
Last month: What to Forage in February: Late Winter Finds
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes. Always be 100% certain of plant identification before consuming wild food. The Timeless Trading Co. is not responsible for misidentification or adverse reactions. When in doubt, consult an expert forager or field guide.
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