What’s Growing Under Your Boots? 5 Wild Edibles to Look For Right Now

Spring’s finally here, and with it comes a ton of green popping up all over the place. If you live in Pennsylvania, chances are you’ve already seen some of these plants without even realizing they’re edible. They grow in yards, parks, trails—pretty much anywhere that hasn’t been sprayed or mowed down yet.

This time of year is perfect for spotting a few common wild edibles. They’re not only easy to find, but they’ve also been used for food and medicine for generations. Here are a few of the ones showing up right now that are worth paying attention to:

Onion Grass

That strong onion smell you get when mowing the lawn? That’s probably onion grass. It grows in little clumps with hollow, green blades and tiny white bulbs. It’s part of the same family as garlic and leeks.

You can chop it up and use it just like chives—throw it on eggs, mix it into butter, whatever you like. Just make sure you’re picking from a clean area (not along a roadside or anywhere that might’ve been sprayed).

Chickweed

This one creeps along the ground in bright green mats, usually with little white flowers that look like tiny stars. Chickweed is crunchy, juicy, and mild—really good in salads or even sautéed a bit like spinach.

It’s actually packed with vitamins and minerals too, which is a nice bonus. Just pick it before it gets too hot outside, because it can get stringy in the summer.

Clover (Red or White)

Yep, that stuff all over your yard. Red clover grows a little taller with pinkish flowers, while white clover stays low to the ground with—you guessed it—white blooms.

The flowers can be dried and made into tea, and young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Red clover has a bit more of a sweet taste, while white is pretty mild. Either way, it’s another one of those plants people step on all the time without realizing it’s useful.

Stinging Nettle

Sounds scary, but don’t let the name stop you. Yes, it’ll sting if you touch it raw, but once it’s cooked or dried, the sting goes away and you’re left with a super nutritious green.

It usually grows along edges of woods or near damp areas. Nettles are loaded with iron and protein and taste great in soups or as a cooked green. Just wear gloves when harvesting and toss them into boiling water for a minute or two before eating.

Dandelion

Probably the most well-known “weed” out there. The whole plant is edible—from the yellow flowers to the leaves to the roots.

Young leaves are great in salads (they’re a little bitter, like arugula), flowers can be fried up or turned into jelly, and the roots can be dried and used as a coffee alternative. Dandelions are packed with vitamins and are way more useful than most people think.

A Few Quick Tips Before You Start Foraging:

• Make sure you’re picking from clean areas that haven’t been sprayed.

• Learn how to ID the plants properly—some edible ones have toxic look-alikes.

• Don’t take everything. Leave some behind so the plant can keep growing.

• Wash everything before eating, just like store-bought produce.

This is the kind of stuff that reminds us how much nature provides, even in the simplest ways. It doesn’t take a trip into the deep woods to start learning—just take a walk around your yard or local park and look down. There’s a good chance something good is already growing at your feet.