Every year at the beginning of spring, wild garlic lures with culinary promises. A little guide on how to avoid the dangerous confusion with poisonous lily of the valley and autumn crocus.
Every year, spring lures not only with the first rays of sunshine and primroses, but also with culinary heralds of spring: the smell of wild garlic already stings the nose of sun-seeking walkers in parks and forests. Its leaves are not only tasty, they are also used as a remedy for atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, as well as for detoxification. But the plant looks confusingly similar to lily of the valley and autumn crocus, which can be fatal.
The pungent smell of garlic is unique and can be felt from several meters away, but appearances can be deceiving. The most important characteristic of wild garlic: Its leaves sprout individually from the ground and are clearly divided into a lanceolate leaf surface and a thin leaf stalk. When ripped, the juice smells strongly of garlic.
Garlic Flavor, Poisonous Mixture
But wild garlic often occurs at the same time as the deadly poisonous autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale). Their leaves are narrow and elongated, sit on the stalk without a stalk and sprout from the ground in bunches. The younger ones are embraced by the older shoots. Autumn crocus juice is odorless. If you have previously collected wild garlic, the juice sticking to your hands can simulate a garlic scent when you check it.
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Autumn crocus leaves: They can be deadly. (c) imago images/Manfred Ruckszio
Just three to four leaves of the autumn crocus can be deadly. The cell toxin contained in the plant – colchicine – only takes effect after several hours. The first symptoms of poisoning appear in the form of nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea follows, intestinal, blood and bone marrow cells are destroyed, which can lead to death after about two days.
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WHAT
Lily of the Valley and Garden Tulip
Confusion with lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) usually does not have such serious consequences: glycosides are toxic to humans and can cause cardiac arrhythmias. However, these are poorly absorbed by the intestines and quickly excreted by the kidneys. Life-threatening poisoning is rare. The plant usually grows in pairs, with older leaves embracing the younger ones.
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Beautiful to look at, but inedible: lily of the valley. WHAT /Gindl
The leaves of the poisonous garden tulip (Tulipa hybrids), which occasionally goes wild, can also cause deadly confusion. If the flowering plant does not flower, it only develops a single leaf that resembles wild garlic. It contains tulipin, which has a similar effect to the colchicine of autumn crocus. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea can occur just 15 minutes after consumption. Severe poisoning ultimately leads to shock, apathy and, in the worst case, death due to respiratory failure.
Where the search is worthwhile
Wild garlic grows in shady, humus-rich meadows and river forests with a particularly large number of nutrients. In the Alps you can find the 15 to 30 centimeter long leaves and stems up to an altitude of 1700 meters. In the kitchen, only young leaves before flowering are used. Since the “wild garlic” only grows locally in large quantities, only one or two leaves should be plucked off and the onion left buried.
The garlic-like taste of wild garlic is milder than garden garlic and, when consumed in moderate quantities, does not cause an annoying smell. Fresh leaves are best used for seasoning. Wild garlic should generally not be cooked, but mixed raw with hot dishes – such as soups, sauces and vegetables – or used in salads. The plant is not only healthy for humans: bears are said to also look for the herb after hibernation to cleanse their stomach, intestines and blood.
(APA/red)
