Danger of confounding: wild garlic from lily of the valley, autumn and other plants

From the beginning of March to the end of May is finally bearish time. The joy of the fresh greenery and the accompanying delicious dishes is great. However, the risk of confusion with other toxic plant species is always present. Since most of these plants grow at the same time as wild garlic, are poisonous, or can even be fatal, you should be very safe in the determination.


Bear the garlic correctly


First and foremost, an important basic rule when collecting wild plants: determine the plants outside on the spot ! Once you have collected all the leaves in the basket, it is much more difficult to distinguish the plants from certain characteristics such as stalk form.

The most important distinguishing feature between wild garlic and the other plant species is the strong and unique smell of garlic , which emanates when a leaf is rubbed between the fingers. If the leaves do not emit this intense, garlic-like odor, it is not a wild garlic. But be careful : If you have already rubbed some leaves of the bear's louse, the fingers smell very strongly and the reliable determination by this method is no longer possible. Therefore, other features must be used.

The leaves are decisive for this, since they are first expelled and are usually collected before flowering. The bear's garlic has broad-oval leaves , each with a leaf stalk , which is distinctly pronounced with the leaves. Characteristic are the matte leaves and the parallel nervous leaves . The stem is triangular and hollow.

The location is also important for the distinction. Bear's garlic is found in shaded and nutrient-rich foliage and meadows .
Bear garlic from lily of the valley



Bearwood is most often mixed with the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) because the leaves are also broadly oval. A distinctive distinctive feature is the shining leaf base . Unlike the bear's garlic, the lily of the valley forms two large leaves , which sit on the same stem and enclose it. In addition, they are inserted into the sheath , which later turns brownish.

The bear's garlic also grows earlier in the year, while the lily of the valley does not expel from the middle of April . The distinction on the basis of flowers is particularly difficult with the lily of the valley, because in shaded forests often only the leaves and no flowers form.

If the observation of the leaves or the determination of the odor does not lead to any reliable result, the roots offer themselves as the last possibility for differentiation. While the bear's garlic forms an onion, rhizomous, horizontal roots grow on the lily of the valley . For the detection, it is enough to free the root or onion somewhat and cover the exposed areas with soil again.