Wild Edible Greens

Eliza Frey with wild mustard in Frey biodynamic Cabernet vineyard.

After weeks of rain and the chill of the polar vortexes, spring is arriving in Mendocino County.  One of my favorite spring pastimes is taking to the fields and gathering wild spring greens, or edible weeds – a tonic to the body and the spirit.  With their beautiful shapes, shades of green and wide array of flavors, they make a wonderful addition to springtime cuisine.  Wild edibles spice up any salad or sandwich, add layers of flavor and texture to stir fries, deepen the flavors of soup or provide a unique garnish for any dish.

Wild edible plants connect us back to the abundance of Mother Nature, and to our ancestors, who relied on foraging for survival.  Wild plants don’t need humans to help them grow, and there is something beautiful and complete about their ability to get what they need and thrive on their own.  Gathering wild greens is easy and fun as long as you follow some common sense guidelines.

Make sure you know what you are eating!  Never eat any plant without first knowing that it is edible.  Many wild edibles have close look-alikes, so make sure you are well-informed before ingesting any new plant.

The information below does not include identification details for the listed plants.  A great way to make sure you’re being safe is to find a friend or neighbor who is knowledgeable and invite to come forage with you.  Local foraging classes and groups are popping up all over the nation. There are countless websites and books about gathering wild plants, and a quick internet search can connect you with plenty of resources. 

Edible weeds are only healthful when harvested from areas free of chemicals and pollutants.  Avoid harvesting from chemically maintained lawns, near motor roadways, non-organic farms or in areas where there may be high dog traffic.  After harvesting wild greens, make sure to wash them thoroughly.

Never harvest an entire stand of wild plants.  A general rule of thumb is to leave at least 2/3 of any given patch untouched, allowing the species to complete its life cycle and reproduce, and ensuring that there is plenty for wildlife.

The abundance and variety of wild edibles vary greatly among different climates and regions.  While the varieties listed below are available and abundant for Mendocino County, California, in spring, your location will ultimately dictate what you have access to and when.

Here are a handful of my favorite green treats to gather on the Frey Ranch in late winter and early spring:

Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)

Miner's lettuce, an annual flowering plant, is also known as Indian lettuce, spring beauty, and winter purslane.  Native to the west coast of North America, it prefers cool wet areas, and in inland Mendocino County it is available from Late January to April.  Fleshy stems lead to rounded rosette leaves that cup the morning dew.   White or pink flowers develop on a slender stem that grows out of the center of the leaf.  It is abundant at the edges of our vineyards, in shady areas at the forest’s edge.

It is best picked when fresh and green, before flowering.  The stems are crisp and juicy, and the leaves are tender with a mild watery flavor, well suited as the base of a salad, or used as a substitute for lettuce in any context.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Chickweed is a low growing annual that reseeds yearly and emerges in late winter, as rainfall and warmer temperatures allow germination.  Its tiny leaves climb wispy mats of stems in semi shaded edge areas and sunny fields.  As it matures tiny white flowers form at each leaf node.

It has a pleasant, mild flavor and is a great substitute for sprouts on sandwiches and in wraps.  It is also lovely in salad.  It gets slimy when cooked so try enjoying it raw.  For larger, leggy plants, you may want to use only the leaves, as the stems can be a bit fibrous.  Chickweed doesn’t store well, and is best eaten within a few hours of harvest.

Common Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale subsp. vulgare)

This is the most common variety of dandelion, although there are thousands.  Dandelion is a perennial plant native to Europe.  In California jagged leaves re-sprout from taproots in the late winter.  In wetter climates the greens can be harvested throughout the growing season.  A thick, fleshy stem develops and forms bright yellow, multi-petaled flowers that eventually turn into globes of fluff that scatter on the wind with our wishes.

Dandelion’s nutritional value eclipses most of the fruits and vegetables you can buy in the grocery store!  It is recognized as a tonic for the liver, kidneys, blood, and digestion.

Dandelion has an intense bitter flavor that is somewhat of an acquired taste.  The entire plant, including the leaves, stems, flowers, and roots, is edible and nutritious, packed with vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, thiamin, riboflavin, beta-carotene, and fiber.  Due to their intense flavor, greens are often cooked and are delicious with a bright lemony dressing.  The flowers of dandelion are also beautiful and pungent before they start to form seed heads, great as a garnish or sautéed with garlic.  Dried and roasted roots can be ground and brewed as dandelion coffee, and are an ingredient in traditional root beer.

Wild Mustard at Frey Vineyards

Wild Mustard (Brassica Spp.)

Wild Mustard is found all over the world and mustard and its cousins radish and turnip have been grown since ancient times.  Here in Mendocino County the spring brings an explosion of color as the bright yellow flowers fill the vineyards, delighting bees and foragers alike.  Mature plants can be up to 4 feet tall, but they are tastiest when harvested young.

The mustard flower is a beautiful garnish on salads, with a rich pollen-like flavor and gentle heat.  The greens need to be harvested young, as they get spiny as the plant reaches maturity.  They are a wonderful addition to any stir fry, chopped fresh in potato salad, or served wilted with a vinaigrette dressing.

As flowers drop and the plant forms seed-pods, the tender green pods can be harvested and pickled.  As the plant finishes its life cycle the mature seeds can be harvested and ground into mustard.

Sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella)

Sheep's sorrel is a low growing perennial herb in the buckwheat family is native to North America.  It makes its home in disturbed soils and spreads from seeds and fleshy, horizontal roots. Clumps of green arrow shaped leaves form at the base of the plant, which redden as the plant grows and forms upright flower stalks for tiny reddish-brown flowers and seed pods. 

Tender green leaves have an intensely tart lemon flavor that is a great accent in salads and soups, and adds pop to pesto.  Its seeds are also edible and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Winter Pea Shoots (Pisum sativum)

While winter peas are not wild in our vineyards, they are part of our annual cover crop mix.  Peas are legumes that fix nitrogen into the soil.  They grow tendrils that help them climb amid ryegrass and bell beans and have fleshy silvery leaves that form in whorls along the rigid stem, and they form beautiful edible pink flowers as temperatures rise.

Harvest the top 2-4 inches of the pea shoots to enjoy their distinctly sweet and nutty flavor that is wonderful raw or cooked.  Try them sautéed with garlic and olive oil or in place of spinach in your favorite soup.  The flowers are tender and mild and gorgeous as a garnish or salad ingredient.  Consider adding them to a winter cover crop for a delicious supply of late winter greens!

Happy Foraging!