When: Spring to early summerStinging nettle: young shoot tips
Remember: Collect with gloves, blanch briefly – then nothing stings.
Open entry: Collecting and preparing stinging nettleSeasons
Outdoors through the year
Every season sets different tasks. Choose a season and see what matters now in Central Europe.
Timings shift with altitude, region and weather. Only gather what you know 100 % for sure – never mushrooms.
March – May
Spring
Everything grows – and the nights are still cold.
The first young leaves and shoots appear, streams carry a lot of water after snowmelt and rain, and days are often mild. But nights can still freeze, and this is when foraging mix-ups begin.
What you can gather now
Only from the wild plant entries – each with the most important safety point.
- 1Only eat what you know 100 %
- 2Never mushrooms
- 3When in doubt: leave it
In spring especially, autumn crocus and lily of the valley grow next to wild garlic and have similar leaves. Only gather what you know 100 %.
- When: Spring to early summer
When: SpringDandelion and plantain: young, tender leaves
Remember: Only harvest where the flower or flower spike clearly belongs to the plant.
Open entry: Dandelion and plantain
When: SpringCattail: young shoots
Remember: Only with last year's heads at the site, only from clean water, always cook.
Open entry: Cattail (Typha) as food
When: SpringSpruce: young, light-green shoot tips for tea
Remember: Only spruce or Scots pine – yew is deadly poisonous.
Open entry: Needle tea from spruce and pine – and why yew is deadly
When: SpringChickweed
Remember: Check the look-alikes and features in the entry.
Open entry: Chickweed: a tender wild salad almost all year
When: Early spring, before the leaves openBirch sap
Remember: Only with permission and as described in the entry.
Open entry: Collecting birch sap: water from the tree in spring
Water, fire, shelter
Lots of water, often cloudy
After snowmelt and rain, streams carry more and cloudier water. Let cloudy water settle or pre-filter it first, then boil it. Don't cross streams without a bridge now.
Cold nights
Even after a warm day it can still freeze at night. Plan thick insulation against the ground and warm, dry clothes for the night.
Dry old grass burns easily
Before everything turns green, dry grass and last year's leaves lie around. Forest fire danger can be high in spring too: check the rules and danger level before every fire.
Dangers of the season
Wild garlic confusion
Autumn crocus and lily of the valley are poisonous and resemble wild garlic. The garlic smell is not a reliable test. If you don't know the differences for certain, don't gather wild garlic.
Ticks become active
Wear long clothing and check yourself after every outing – especially the backs of the knees, groin, armpits and, for children, the head and hairline.
High water in streams
Meltwater and rain make streams rise quickly. Banks can be undercut. Keep your distance and avoid crossings.
Briefly explained, details in the entries. If poisoning or another emergency is suspected: 112 (in Austria also 144). Austrian Poison Information Centre: +43 1 406 43 43.