Foraging Wild Weeds & Seasonal Greens

By Susan Belsinger

Springtime is my favorite time of year because the earth awakens and sends up green growing plants, which provide us with the first garden harvests: spring tonic weeds packed full of nutrients and vitamins. I do forage quite a bit on my own wherever I might be, however it is much more fun to herborize with friends. I co-teach a “Wild Weeds and Seasonal Greens” class with fellow herbalist, Tina Marie Wilcox. Some of the info in this intro, we co-authored together when collaborating on our classes. 

I quite agree with this thoughtful and heartfelt quote by John Forti from The Heirloom Gardener: “When I forage, I feel I am rediscovering forgotten places and gifts left by the people who lived here before me. Establishing a connection to place as deep as the native plants I encounter, and as far flung as the immigrants who settled and brought the plants they loved to the landscape before me. Generations of recipes, customs, and seasonal foodways.” 

While I forage berries, roots, bark, seeds and nuts, I am concentrating on wild weeds, greens and flowers here. Wild, edible greens are powerful, good food and offer a variety of flavors for free. Wise gardeners and farmers the world over use many of the plants that have successfully colonized the soil as beneficial allies. This is in sharp contrast to modern landscape and agriculture methods that strive to completely control the species of plants growing on the land, regarding all volunteers as weeds. 

To be safe, harvest wild greens from areas that you know are not contaminated with toxic chemicals and are not close to a highway where they could be polluted from exhaust. The wild greens listed below are often found growing as weeds in vegetable gardens or nearby along a wood’s edge. 

You must be certain to correctly identify all plants before gathering and eating them; it is your responsibility to practice safety. It is a great pleasure to harvest healthy food from the wild, and even more fun if you are botanizing with other like-minded individuals, who are experienced wild weed purveyors. Then you can work together to find these plants and identify them correctly. Note: the same rules apply for foraging mushrooms at which I am a novice—I know of a certain few in my neck of the woods—however, I don’t harvest mushrooms that I do not know unless I am with an expert. 

Also, it is good to be aware of the optimum time to harvest the different plant parts, noted by Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han in their wonderful book Wild Remedies: “As a general guideline, harvest when the energy is in the part of the plant you’d like to use. For example, gather leaves while they are vibrant and fresh looking, before the plant flowers. Harvest flowers just before or shortly after bloom. Collect fruits when ripe, and seeds when ripe and dry. Dig roots when the energy of the plant has died back, between late summer and early spring.”

You will need a gathering pouch or sack (good to have your hands free) in which to put your bounty as you harvest and gather, as well as your choice of cutting tools to cut the plant material with: pruners, garden shears or a sharp knife. Gloves are of utmost importance if gathering nettles or rubus. Always remember to harvest carefully and thoughtfully; never harvest the first plants that you see, never harvest all of a patch of plants—do not overharvest—take what you need and leave plenty of plants left behind.  

To quickly capture the best flavor and nutrients, bring the greens to the kitchen as soon as they are harvested. Assemble a salad spinner or washing bowl, a cutting board and a compost bucket. Fill the spinner or bowl with fresh water and add about 1/4 cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar. 

Methodically pull the tender leaves from the stems. Pinch off leaves with yellow edges, brown or black spots. Discard wilted, spoiled or badly bug-eaten leaves in the compost bucket. Place the edible parts in the vinegar water as you work and submerge the mass in the water, plunging up and down several times to loosen foreign matter. Let the greens soak in the water for several minutes and the grit will fall to the bottom of the container. Lift them out and drain them. Discard the vinegar water and spin or pat the greens dry; store these ready-to-eat greens in the refrigerator.

Greens are best soon after they are harvested, however they can be washed and dried and kept refrigerated for a few days. I find that wrapping them in a cotton flour-sack towel and placing them in the crisper drawer, that they will keep for a few days.

By no means complete, since there are infinite edible weeds to be found—and they vary depending upon where you live—here are some wild weeds and seasonal greens that I forage from my yard and garden to create wild weed salsa verde, soup, salad, a mess o’greens, and more.

Some wild & seasonal greens foraged in my neck of the woods—early spring to midsummer:

Alliaria petiolata ~ garlic mustard leaves & flowers

Allium spp. ~ wild onions & garlic, bulblets & leaves 

Amaranthus spp. ~ amaranth leaves, tender stems, flowers & seeds

Chenopodium alba ~ lamb’s quarters leaves

Eruca sativa ~ arugula leaves & flowers 

Foeniculum vulgare ~ fennel leaves & flowers

Lepidium spp. ~ field cress leaves & flowers

Lindera benzoin ~ spicebush leaves & berries 

Monarda didyma, M. fistulosa ~ bee balm leaves & flowers 

Nasturtium officinale, N. tropaeolum ~ watercress & nasturtium leaves & flowers

Oxalis stricta ~ wood sorrel leaves, flowers & immature seed pods

Petroselinum spp. ~ parsley leaves & flowers

Portulaca oleracea ~ purslane stems, leaves & flowers

Rhus typhina, R. glabra, R. aromatica, R. copallinum ~  staghorn sumac, smooth, fragrant & winged sumac ripe fruit  

Rosa spp. ~ rose flowers & hips

Rubus spp. ~ raspberry & blackberry leaves, flowers & berries

Rumex acetosa, R. acetosella, R. crispus ~ sorrel, sheep sorrel & yellow dock leaves

Sambucus canadensis ~ elder flowers & berries

Sonchus arvensis ~ sow thistle leaves & flowers

Stellaria media ~ chickweed leaves & flowers

Taraxacum officinale ~ dandelion leaves & flowers 

Sassafras albidum ~ sassafras leaves

 Urtica dioica, Laportea canadensis ~ stinging nettle & wood nettle leaves, flowers, seeds

Viola spp. ~ violet leaves & flowers; pansy & Johnny-jump-up flowers 

wild greens salsa verde

This traditional green sauce goes well with any type of vegetable whether it is grilled, steamed, oven-roasted, or crudités; it is also good with simply prepared meat, chicken, or fish and pasta, or even tortilla chips. Vary the herbs that you have on hand, or what is in season. When I can, I make this a wild green sauce by adding whatever I can forage: dead nettle, henbit, sorrel, chickweed, dandelion greens and/or flowers, purslane, lambs’ quarters, nettles, violet leaves, field cress, bee balm, wild onions, or garlic. You can fill in with any seasonal greens from the garden if need be like parsley, fennel fronds, cilantro, arugula, spinach, etc. Sometimes I add other ingredients—about 1 tablespoon of capers, a boiled egg, chopped, or a handful of nuts like pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans. The sauce can be made without the bread; it just helps to thicken it a bit.

flavor therapy

Δ This sauce literally tap dances on your tongue with so many flavors: mineral salts, bitter, sour, sweet & umami.

Δ Highly nutritious, packed full of vitamins, minerals & fiber—this is green energy!

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1 1-inch slice country bread, crusts removed

3 large garlic cloves, slivered

About 1/2 cup olive oil

About 3 to 4 cups of mixed edible green leaves, picked over, washed and spun dry 

1/4 cup minced sweet-tasting onion

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Soak the bread in a little water for 10 minutes, then squeeze most of the liquid from it. Add the bread and the garlic to the mortar or food processor and pound or pulse to coarsely chop.

Rough chop the greens. Add them a handful at a time—and pound them in a mortar and pestle—or chop in a food processor. Use a little olive oil to loosen them.

Add the olive oil to the herbs as if making a mayonnaise, a few drops at a time, blending or pulsing to incorporate.

When most of the oil has been added, blend in the onion and vinegar. If you want to add capers, nuts or a hardboiled egg, now is the time; pulse or pound to mix. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. The sauce should be a little thinner than pesto—add a bit more oil, vinegar or even a bit of water if need be. 

Let the sauce stand at least 30 minutes before using—that way the flavors will develop and meld. Adjust the seasoning and serve at room temperature. The olive oil will not emulsify completely; a little will remain on top of the sauce. Store any leftover sauce in a tightly-covered glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

creative possibilities

Δ Vary the wild & cultivated greens each season to suit your taste.

Δ Use your favorite herb vinegar, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice in place of white wine vinegar. Start with a little & season to taste.

Δ Leave out the bread & add a handful of ground nuts like walnuts, pecans, almonds or pumpkin seeds.

This information and recipe is excerpted from the perfect bite by Susan Belsinger, Balboa Press, 2022.

Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a healthcare provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.

Photo Credits: 1) Wild weed salad; 2) Washing foraged greens; 3) Wilting foraged greens; 4) Making salsa verde in mortar and pestle; 5) Close-up of salsa verde. All photos courtesy of the author.

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Susan Belsinger lives an herbal life, whether she is gardening, foraging, herborizing, photographing, teaching, researching, writing, or creating herbal recipes for the kitchen or apothecary—she is passionate about all things herbal. Referred to as a “flavor artist,” Susan delights in kitchen alchemy—the blending of harmonious foods, herbs, and spices—to create real, delicious food, as well as libations, that nourish our bodies and spirits and titillate our senses. There is nothing she likes better than an herbal adventure, whether it’s a wild weed walk, herb conference, visiting gardens or cultivating her own, or the sensory experience of herbs through touch, smell, taste, and sight.

Susan is a member of the Potomac and the Ozark Units of The Herb Society of America and served as Honorary President (2018 – 2020). Her latest publication, Growing Your Own Herbs: The 40 Best Culinary Varieties for Home Gardens (2019, Timber Press), co-authored by Susan Belsinger and Arthur O. Tucker, is a revised, concise version for gardeners and cooks of The Culinary Herbal: Growing & Preserving 97 Flavorful Herbs (2016). Her latest book, the perfect bite, was published in 2022. After blogging for Taunton Press’ www.vegetablegardener.com for the past eight years, those blogs (over 484 to be exact) are now posted at https://www.finegardening.com/?s=susan%20belsinger. To order books, go to susanbelsinger.com.