Where to find wild garlic in Dorset

March, April and May are the wild garlic months. Also known as ramsons or their scientific name Allium ursinum, these pungent plants are great for eating and the flowers look fabulous too. Growing in dense clumps, woodland floors can look very dramatic in spring so it’s well worth taking a walk to see them.

The plants are easy to distinguish from others that might look the same – the smell gives them away!

The flavour of wild garlic is less strong than traditional bulb garlic. All parts of the plant are edible and there are some great recipes around, inlcuding for pestos and in stir frys. They’re also great in omelettes.

The white clusters of star-like flowers liven up any salad and the leaves are great raw but can be blanched and frozen, or blended with olive oil and frozen.

Where to find wild garlic

Wild garlic can be found in Kilwood Nature Reserve, Powerstock Woods, Garston Wood, Kingswood, Edmund Combe Coppice and Declombe Woods.

Foraging

If you’re foraging it should be for your own use. Only take a small amount, make sure you have the right plant and don’t dig anything up.

Bluebells

If you’re out and about later in the wild garlic season, you’re also likely to spot beautiful native bluebells.