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The Native Note
Week 2: Foraging 101
Stan Lawson
May 19, 2025
Foraging with your feet.
Greenbriar, Chickweed & Wild Garlic
Greenbriar has sharp thorns, i’ve often found it by painful accident.
When the land wakes up in spring, it doesn’t whisper,it shouts.If you’ve been walking with your eyes open, you’ve probably already stepped over dinner without realizing it. This week, we’re tuning our senses to the overlooked and underfoot. The wild is generous, but she doesn’t always wave a flag. 1.Greenbriar (Smilax spp.) • Look for: Tender green shoots spiraling up from thorny vines. Young tips snap clean like asparagus. • Habitat: Wood edges, hedgerows, disturbed areas. • Taste: Mild, green, slightly nutty. • Note: If it stabs you on the way in but feeds you on the way out—it’s probably Greenbriar. 2. Chickweed (Stellaria media) • Look for: Low-growing mat of bright green leaves with tiny white star-shaped flowers. • Habitat: Garden beds, shady patches, sidewalk cracks. • Taste: Crisp, almost like corn silk meets spinach. • ID tip: One fine hairline down the stem—like it’s wearing a single-thread scarf. 3. Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) • Look for: Tall, slender green shoots with a hollow stem and garlicky smell. • Habitat: Lawns, fields, woodland edges. • Taste: Punchy garlic-onion flavor. • Warning: Don’t confuse it with daffodils or Star-of-Bethlehem (which are toxic). If it doesn’t smell like garlic—it’s not. |  Wild garlic has a strong, but delicious flavor |
Safe Foraging Practices
• Know before you go. If you’re not 100% on the ID, leave it be. A field guide or local expert is worth their weight in mushrooms.
• Harvest with respect. Take no more than 1/3 of what’s growing—and only where it’s abundant.
• Avoid polluted areas. Roadsides, industrial zones, and treated lawns are off the menu.
• Give thanks. However you do it—say a prayer, whisper a thank you, or leave the roots for another season.
Chickweed
Simple Recipe: Chickweed Pesto
Bright, wild, and ready in 5 minutes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup fresh chickweed (washed)
• 1 clove wild garlic (or garlic clove)
• ¼ cup nuts or seeds (sunflower seeds work great)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• A splash of lemon juice
Instructions:
Blend until smooth. Use on toast, eggs, pasta, or eat with a spoon like the wildling you are.
Coming Next Week:
“The Garden Never Sleeps”
While the wild world feeds us with weeds and wonder, the cultivated garden has its own whispers—and woes. Next week, we’ll talk tomatoes: why your fruit might be rotting from the bottom up (hint: it’s not just about water), how to spot early signs of stress, and what you can do to outsmart blossom end rot before it ruins your summer sauce plans
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