Wild garlic
Extra care neededRamsons has star-shaped flowers, but leaves are often gathered before either plant flowers.
Toxic · do not eat
Lily of the valley.
Convallaria majalis
Also found as May bells
A poisonous woodland and garden plant whose spring leaves can be mixed with wild garlic.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Toxic. Keep out of food and tea.
Poison help Can cause serious poisoning including heart-rhythm disturbances. Seek prompt poison-service advice after ingestion.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 52,614
- People who recorded it
- 20,554
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Apr–Jun
- Records span
- 1912–2026
| January | 26 |
|---|---|
| February | 20 |
| March | 85 |
| April | 6672 |
| May | 22215 |
| June | 8944 |
| July | 5038 |
| August | 4523 |
| September | 3183 |
| October | 1434 |
| November | 397 |
| December | 71 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Broad parallel-veined leaves, usually paired around a shared basal stalk.
- 02
One-sided clusters of hanging white bell-shaped flowers.
- 03
Orange-red berries later in the season; flowers may be absent when leaves emerge.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Eurasian origin; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere.
Watch the plant stage
Toxic in leaf, flower and fruit; spring leaf emergence is a key confusion period.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Observe. Leave intact.
Do not eat, brew or add to gathered leaves.
Care for the patch
Keep children and gathered food away from patches; avoid mixing handfuls of woodland leaves.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Convallaria majalisBotanical description, range and documented use
- BfR · Wild garlic confusion and poisoningDocumented confusion and toxicity
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction