Roadside plants

[Stew]

This is something i don't have a clue about and it's probably a very dumb question!

What are people's views on foraging plants (ie hedge garlic) from the roadside? Is there the potential for any pollutants in the plant? or would anything just be on the outside, so could be washed off?

 

[boaty]

I'd be really wary about foraging from heavily polluted places - alongside the stretch of river I row on, there is a huge area of wild garlic but I'll never touch it because the river is awfully polluted :yikes:

 

[Adi007]

I tend to steer clear of roadside plants for a variety of reasons ... no only can there be pollutants that you're not aware of from fuel spills and exhausts and so on, but add to that spraying weedkillers and so on.

Then there's the possibility that a dog/human has had a slash on what you're picking ... :roll: ...

All in all, I prefer to steer clear of roadside stuff ... even the last crop of blackberries I picked from a roadside (over 10 years ago) tasted odd compared to ones further away (a metallic tang), and this was a quiet country road.

Having said that, I doubt they'd kill you ...

 

[Ed]

You may also find in your local area that picking plants and flowers by the roadside (which is a public place) is illegal!!!


Ed

 

[Adi007]

Actually, not entirely accurate. The Theft Act (1968) says:

(3) A person who picks mushrooms growing wild on any land, or who picks flowers, fruit or foliage from a plant wild on any land, does not (although not in possession of the land) steal what he picks, unless he does it for reward or for sale or other commercial purpose.

For purposes of this subsection ‘mushroom’ includes any fungus, and ‘plant’ includes any shrub or tree.

By laws might change this though ...

 

[Ed]

By laws might change this though ...

Thats what I meant by 'in your local area' ;-)

It is not normally an offence to pick the 'Four Fs'; Fruit, Foliage, Fungi or Flowers - assuming that none of them are protected specifically and you are not selling them. This does not cover roots though!!! Any unauthorised (ie you have no permission) uprooting of any wild plant species is prohibited under section 13 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Hope that clears things up.... sorry if I wasn't clear before.


Ed

 

[Adi007]

Good point that about uprooting plants ... many people forget that! :biggthump

 

[tree_hugger]

yeah some plants it is totally illegal to pick but with other you just need the land owners permission to pick the plants. I wouldn't eat anything i pick that had been near a road for the reasons that have aready been explained like pollutents.
cheer hug trees

 

[Gary]

And if you do forage on bridleways and foot paths make sure you wash what you gather - especially if its lower than an Great Dane can cock its leg, if you get my meaning!

 

[Roving Rich]

I've foraged alot from quiet country lanes, but anywhere with lots of traffic i tend to avoid.
There was some Italian geezer on the telly last year foraging all sorts of plants within London. Its surprising what you can find just off the beaten track. He liked the canal and railway banks in particular, where all sorts of exotic things turned up.
Cheers
Rich