05/18/2026
Get away from the city for an early June excursion, come to northern Vermont and learn to forage for wild plants with our local foraging expert, Eliot Cluba. The Montgomery Center of the Arts is hosting this event on Jun 02, 2026, 5:30 PM â 7:30 PM at the Montgomery Center for The Arts, 2 Mountain Rd, Montgomery, VT 05471.
Learn to ID the wild plants growing all around us and methods to incorporate them into daily life. Beginners and seasoned foragers welcome. Owner of Herbs and Arrows Primitive Skills School Elliot Cluba teaches wilderness and primitive skills, martial arts, herbalism, basketry and holistic health.
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Spring is when the w**ds start acting like they own the place.
And honestly? Some of them deserve a little respect.
Long before grocery stores were stocked year-round with plastic tubs of spring mix, people paid attention to what showed up first after winter. Those early greens mattered. They brought fresh flavor, minerals, bitterness, fiber, and actual nourishment after months of heavier stored foods.
Now most of us donât need to forage to survive, but thereâs something pretty satisfying about realizing the âw**dsâ growing around us have been used as food and folk remedies for generations. The yard gets a little more interesting when you stop seeing every green thing as a problem to mow down.
Some common spring plants people forage include dandelion, plantain, chickw**d, purple dead nettle, nettle, dock, lambâs quarters, purslane, ramps, minerâs lettuce, and wild mustard. Depending on the plant, they may be eaten raw, cooked like spinach, added to soups, steeped as tea, or used in traditional preparations.
And yes, a few of them are probably growing somewhere nearby while the grocery store charges $6 for a bag of leaves that look tired by Tuesday.
A few spring favorites:
Dandelion
The leaves are bitter, mineral-rich, and best when young. Eat them raw if you like that sharp bite, or cook them down if you need them to behave a little.
Plantain
Not the banana-looking one. This is the common yard plant with broad leaves and raised veins. The young leaves can be eaten cooked, and itâs also well known in folk use as a simple mashed âspit poulticeâ for minor skin irritation.
Chickw**d
Tender, mild, and easy to toss into salads, sandwiches, pesto-style blends, or anywhere youâd use a soft green. Basically, the polite little w**d of spring.
Nettle
A mineral-rich spring green with one very clear boundary: it stings. Cook it, dry it, or steep it before eating, and it turns into a beautiful tea, soup green, or cooked green.
Purple Dead Nettle
Despite the dramatic name, itâs not a true nettle and it does not sting. The young tops can be eaten raw or cooked, and itâs one of those plants youâll start seeing everywhere once you recognize it.
Lambâs Quarters
Use it like spinach, especially when itâs young and tender. Cooking is best if youâre eating more than a little, since it can contain oxalates.
Dock
Young leaves are the way to go. They can be tangy and a little sharp, so cooking them usually makes them more enjoyable.
Wild Mustard
Peppery, spicy, and not shy about it. The young leaves and flowers can be used in salads or cooked dishes when you want a little bite.
Ramps
The spring darling of wild edibles. Delicious, yes, but they grow slowly and can be overharvested easily, so take care with them. Harvesting leaves only, and leaving the bulb, is usually the kinder choice.
Minerâs Lettuce
Mild, tender, and easy to love. Itâs great raw in salads or lightly cooked.
Purslane
Crunchy, juicy, and slightly tangy. Itâs good raw in salads, tossed into cooked dishes, or used anywhere you want a little fresh snap.
A few important foraging notes, because guessing is not a personality trait:
Never harvest a plant unless you are 100% sure what it is. A lot of edible plants have toxic lookalikes.
Use more than one source when identifying plants. A good field guide, a trusted foraging book, local plant groups, and experienced foragers are all helpful.
Avoid harvesting near roadsides, sprayed lawns, industrial areas, or places where pets regularly do their business.
Take only what you need. Leave plenty behind for the plant to keep growing, for wildlife, and for the next person who knows what theyâre looking at.
â ď¸ Always do your research before introducing into your diet, especially if you have any underlying or pre-existing conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking medications.
So whatâs popping up around you right now? Dandelions? Chickw**d? Purple dead nettle? Or just the same stubborn patch of something youâve been side-eyeing for three years?
