Wild garlic in the area?

[TE44]

Brian up the hill, thank you for maintaining safe pathways. Does the wild garlic get used by any of the volunteers. Does the bluebells share the ground with wild garlic? I thought most of the wild garlic in the woods was fenced. It would be nice to think the benefits of this wild plant are being used, by people who understand the habitat and how to pick it.

[edcam]

As Brian said, it's illegal to pick it. Please don't.

TE44 Wrote:

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> Brian up the hill, thank you for maintaining safe

> pathways. Does the wild garlic get used by any of

> the volunteers. Does the bluebells share the

> ground with wild garlic? I thought most of the

> wild garlic in the woods was fenced. It would be

> nice to think the benefits of this wild plant are

> being used, by people who understand the habitat

> and how to pick it.

[TE44]

Edcam, I didn't realise Brian was saying its illegal to pick wild garlic, I thought he meant it was illegal to trample on plants in fenced areas. I was asking as i've been involved with community projects where as a volunteer I have been given some of veg grown. I was not inviting nor asking for myself, I am aware there are laws protecting plants, although with wild garlic I thought it was the actual digging up that was illegal. I appreciate and respect the care being taken but i also am interested in the laws surrounding foraging.

Thanks for link Angelina.

[Penguin68]

although with wild garlic I thought it was the actual digging up that was illegal.

I think that's right - as long as you have a legal right to access the land, then harvesting things (cutting leaves) is OK - it's stealing or killing the plants which isn't. So you can't take bluebell plants from a wood, but you could pick bluebell flowers. Although you probably shouldn't as that spoils the (fee and beautiful) display for others.

[TE44]

Penguin68. I think its a pity no one is benefiting from this plant with it great properties. I agree it should be done with care and thought. I am not sure what Brian means by illegal. although I have no doubt his intention are for what's best but it would be interesting to know.

[Penguin68]

This is from https://blog.primrose.co.uk/2018/06/22/is-picking-flower-legal-in-the-uk/

According to the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 it is illegal to?

?Uproot any wild plant without permission from the landowner or occupier? ? This means, literally, that it?s illegal to ?dig up? a wild plant (that doesn?t belong to you). Picking any part of the plant is legal so long as you don?t uproot the entire plant.

Pick flowers from a special conservation site or reserve. This includes National Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Trust properties.

Pick any flower that is ?highly threatened?. Across the UK, there are several plants, flowers and fungi which are illegal to pick or sell due to their scarcity. The full list can be found here, and includes flowers such as wild gladiolus, some kinds of orchids, fen violets and sea knotgrass.

Pick with intention to sell or advertise to sell bluebells or tree lungwort. (It is, however, legal to pick these plants if you do not intend to sell them).

According to the Theft Act of 1968 it is illegal to?

Pick cultivated flowers in public parks or gardens as well as plants and flowers growing on land which is maintained by the council (for example roundabouts and grass verges).

In general, the picking of wildflowers is not illegal, so long as you don?t uproot the whole plant, do so with intention to sell them for profit or accidentally pick a plant found on the list of endangered species. Picking flowers that have been grown and cultivated by private bodies, local organisations or councils however is illegal, although you?re extremely unlikely to find yourself behind bars if you do. (My emphasis)

[TE44]

Thanks penguin68, I expect the woods are maintained by councils although I wonder if wild garlic would fall into the category of cultivated by private bodies.

[Brian up the hill]

In reply to TE44, as volunteers we care deeply about conserving the woods and we most certainly do not avail ourselves of the wild garlic. It grows in the sames area as the native bluebells and as I said, trampling does immense damage. We have put some fencing and dead hedging in the area but sadly that does not deter everyone and some people criticise this policy as being too restrictive. We have fenced off some areas to allow them to recover from trampling. Unfortunately, it is the more vulnerable native plants which are most sensitive to trampling and this allows tougher more invasive species like bramble and ivy to take over. The wild garlic in the woods is quite limited in extent and is certainly nothing like the rampant growth you would see in an area like Gower. It is best left where is grows so everyone can enjoy its brief appearance. I did see picking bluebells mentioned and the same applies to those. Please don't!

Many thanks to the appreciative comments. We are very lucky to have such an amazing place on our doorstep and together we can all keep it like that.

[keiko17]

I saw some down the road from Goose Green, outside the fish n chip shop

[Romnarz]

The wild garlic is a bloody pest - keep trying to eradicate it in my garden and the darn thing keeps coming back.Yor are welcome to come around and dig the whole lot up - will not charge you a bean

[Lynne]

And then come round to mine, if you haven't got enough

[TE44]

Fantastic Romnarz and Lynne, great offer, now is the time to get growing, I don't need any but hopefully someone will take you up on your offer.

[Asset]

Village Way, under the bridge. lots of it

[Asset]

The flowers make a lovely garnish

[JohnL]

Romnarz Wrote:

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> The wild garlic is a bloody pest - keep trying to

> eradicate it in my garden and the darn thing keeps

> coming back.Yor are welcome to come around and dig

> the whole lot up - will not charge you a bean

DO you not like the smell (I think that is part of it)

[janine]

i have a plethora in my garden you are more than welcome to pick as it has become rampant and I am trying to dig it out.

[joom]

They have it at SMBS at the moment

[binkylilyput]

What roads do people live on that have wild garlic? I would love to come and collect if people have too much!

[Brian up the hill]

I was having a permitted exercise outing today and was saddened to see that someone has been at the wild garlic in Sydenham Hill Woods. It hasn't even had a chance to flower yet, however the main clump has been trampled and it is obvious that much of what is left has been picked. It is such a shame that it hasn't been left for everyone to enjoy, especially as the woods are such an amazing sanctuary for everyone at the moment. What can I say?