Larch,  Larix decidua

eat the young needles fresh in salads when they are tender and tangy.

They provide valuable chlorophyll nutrition in early spring when there isn't a great deal about. It is a nourishing food and also a cleanser for the urinary system, cystitis sufferers would do well to eat plenty.

    

Sheeps Sorrel,
Rumex acetosella

An excellent salad crop, usually plentiful on well drained acid grassland and sandy places. It is found throughout the UK and contains many minerals due to it's deep roots. Pick it fresh and use it right away, as it gets bigger throughout the spring it becomes progressively more sour.

Pennywort,
Umbilicus rupestris

Pick the penny sized leaves for the best flavour as the large ones can be a little strong. They are at their best in March, April and May, when the flower spikes appear I usually stop eating it. The leaves can be eaten raw in salad or steamed at the last minute over rice. It is a diuretic like the Larch and Sorrel so be prepared to get up in the night!

Primrose Flowers,
Primula vulgaris

Pick them between your two first fingers and put the tube part in your mouth, suck the air in and allow your tongue to taste the sweet nectar of spring. Eat them in quantity to add colour and beauty to your spring wild salads.

Dandelion Leaves,
Taraxacum officinale

They do get bitter when large but the small leaves are fresh and healthy to eat in early spring. They contain huge amounts of Vitamin A and Potassium. Again, they might make you wee more but that's healthy elimination for you! The leaves are good for the kidneys simply by increasing the function of them and eliminating more toxins.