Chicory, Burdock & Wood Avens – Underrated Root Herbs by the Roadside

Three wild plants that barely stand out on roadsides, meadows and wasteland – and whose real treasure is usually hidden underground.

Chicory / Wild Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

• Identify: Knee-high perennial with sparse, almost leafless stems and vivid sky-blue flowers that often close again by midday
• Season: Flowers July to September, roots are strongest in autumn
• Use: The roasted, ground root makes the classic "chicory coffee" – caffeine-free, malty-bitter, well known as a coffee substitute since wartime shortages. Young leaves taste bitter-tangy in salads
• Good to know: The cultivated form with thick roots is the parent crop of witloof (forced chicory) – the wild form has thin, woody roots

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

• Identify: A leaf rosette in its first year with huge, heart-shaped leaves that are felty-white underneath; only in the second year does it send up a flower stalk with the well-known burrs (the original model for hook-and-loop fasteners)
• Season: Dig the root in autumn of the first year – after that it turns woody
• Use: The taproot tastes nutty-earthy raw, similar to salsify, and can be roasted, braised or pickled like parsnip. A classic in Japanese cuisine as "gobo"
• Watch out for: Young leaves resemble the toxic butterbur – before flowering, only pick when several features match up; if in doubt, leave it standing

Wood Avens (Geum urbanum)

• Identify: Inconspicuous small yellow flowers on branched stems, toothed leaves; the real identifying feature is in the root – cut or dried, it smells distinctly of cloves
• Season: The root is most aromatic in early spring and autumn
• Use: Dried, grated root as a clove substitute in mulled wine, stewed fruit, or for flavoring beer (traditionally in monastery breweries). In folk medicine, a root infusion was gargled for toothache and gum inflammation. One of its old names goes back to Saint Benedict and the blessing of the plant: "herb bennet"

Basic foraging rules

• Only dig roots where plants grow abundantly – never clear out a whole stand
• Collect away from roads and sprayed areas, wash roots thoroughly
• Harvest burdock in its first year (recognizable by the pure leaf rosette without a flower stalk) – afterwards the root turns tough and bitter

Gathering: what German nature conservation law allows

Anyone may carefully take wild herbs, flowers and fruits in small quantities for personal use from places not subject to an access ban (Section 39(3) BNatSchG). Protected areas often have stricter bans, and specially protected species have their own rules.

Sources

• Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG): § 39, accessed 5 Oct 2026

The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.