Whether you are picking dandelion greens out of your backyard or harvesting edible wild plants from the forest floor it is very important that you know what you are doing because eating the wrong plants can not only make you sick but could even kill you. Dangers associated with eating wild plants
Look alike plants
Many edible plants have other plants that look like them and are often deadly. Make sure that you have the right plants before cooking or eating them.
Pesticides
Before hunting for wild edible plants you need to find out what if any pesticides are used in the area. Pesticides can contaminate your wild edibles and turn them from tasty delectable to poisonous.
Heavy Pollution
This may seem unlikely considering there is pollution every where but edible wild plants by roads with heavy traffic absorb carbon monoxide and other gasses which can not only affect the taste but can also make your tasty edibles dangerous. How to stay safe Do your homework on this one. Read, watch and research as much as you can about wild plants before you start cooking and eating them. If you are not 100% sure that you have correctly identified an edible wild plant-do NOT eat them. If you suspect you may have eaten or served a poisonous plant by accident go to the emergency room of your nearest hospital and make sure you tell them what you have eaten or what you suspect you may have eaten. It is also a good idea to bring your edible wild plant book with you as your doctor may be an expert on medicine and healthcare but not an expert on edible plants. If the doctor knows what kind of plant you thought it was they can get information right away to help.