Wild Onion vs Poisonous Lookalike (Death Camas)

[@CornPopsDood]

Born, & raised in the mountains. Hiked, & camped all my life. Never have I heard that there was a poisonous wild onion copycat. This is a prime example of why I still make it a point to learn something new every day.

[@trollmastermike52845]

This might be why shooting a animal my be the best option for eating of the land in a pinch

[@asianwanderer7243]

We have that poisonous death camas in Idaho, and wild onions and chanterelles from close by. But for most early part of the summer folks bring their truffle pigs and dogs to forage in the mountains. It’s crazy wild, lots of locals and out of towners. When locals tell them about the camas it blows their mind.

[@_e5598]

This is why I pack food

[@trollmastermike52845]

@@_e5598 facts

[@magalover2024]

Sounds like my ex picked a poisonous wild onion copycat over the authentic one 😆 he learned his lesson bye Felicia

[@CampingforCool41]

This is why I always research “poisonous lookalikes” before trying any wild edible, because not every resource will mention them, you have to intentionally look for it. I never knew wild onions had a poisonous lookalike, but good thing the smell is distinct. I wouldn’t eat it if it doesn’t smell like an onion.

[@pineappleparty1624]

He was quite vague about the smell part. Makes me wonder if they both smell oniony....Stupid video and his haircut is questionable LOL

[@modernwar2ghostrp]

@@pineappleparty1624 no onion smell in camas.

[@juiceboxzach]

@@pineappleparty1624 Why be a dick?

[@mainemermaid6596]

I know. We need a definitive answer on this. I was taught to pick and pinch it - and if it smelled strong of onion, it's onion.

[@jimmyjones4588]

@ 3:23 he mentions the scent of the onions.

[@DJKLnificent]

“I’m 100% confident in eating this plant” *CRUNCH* “UH OH”

[@arloramsey4565]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@sometimessnarky1642]

No one would put the glass with the iocaine powder in front of themselves so the poison must be in my glass.

[@SpaceMissile]

☠

[@zissler1]

video immediatly ends with technical difficulties sign brought up.

[@idcanymore5287]

Oh nice. So after finding out what I have always called wild onions are actually garlic from watching numerous videos on wild onions vs wild garlic not one of them mentioned death camas and I ran across this video by accident. Had I picked a death camas I would've ate it. Thanks, you possibly saved my life.

[@misst1586]

Same

[@Son_of_a_ben]

Same for me. Holy shit.

[@misst1586]

@Daniel Sherwood that's scary

[@misst1586]

@Daniel Sherwood it happens to the best of us. I have a similar story many years ago. I pray no damage to organs. God bless

[@Addicted2outdoors]

Glad you didn’t eat more of them. I got very sick one time after eating onion as well. I think I may have got a Camus in there.

[@wtk6069]

My wife freaked out about this years ago because I love wild onions. I told her not to worry. If it doesn't taste and smell like an onion, spit it out. Danger averted.

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

Mostly the smell. It smell just like a onion. Break one up and the smell intensifies and can even make you cry like a cut up onion. The nose is better than the eyes in this situation.

[@afrizak]

Really you can get that far with it?

[@MichaelMMiddleton098]

Note: “Death Camas” is a white flowered camas; the camas which blooms BLUE is edible and quite delicious…the bulb being somewhat of a mix between onion and potato. White (“death”) camas is quite rare here, but does occur, so ALWAYS make sure the plant you are harvesting is in bloom and has a BLUE flower. Interestingly, the opposite is true with wild iris (“blue flag / white flag”) where the blue is toxic and the white is edible.

[@heatherreadsreddit8579]

According to what I just read, they’re not always white. They can be white to creamy, or other colors. One source says: “The stem terminates in a raceme of flowers with colors ranging from greenish white to cream or even a little pink. Read more at Gardening Know How: Death Camas Plant Info: Tips For Identifying Death Camas Plants”

[@ryanwatterson4038]

Where?

[@Blueprint4Murder]

Taste id?

[@UltraGamma25]

​@@ryanwatterson4038 I think he says Colorado

[@fjb4932]

Thankyou. Blue / white, White / blue. Wasn't confused, now i am . . .

[@spacewiz163]

Wow completely misjudged at the beginning because of the bulb.

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

There are many plants with a bulb and are poisonous. Such as the tulip bulbs, beautiful to look at but are not good to eat.

[@69xxmiiikexx86]

@@JohnSmith-nj4zq ye but onion

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

@@69xxmiiikexx86 Onion is a bulb, wild garlic is also a bulb. People who don't know that there are poisonous bulbs would think that any bulb like plant is edible.

[@stargirl369]

Same!

[@StoicObserverS]

Same here. Great to have it explained.

[@SPharaoh]

Man, you have most definitely saved me and my wife and kids by the grace of God. We have never picked wild onions ever. Then, 3-4 weeks ago we saw what look like a scallion or an onion and we planned to pick it up in mid July. Thank you very much. I wish you would talked about the smell of the deadly look alike.

[@susanpremo8068]

You'd want to harvest allium tricocum in early spring, if you'd like to try them, they are delicious, the green parts are tasty, you dont even have to dig up the plant.

[@angrylittlespider_9701]

I know. I pick wild onions and already know the difference. Nearly 3 1/2 min into video before he mentioned the smell--#1 diagnostic difference. Still a pretty good video & channel. Gotta watch all the way through, I suppose. Glad y'all are OK

[@angrylittlespider_9701]

Sorry, not at all funny. Then again we watchers are the ones who live to tell the tales aren't we.

[@angrylittlespider_9701]

Wild alliums, onions leeks garlic all edible all delicious

[@mymichigantwo]

@Fred brandon No, he did. Around the three and a half minute mark..

[@hummingwind8869]

Wow, I just came upon your video by accident and am so glad I did. I have picked the Death Camas this year to store having been told it was a wild garlic onion. I very much appreciate you taking the time to video this. You saved me from a world of hurt. I am grateful.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

@Planeswalker Wow! That is scary!

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

I will be releasing a new and improved video about this topic soon!

[@hummingwind8869]

@@rockymountainedibles3593 great, thank you.

[@62saki91]

If it smells of onion/garlic it's not camas.

[@stephaniemeadows6796]

Wow I'm glad that you made this I have a ton of the death camas in my flower bed and my boyfriend thought they were onions and had planned on eating them . I'm so glad this showed up in my feed

[@5crassrocker]

wow that's a close call

[@ThomasSawyers]

@@5crassrocker yeah, so weird that multiple people claim to have been "just about to" or "thinking about eating" them and then happened to see this vid

[@Biracialbaddie]

@@ThomasSawyers that’s god 🙏🏽🙌🏽

[@ThomasSawyers]

@@Biracialbaddie oh that weird pedophile in the sky? So what's he put them there in the first place genius, he's killed kids and he allows priests to have sex with kids, nice god you have, lucky you being born to the one true God when there's 3000 others. Why don't you worship Thor? Technically he "existed" first

[@meowforjasper2838]

@@Biracialbaddie Lmfao

[@supercomputer0448]

Got some in my yard. My older brother insisted they were onions. Agreed to taste it. They were not. Turns out they're actually called crows poisen. Spit them out and was fine with minor stomach pain. The taste stayed in my mouth for a while after that.

[@meranae]

Did it taste like an onion?

[@supercomputer0448]

@@meranae Fuck no! It felt like a hard ball. When I bit into it it was super hard, slimy, and bitter.

[@justinriegel1850]

@@supercomputer0448 aye you live you learn that's all there is 2 it

[@atcera8714]

@@meranae It tastes bitter and has no onion smell, so you definitely can't get poisoned by this unless you're extremely thoughtless or someone well versed in wild plants(usually because of their knowledge, they slip up and put it in their food without tasting it first)

[@brickbybrick4692]

@@australianwoman9696 bro u gotta whole essay

[@rickdalbey6009]

I was camping years ago in the Columbia Gorge. After hiking for many miles I lay in a meadow to rest. I had the strong scent of onions. I pulled the onion like plant. It looked like an onion, it had a strong onion smell and a little taste was very onion like. I had read about the Camas Death lilly and was quite afraid of mixing them up. . But being young and fool-hardy, I picked a bunch and brought them back to the camp site. My friend had caught several trout in the creek next to us, so we fried them up together. It was a delicious meal. Fortunately they were onions.

[@AugustVonpetersborg]

Thankfully smell is a good indicator, so if you pick some you'll only lose a little time if you're the slightest bit cautious, instead of losing all the rest of your time entirely.

[@l21n18]

“Young and fool-hardy” ok there 🙄

[@morganoverbay8783]

Yeah, but DID YOU DIE?!?

[@AhJodie]

OMG I would have chosen the one that looks like an onion bulb! Thank you so much! Sharing.

[@bracoop2]

When I go fishing for cut throat trout in the mountains, I like to take foil and some butter, and harvest wild onions and cook on a fire. I have also found morels in the are as well. What’s insane is I never knew about the poisonous lookalike before. Thanks.

[@danielbryce6072]

There are dangerous morel lookalikes too. Please research them and know the difference

[@tracycrider7778]

Morels have a hollow inside false morels do not (fuzzy inside)

[@stormisuedonym4599]

@@danielbryce6072 Yeah, but the difference is easy enough for even lay people to tell.

[@danielbryce6072]

@@stormisuedonym4599 only if they: A) know that poisonous lookalikes exist (my main point in the first place), and B) know how to tell the difference (my second point).

[@stormisuedonym4599]

@@danielbryce6072 Boy, life must really rough for you, if you react like that to anyone even _slightly_ contradicting you.

[@ashleythomas1616]

My dad sent me to your video, I have thousands of wild onions growing in my front yard and did not know there were poisonous lookalikes! Thank you for sharing.

[@australianwoman9696]

Wow, I'm surprised so many people are unaware of these DANGEROUS plants. I guess the information was lost since people have stopped foraging & just go to the shops. I'm glad you're dad's a smart guy!

[@Saint696Anger]

Wow thank you!!! Man I'm glad I watched this

[@flyfishing1776]

You and me both👍

[@willpaul5202]

The leaves of wild onions are hollow, death camas aren't.

[@daniellewis8350]

Michael Fresh I feel like he did a terrible job of making plain the methods of distinguishing the two plants....

[@jinlim6575]

seems there is conflicting information. there is another video with 60,000 views that says wild onion leaves are flat not hollow... I think they can be hollow or flat. there are several different of wild onion varieties

[@braydencrago640]

If you haven't noticed wild garlic is hollow and has a white bulb, wild onion is flat with 5 or more flat leaves running along the plant garlic plant is edible and so is wild onion you could eat every part of it and this good information to have always know your info my dude

[@ghostwriter1848]

If they don't smell like onion dont eat them.....pretty simple

[@crystalsandmore2098]

Thank god

[@dmmflys]

Thanks my grandfather always told me not to eat wild onions cuz some where poisonous and now I know how to tell the difference. Big thumbs up

[@alekk2320]

Great video. Been eating wild onions for years. Lookalikes are extremely important to be able to identify.

[@ms.rosann]

Thank you for this! I just pulled up some wild carrots from my driveway and people should be aware that the green carrot tops closely resemble poison hemlock!! what I do is always smell everything to make sure it is what I’m looking for and I scratch the root and sniff to make sure it smells like carrots

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching! Great care must be taken with the parsley family. There are several very poisonous plants in this family.

[@AhNee]

Poison hemlock smells horrible.

[@bdetert82]

I live in Missouri and have eaten wild onions so many times especially when i was young. I didn't even know there was a a poisonous variant! I did always check for the onion smell though before i ate any. My nose never failed me.

[@michelleswearingen6899]

Same...SW Missouri

[@twillbdone3273]

I was weeding my dogs potty patch and found a 'wild onion' . I broke it open to smell it and there was no discernable onion smell. So I trashed it. Then I see this video. I was seriously considering using it in my stir fry when I first found it. Thank you so much. Bullet dodged.

[@triumphant39]

I live in ohio, and I think wild garlic really resembles those death camas plants you have there. I could see being used to the plants here, going to a different part of the us, and thinking this is the same thing. Scary, actually, although the wild garlic has hollow leaves, and it also has an obvious garlic/onion/leak smell and taste to it, but the bulb looks almost identical.

[@daverunions1642]

Make sure it smells like an onion if your not sure just by looking at it!!

[@madeline569]

You just unlocked a deep childhood memory of mine, rummaging around my garden in Australia for these! I never ate them though, just like making "witches potions" with them as a kid, 😂

[@heatherreadsreddit8579]

Thank you for this! Most articles say it’s only out west, but further research showed that some species are in the southeast as well. I had no idea!

[@ordrazz]

This might be where the old saying "Know your onions" came from...

[@charlieandhudsonspal1312]

Never heard that one but you’re probably right

[@cliffordbowman6777]

I hate onions-now I know why. Eat an onion; --k a --k.

[@darrellblair5818]

Never heard of the camus onion. Down here in Louisiana we have an abundance of wild onions that are super strong in flaver. This is a good tip in case we have that camus variety here. Great tutorial. 👍👍👍

[@nmarbletoe8210]

ooh don't say "camus onion"!! The camus is not an onion. It's not related. It doesn't smell like one. And as you know it is poisonous, while the onion is delicious and healthy. You could call it the camus "bulb" :) or "onion faker" lol

[@gregjones3660]

Yes and delicious in flavour as well.

[@platedlizard]

the camas lily isn't an onion. it doesn't smell or taste like one. There are two kinds, Camas and Death Camas. The main difference is the color of the flowers. Camas has blue flowers and Death Camas has white. Camas was an important food source for Pacific Northwest Tribes, so much so that some tribes actually cultivated it in gardens or "lawns" as the Spanish described them that were as neat and tidy as any lawn in Europe at the time. They ruthlessly monitored both domestic and wild camas fields for Death Camas during blooming season and dug out any Death Camas they could find.

[@AhNee]

@@platedlizard Edible camas can have white flowers, too. The flowers of camas and death camas are very different, but I have seen Camassia quamash with white blossoms.

[@megeles]

I've seen these edible onions in my backyard but I was never sure about them. Thank you for making this video!

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching!

[@lucpraslan]

Great video, thanks. I visited Colorado once in 1994. I saw the footprints of the mountain lion and saw some deer. It was a beautiful state.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Colorado is beautiful…. we are fortunate!

[@plantbasedmamamcmillan1449]

I never knew there was a poisonous look a like. I used to grab these out of my aunt's yard. Thanks for the video.

[@shanepowers7566]

Thanks. Your thoughtfulness may save somebody’s life. Thank you again.

[@mikeyangel420]

As someone who has a habit of giving myself food poisoning and recently made the brave (or stupid) decision of getting into collecting wild edibles, I am very grateful for this video. I would definitely die eating something I'm not supposed to, I'm going to be extra careful now! Thank you!

[@holzmann8443]

The lookalike plant is very bitter, and tastes nothing like onion. Wikipedia only mentions a single case of human poisoning in 1994, and dude recovered. The threat of this plant has been greatly exaggerated for youtube clicks.

[@BigRexford]

This stuff your teaching is a boon to humanity

[@karenrollins1469]

Thank you we have both on our property and I picked both I took a bite out of the death cammas and spit it out I just thought it didn’t taste good I’m so glad I watched now I know the difference

[@twistedmindssweettea]

I am just saying....I absolutely love when cutting yard sometimes you'll hit a patch of wild onions and it just mixes with the fresh cut grass smell.... It just is a summer/spring comfort thing I've known my whole life. Lol. I actually love the light scent in the breeze on a sunny day ❤️ remind me of my childhood

[@CarrieGerenScogginsOfficial]

I believe that the "death" camas only grows in the west. The wild onions in the southeast are a round stalk. Of the wild onions in the southeast, I was taught that the onion (round stalk) when broken into needed to show that it was hollow on the inside, like a straw. Most of southeast's wild onions are a wild garlic that is non-indigenous, with a bloom that turns into top sets as seeds. I did find that there are blue camas, black camas, and death camas listed, the blue camas has a different color of flower. The black camas was a Native American dish, where the camas was cooked for hours to make it edible, but it may not be the same plant as the death camas. The black camas dish by Native Americans was cooked for hours, until it was cooked down & caramelized, long enough to change the plant's consistency from a non digestible form of sugar, into an edible dish. So, is there a difference between the death camas, and the 'black camas,' and 'blue camas?'

[@allentremper8243]

Thanks for posting this, I have been eating wild garlic, which looks very close to the poisonous plant you're showing, only the leaves are more chive like in wild garlic. I would imagine smell would be a huge factor? I am not sure as I have never encountered the poisonous plant you're showing here( does it have a garlic smell to it?) Again thanks for your insight, this is stuff every child should know by age 12 in my humble opinion.

[@OdegardOnline]

I'm glad I found your channel! I picked up a book - Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains by Harrington - a few years ago, but after reading a good portion of it I gave up because almost every edible plant seems to have a poisonous look-alike. I decided I wouldn't pursue edibles until I had someone knowledgeable to show me the differences. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. (I'm also in Colorado.)

[@darleneclark6098]

Love Adam Harrington s video. He's fantastic

[@Addicted2outdoors]

I am amazed by the knowledge of my brother (RockyMountain Edibles). As someone not as familiar with the poisonous look a-likes I enjoy the videos that are a side by side comparison of the edible plant vs the poisonous one. I know he had plans to make more videos like this.

[@nmarbletoe8210]

It's soooo nice to have a local guide and expert. Most of the toxic things probably aren't even in your area, but it takes forever to figure that out from books alone. Start with some common ones, taste, learn, sample the different parts.... Like lamb's quarters -- delicious!! One of our most common weeds in New Mexico, so tasty.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

@@Addicted2outdoors Thanks, Brother!!

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Harrington is awesome! His book was instrumental in creating a passion for and knowledge of the plants. That being said, I was also in the same predicament as you described early on. In the future I am considering doing some edible plant walks with those who might be interested.

[@carolnorton2551]

The wild onion, on the left @0:29 has longish roots and the death camas , on the right all have short roots. Is that not significant?...just askin'.

[@notashroom]

The "death camas" looks more like the wild onions we have in the Southeast, with the more distinct bulb like that. I've never seen a wild onion with red anywhere on it, while that one is almost entirely red. I think there must be a very different variety in the Rockies there than we have here. It's good to know there are some wild lookalikes that are dangerous, though, and I'll look up whether that's found here too.

[@reubenedwards5286]

Have one of those that smells like onions.

[@heathb4319]

I was about to say the same thing. North florida south georgia we have wild onions everywhere and they all look like the DC....i will have to research and learn more about this kind.

[@dynamicdragoness]

Maybe you're thinking Crow Garlic or Wild Chives. Both have a tubular, hollow stem, and have a strong, oniony aroma. They should be easily identifiable from a Death Cama.

[@notashroom]

@@dynamicdragoness maybe? I should check one of my books. I've just always heard the plant I am familiar with called, and used as, wild onions and it has no red to it. It tastes a good bit like big white onions but less strong. But am I sure that's the agriculturally accepted name for it, no.

[@elliottaddison8116]

growing up in NC and regularly foraging and eating things as a kid, you can imagine my shock as i watched this video thinking "Well the red color and no bulb is a dead giveaway thats not an onion", until he revealed those were infact the onions. We clearly have a different variety here, but it is scary to think about. I travel occasionally and have been camping in the PNW as well as Colorado. Had i dug up one of those camas' on a camping trip and it smelled like an onion, i probably would have eaten it as it bears a striking resemblence to the onions im used to pulling up out of the clay here. This video was awesome for me, (as well as possibly a life saver!), though foraging seems a little less enticing suddenly!

[@Immortal_BP]

i barely go outside and never eat wild plants but still enjoyed this video and if one day i decide to go outdoors more i will always remember this

[@Totogita]

Would you please recommend any publications that can help identify edible plants in the U.S.A.?

[@Just-Nikki]

Dart Gar what a good suggestion 👍🏼

[@flyfishing1776]

Go to You tuber "" learn your Land"" man from Pennsylvania Very precise,clear pictures and identification.Adam Haritan..( we are not related nor have I met him .Watched his vids for years).I ENJOY this channel because I now live in Oklahoma . Eatable plants are very different here. 👍👍👍

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

What region of the country? I will be happy to help in any way I can. Some of the best books I have encountered are Samuel Thayer's!

[@pagerowe5286]

@@rockymountainedibles3593 I know this is old, but this is a great question I'm curious about this too. Would you know of any for the area Kentucky is in? Thank you very much for your time if you decide to answer. :)

[@hahamorehaha6869]

A lot of folks also confuse wild garlic for wild onions. Garlic is mostly what you smell when mowing and they have a tube shape like green onions.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for sharing. Sadly wild garlic does not grow in my region.

[@jyrilaitinen9399]

Nice video, I can find a lot of Death Camus in Alberta, but I’ve never looked for wild onions. I know they grow here, but I didn’t know the difference..thanks for the info..

[@johnwest4788]

Just discovered your channel. Finally someone to teach me about the edible plants of the Rocky Mountains! I subscribed right away. Thank you

[@melissajarvis4829]

Ditto! A couple of years ago I signed up to get free emails sent to me of of wild edibles coursework, and then realized really quickly that I'd accidentally signed up to a British edibles thing. Didn't do a lot of good for the someone who lives in the Southwest U.S.!

[@flyfishing1776]

Same here👍👍👍💪💪💪

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@janispeterson2700]

Wow, and here I thought I had wild onions growing in my yard. Smelled like 'em...then I took a moment to Google the images and watched your video. My fiancé thanks you for not having to cart me off to the emergency room!! :-0 Thank you so much for posting this video. :-)

[@alexeireyes4018]

I'm glad I knew the difference right away when I started the video. Great video helping others so important to know how to grow. My years of experiencing with growing crops has paid off from telling weeds from edible crops.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

Very interesting and well done. I got here cause I saw a video on Cherokee cook who gathered her wild onions. I have SOME type of onion in my N.C. yard. They have a more slender "bulb" end than the camas your showing. I fear that some are seeing the folks gathering onions and Not be aware of camas. The Cherokee lady knows, but others may not be cautious. Thanks, You are helping people.

[@wolfmangosan539]

Could you lead me to the Cherokee lady's videos please thank you.

[@cedarhatt5991]

Please lead me to hrhowde

[@Qui_Gon_Jinn_76]

I like this video. To the point, short and no idle words.

[@MaddoxLightning]

Thank you for sharing these wisdoms for free. I love your videos. You speak so calmly and I feel the joy in your work. I love that. I love learning and learning about relationship with the rest of nature and working with it more mindfully feels so important. I’m growing nodding onions now! I see what you mean and will keep my eye out for the difference between them and death camas if I ever seek them wild.

[@roberthummell3701]

It helps that onions don't usually grow in wet soil. Also, they smell like onions. Smell is also a sign for edible mushrooms; does it smell like a store bought shroom? Usually* edible. In every case, don't eat unless you're sure, or if you like painful illness and death.

[@Gutslinger]

I remember hearing about this when I was a little kid in elementary, and some of the kids found some on the playground. But we didn't really know how to distinguish between the two.

[@tim9430]

Thanks much. You likely spared many people a lot of grief. Their's a heightened interest in foraging I would expect, and it would be a shame to have food all around you but not know which will kill you. I bought a book with pictures of what grows by region. It will go in my back pack, as you usually don't have internet when you find yourself foraging. May God bless everyone, and everyone bless God in the days to come!

[@TocsTheWanderer]

I would never eat something I thought was wild onion without smelling it first anyway, but now I know it's even more important.

[@robb4044]

Good vid. We have wild onions growing all over our yard here in southeast Texas. I recognize them when they flower. Or by the scent when I go over them with the trimmer.

[@KarmaofOminit]

I’m so glad I found you!!! I’m moving to CO in a week and I’m so excited to start learning about the areas nature. I’m a new forager and I’m super nervous, but have a good head on my shoulders and resources (including your channel). I’m working on my Naturopath and I’m getting comfortable using herbs that I grow or order so there’s no guessing what they are, but foraging I think might tanks me a long time to learn and feel comfortable. I’ve looked for nature walks in Pagosa Springs, but haven’t found any yet. I’ll keep searching for those locals who are willing to share their knowledge with me. My goal is to find and learn 3-5 this summer that I can identify and know their herbal actions and try several recipes for food and medicine. I’d love any suggestions you might have.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks so much for watching and sharing your plant journey. I’ll be releasing new footage throughout the summer, hope it helps increase your comfort. I’ve found you can never be too careful, it is best to over identify every wild edible.

[@KarmaofOminit]

@@rockymountainedibles3593 do you ever do herbal walks?

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

At this point, he doesn’t! We’ll reach out if he ever starts offering walks!😊

[@danielbryce6072]

Consider joining the Colorado Mycological Society, especially if you’re in the denver / Colorado Springs areas

[@cedarhatt-vx8kf]

@@KarmaofOminit yes you really should try mycophiles many are real experts on plant food and medicine also, and fungus opens up a unbelievable world of medicine and cuisine.

[@GotTwins29]

Holy shit... I pulled a couple of these "wild onions" from my garden, which is very small and not well maintained, a few days ago. I took the outer layer of the white bulb off, sprinkled some salt on and chewed them up a bit but spit them both out into the sink. The flavor just didn't seem right. The next day the skin on my inner cheeks pretty much all peeled off and had the craps terribly. I just assumed it was from eating to much homemade, very hot chicken tenders the night before. What are the odds this showed up on my recommended videos at 12:30am right before falling asleep??? Thank you so much for the info! I honestly thought they were wild onions and have been told by many people, who I thought were knowledgeable, that they were just wild onions. Looks like I'll be informing them the next few days. I'm in the Kenosha, WI area btw. Is this death camas located all over the US?

[@rebeccagrace1509]

@GotTwins29 GLAD UR OK!!🙏🏽😅 "very hot chicken tenders"... Been there😵

[@slappy8941]

It's "too" much.

[@australianwoman9696]

Call it DIVINE INTERVENTION. In the future if your not sure don't eat it. There's a way to test for toxicity. by first rubbing the plant on inner wrists & cheek. If no reaction, next step is to rub it on your inside lower lip. Leave it for a few hours to a day. Your testing for a skin reaction. If there's tingling or a burning sensation stop there. If not proceed to next step which is biting a little & holding it in your mouth a while & spitting it out. Test again for a negative reaction. Such as tingling, burning, numbness & or dizziness, the runs. Wait full 24 hours. If you've not experienced any negative reaction, you may take a chance & consume a small amount & wait again a full 24 hours. If your alive, consume a little more & wait. Yes it's time consuming but this method could save your life. I WOULD ONLY EVER DO THIS IN THE MOST DESPERATE SITUATION WHERE MY LIFE WERE AT RISK OF STARVATION as I understand there are MANY plants which are TOXIC. We're talking the walking dead type of scenario here, the apocalypse.

[@Chris47368]

OOFT....glad to hear this from *YOU* and not potentially someone else if you had swallowed it!

[@psychosomaticstatic]

@@slappy8941 well, if we're going to be overly semantic, it's "too many". But clearly you understood what OP was trying to say, so does it really matter?

[@skurblord3401]

The wild onions you can find all over Montana have a very strong, spicy flavor. Like taking a bite straight out of a red onion.

[@iamhis5580]

So what does the other plant smell like?? The one that’s dangerous?

[@helenswan705]

not oniony. it is a good guide

[@jasonlueker3032]

As I learned it, if it smells and tastes like garlic or onion it’s safe to eat as there aren’t any plants with those smells and tastes that are poisonous. Though still use sense

[@blessed633]

I ate the dangerous one this spring. The bulb smelled and tasted just like onion to me. . .

[@bobjones1131]

@@blessed633 Had you been handling onions ?

[@blessed633]

@@bobjones1131 no ,they had that small white bulb just like what he's showing . They smelled just like onion though . I ate some of the stalk but not the bulb

[@EnslavedByGreed]

I have been identifying wild onion by smell for 25 years but I possibly would have misidentified death camas as “the most mature wild onion I had ever found.” Great vid! Thanks for the new object lesson on discernment.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching!

[@d.vaughn8990]

Dude - you know a lot about onions! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge!

[@rlstone1096]

another thank you comment, im new to foraging and didnt realize there was a poisonous lookalike. My cousin was growing some wild onion and Ive ate it, had no clue which was which at beginning of video, thank you

[@wingsonmyback1]

I dont like onions but have been hiking with people who pull them up and eat them. I dont think they know the difference they have just been lucky. I am glad I watched this.

[@GuardianAngle1]

Never knew about the dangerous counterpart. Thanks for sharing

[@charlesnock2422]

The onion smells like onions and the death Camus doesn't smell like onions.

[@notmyworld44]

I made the Camas mistake once. It didn't harm me but it did come right back up! My tummy knew the difference, even if my tiny brain didn't.

[@saprin4631]

One's mauve, the other is peach. Color is a good indicator. Then there's the under tongue test that will tell you the alkaloid/bitter taste which comes naturally to the Death Camas. Since it takes a relatively significant amount to do damage, a lick will only pick up enough to give an indication of toxicity. Inner caveman skills are good. Wouldn't share them in a video though, some people aren't the best at surviving, with the taste of poisonous things being something learned. Generally, drying mouth + offensively bitter taste + mouth tingling = poisonous. Crush and sniff, does X smell strange? If so that may be an indicator not to eat it, since most foods we eat are immediately identifiable by common oils in edible materials.

[@robinspiker3394]

Thank you for a very informative video

[@heidimarchant5438]

I guess you learn something new every day, I didn't know there was a such thing as a poisonous onion, guess I've never seen one before.

[@RunninUpThatHillh]

Same here. Yikes!

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching!

[@marcietorrence5361]

Thanks for the nap, your voice is perfect for insomnia, you could go viral fast!

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Haha. Thanks, I guess.

[@CynHicks]

I used to eat wild onion as a kid all the time. Once I got a stomach ache after chewing on one that tasted bitter. Only reason I remember this is because it's what made me stop eating them. I didn't know until now there was a poisonous species that looked like an onion.

[@seb0nti]

im not gonna question the fact that you chewed onions but i think you got one of these, they are supposed to be bitter

[@CynHicks]

@@seb0nti Yeah, my entire childhood is a question sometimes. Maybe I died or broke my spine falling off that cliff.

[@genevieve8166]

Wow 👍 very informative Ty for this video. Bless you

[@birchtree2274]

I think too many people are overreacting to the reality that in the plant world, there are plenty of lookalikes Get _three_ good field manuals, with keys, for your area. Read them over, then take them out for a walk. When you find a plant you'd like to harvest, go through identification with each manual using the keys, checking the plant against its identifying traits. You want to work through each manual. If you are positive that the plant passes each manual's tests, you have a positive identification you can trust. This works with mushrooms as well as plants, btw. Most mushrooms are not deadly, and most can be fairly easily identified one from another, except that with mushrooms often to make a positive identification you'll need to bring your mushroom specimens home for a spore print. As always, identify each and every specimen before you toss it into your stew. It's not unheard of for tasty edibles and toxic look alikes to grow side by side. If you have any doubt about a specimen, throw it out. Do these things, and you can forage safely. One other hint. There are plants so similar in appearance, one an edible the other deadly, that I personally do not harvest them. An example is cow parsnip (edible) and hemlock (deadly). But there are very few of those, and plenty of common safe edible wild plants and fungi which can, with a little inspection, be easily dentified.

[@zoinksxscooby]

Well you good sir are now added to my interesting and useful playlist. I keep all helpful resources there because you never know when you'll need to bring up a bit of knowledge.

[@sandstorm6605]

Thank you kindly. I just came across your channel and am really impressed and grateful for the full walk though given. Getting into wild edibles is extremely tricky so it’s great to get good quality content. I’ll be learning from an expert in the field personally before I forage on my own but this helps a lot. 🙏

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching! I totally agree. One can never be too careful!

[@sandstorm6605]

I’m just south of you in NM so I’m hoping there will be some crossover in the local flora.

[@jerrykinnin7941]

Thanks I was not aware of this.

[@Kitsco45]

I heard about this from a top 15 video video but thank you for giving out more information

[@KiltedSatyr]

I was told as a kid to never eat the "wild onions" because they were poisonous. I was I was taught the difference between them. But I always loved the oniony smell you'd get some someone hit them with a lawn mower.

[@jimmydyurko]

I've been eating wild plants my entire life. Never in huge quantity.. but obviously I'm not dead. Here's some simple advice, if it smells/tastes bad, don't keep eating it. Wild Garlic & Onion (many varieties) taste & smell like onion & garlic. Other toxic plants won't have those tastes & smells. You won't die from eating a small amount of MOST poisonous plants...but you should know pretty much immediately they don't taste good. Tiger lilys are delicious, Irises are toxic. If someone were to dare you to eat each and you decided to take them up on it (I don't recommend this) you would know by taste immediately well before you ate enough to do permanent damage. Stay away from wild mushrooms unless you 100% know what you're doing. Even people who think they know what they are doing with those sometimes get it wrong. Some of those CAN kill you in small doses.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

@@jimmydyurko Thanks for watching. Death camas is in a totally different genus and family from wild onions. The death camas bulbs I have smelled have a pleasant grass-like smell to them. From everything I have learned about death camas, of which there are several species, no one is exactly sure how many bulbs is required for a fatal amount.

[@l21n18]

Never seen em

[@tacrewgirl]

Thanks for this video. When foraging, I try to learn about the toxic lookalikes first so I can be certain.

[@discobikerAndRosie]

👍👍 Many an early settler fell prey to the death camis! Another good video would be on the beefsteak mushroom. The look exactly the same, only the real beefsteak you can eat, is a different shade of brown than the poisonous kind! I know, because I ate the wrong kind & puked my guts out! When I pick wild onions, the first thing I look for is the smell. If I don't smell it, I don't pick it!

[@duckmangooo7376]

This is a great educational value. I carry a book of reference when I hike, camp. The plants are similar, knowing the differences of each plant is a must.

[@FlintSparkedStudios]

When I was a kid I loved to pick wild onions and roast them on the fire. Also I hope to grow such a beard as this man's some day.

[@rebelboi88]

This is pretty neat. I'm not gonna go out forging after watching one video online, but that's really interesting to know regardless. Thank you sir.

[@annieb7919]

Aly is 63 ~ I'm 85! I have something growing in my yard that I had never seen before last week. I took a sample to the local greenhouse where they looked it up and told me it was wild garlic. According to what I learned here just now, I believe it's Death Camas. HELP! I just wish more time had been spent on Death Camas. Pretty scary as I depend on my garden to sustain me. Thanks for all your help! I look forward to seeing ALL of your videos!

[@DeltaSierra181]

SAME. I use to make dishes with wild onions, never knew about this plant.

[@BeansAndBullets1391]

I've been using wild onions in my rabit stew all my life, never knew about the death camas, wow

[@tracycastleberry9040]

We have wild onions here in the south. they only grow during the winter. Have used them forever. Never knew there was a look-a-like poison one. I always would crush one of the stems and smell it before digging to make sure. Thanks for the vid

[@williamiannucci2740]

Oh my God thank you so much

[@mrtwister9002]

Not sure why this was recommended to me. But, very educational and enjoyable to watch.

[@luishion]

Watched this and I knew there was a poisonous plant that looks like wild onion and tends to grow near it. Sometimes the smell of the wild onion being so close to the poison one makes it hard to do a smell test. Even with the new information I picked up in your video I think I'll still pass this one by.

[@petervanhorn8573]

Great video, thanks. I would enjoy seeing what the flowers of each plant look like.

[@luthorlex8047]

I'm highly disappointed that he didn't start acting like he was dying after eating the onion, then pop back on camera saying he was joking. Lol.

[@e.dnorth]

i was kind of expecting that as well

[@mrlpz1636]

Enjoyed this very much and being old I learned something new and your teaching method was excellent

[@terrymilligan974]

The camas onion appeared to have a round shape wherein the edible one didn't.

[@ColonelKlink100]

Many onions have a round bulb too when they are more mature.

[@terrymilligan974]

@@ColonelKlink100 OK Thanks

[@largepoodle6036]

Yeah i grow wild onions in my garden. The wild onions i grow are bulbous as fuck, round as can be.

[@largepoodle6036]

The main thing is that your wild onions need to smell and taste like onions otherwise it's a no go

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching! There are countless species of wild onions throughout North America. Most species have a very pronounced bulb. The species of the onion in this video typically presents a more noticeable bulb than what was shown in this video. I am going to making a new and improved video about this topic soon!

[@PatricesProjects]

Thank you. I am always eager to grow my knowledge of useful information. This may even get into a novel I really need to get back to, that I started over 30 years ago.

[@cedarhatt5991]

Why don't you just shitcan it, it's outta date! Kidding, good luck.

[@bazookallamaproductions5280]

all the comments are experienced forragers being like "how dod i never hear about this???" myself included. 15 years ive been doing it.

[@wendyeames5758]

Yeah, it's weird because I'm not a forager (but I do veg garden), & even I already knew the difference, in terms of wild onion should smell like onion. I would also never forage anything carrot-like... But I don't forage anything except spring clevers & purslane.

[@bazookallamaproductions5280]

@@wendyeames5758 it seems like a "close, but obviously different" situation. like how purslane and spotted spurge look kinda close, but are very obviously different.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

@@wendyeames5758 Purslane is one of my favorites.

[@trailtrashoutdoors8173]

New friends here from Trail Trash Outdoors! Always great to know what you can and cannot eat! Thanks for sharing!! Much love

[@eogg25]

The death camas bulb looks like wild garlic, the leaf on the onion and camas look like they are flat. the wild garlic on my property has a tubule leaf more like a chive and they do taste like garlic. never saw the death camas or wild onion before. glad I watched this, I might have mistaken a camas bulb for garlic.

[@barnaclebill1615]

Thanks for the info! I really appreciate u bringing this to our attention! 👍👍😁

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

Thanks for watching!

[@jimf1964]

How come you didn't show us what the poison one tastes like? 😃 Interesting video.

[@rockymountainedibles3593]

I will definitely consider this for the future! LOL!!