Foraging and Allemansratten: What You May Take

Berries and mushrooms are the famous part of Sweden’s right of public access. Everything else — wild garlic, hazelnuts, birch twigs, beach stones, antlers — runs on a short list in the Penal Code. Learn the list and the rest follows.

When you need this

You’ve found a woodland floor carpeted in ramsons in May, or a hazel heavy with nuts in September. You want birch twigs for a sauna whisk, a fossil from a Gotland beach, or moss for an Advent candlestick. Or you’ve picked up a moose antler and wonder whether it’s yours. For berries and ground mushrooms, go straight to our berry-picking guide and mushroom-picking guide — this page covers everything else.

The list that decides everything

Allemansrätten (everyone’s right of access) has no statute of its own. It sits in the constitution and is fenced in by other laws. For foraging, the fence that matters is Brottsbalken 12 kap. 2 a §, the Penal Code’s paragraph on åverkan — the minor offence of taking natural products from someone’s land.

It names two groups:

Take any of these without permission and you commit åverkan, punished by a fine. The paragraph only covers minor takings, so anything larger is judged as a more serious offence.

Now read the list backwards. Berries, mushrooms, flowers and the leaves of wild herbs aren’t on it, and that’s why they’re free. The Supreme Court reasoned exactly this way in its 1986 vitlav (reindeer lichen) ruling, which Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, still quotes.

Two more layers sit on top:

• Protected species (fridlysta arter) may not be picked, even if the landowner says yes. Only the county board can grant an exemption.
• Nature reserves, national parks and ancient-monument areas can restrict picking plants and taking stones. The sign at the boundary is binding.

Wild herbs and ramsons

Leaves, flowers and other above-ground parts of unprotected wild plants may be picked without asking, as long as you don’t harm the plant. What you may never do under allemansrätten is dig. Roots, bulbs and whole plants need the landowner’s permission, and that includes edible roots like cattail.

Ramsons (ramslök, wild garlic) follow that rule. Naturvårdsverket says you may pick the leaves as long as you don’t damage the plant or dig up the bulbs. Pick moderately, so the local stand survives. The exception is location. Until 31 October 2026, ramsons are fully protected in Blekinge county, so no picking at all there. From 1 November the rules change (see below).

The real danger is a look-alike. Giftinformationscentralen, the Swedish Poisons Information Centre, reports that ramsons leaves have been confused with lily of the valley (liljekonvalj) and autumn crocus (tidlösa). Autumn crocus is very poisonous, and mixing it up with ramsons has caused serious poisonings and deaths. Ramsons smell and taste of onion or garlic, so crush one leaf from every plant before it goes in the bag.

Nuts, trees and firewood

Nuts and acorns are not part of allemansrätten. Taking them from a growing tree is åverkan. Naturvårdsverket accepts a small quantity of hazelnuts picked up from the ground. For more than that, or from the tree itself, ask the landowner.

Trees are where visitors most often cross the line without knowing it:

A windfall still belongs to the landowner, so you can’t take firewood from it or build a shelter out of it. Bring a tarp instead, which Naturvårdsverket treats like a tent. Our campfire guide covers where loose twigs may actually burn.

Moss, seaweed and Christmas greenery

Moss and lichen that aren’t protected may be picked in small amounts for your own use without asking. Larger-scale picking, say for selling at a Christmas market, may need both the landowner’s permission and consultation with the county board.

Seaweed and algae that aren’t protected may usually be picked in small amounts for your own use. Cut them rather than pulling up the whole plant. More than a couple of handfuls of dead seaweed for the garden needs the landowner’s permission.

Wild fruit is more generous. You may pick sloes, sea buckthorn and wild raspberries unless they’re on someone’s plot or in a planting. On an abandoned plot with no buildings, feral apples and cherries are fair game. If there are houses or fences, however overgrown, it’s still a plot.

A Christmas tree or spruce branches from someone’s forest count as a growing tree or its branches, which is åverkan at the least.

Stones, fossils and beach finds

Stones are on the Penal Code list, so collecting them needs the landowner’s permission. But Naturvårdsverket says picking up a single loose stone can be acceptable. Breaking stone out of bedrock is never covered.

Länsstyrelsen Gotland (the county board) applies the same logic to fossils on the limestone islands. Hammering fossils out of rock is prohibited. A single souvenir fossil with no economic value may go home with you. Collecting for sale needs both the landowner and the county board to agree.

On the beach, Naturskyddsföreningen’s magazine says stones, shells, reeds and sticks may be taken in small quantities. No source we found addresses driftwood directly. In practice, loose pieces are treated like fallen branches, while whole logs may be someone’s timber, so leave those.

One hard line: never take stones from a cairn, a stone setting or anything with a heritage sign. The Cultural Environment Act forbids moving, removing or damaging an ancient monument without a permit, and some look like nothing more than a heap of stones.

Antlers, eggs and dead animals

• Shed antlers (fällhorn) are legally unregulated, and no court has ruled. Naturvårdsverket has said a fallen antler is no longer game and can be compared with droppings, which anyone may pick up. An antler still attached to a skull is another matter: according to the hunters’ association, it belongs to the hunting-rights holder or the state.
• Wild birds’ eggs may not be collected, not even empty ones, and nests may not be removed. That’s statute, in the Species Protection Ordinance.
• A dead bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx, otter, eagle, falcon or one of several owl species belongs to the state. Finding one must be reported to the police as soon as possible. Feathers, claws and skulls stay put.

What changes on 1 November 2026

A new national list of protected species takes effect on 1 November 2026 (SFS 2026:1504). Our berry-picking guide explains the four protection levels. For foragers, three plants move:

Limited protection (begränsat skydd) means you may pick the plant, but may not dig or pull it up by the roots and may not collect it for sale. For mistletoe there’s a catch. Naturvårdsverket’s guidance, written before the reform, says you need the landowner’s permission because mistletoe grows on someone’s trees. The new rules also let landowners harvest it for sale when that protects the host tree. So don’t read 1 November as “free mistletoe for all”.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating nuts like berries. The Penal Code names nuts. It doesn’t name berries.
• Snapping birch twigs for a sauna whisk or a midsummer pole. Leaves and twigs from a growing tree need permission.
• Digging up ramsons, wild horseradish or a pretty plant for your garden at home.
• Burning a windfall or building a shelter from one.
• Filling a bucket with beach stones or Gotland fossils. One souvenir is tolerated; collecting isn’t.
• Assuming foraged herbs sell tax-free. The 12,500 kr exemption covers only wild berries, mushrooms and cones.
• Using the wrong list for the date. Before 1 November the old list applies; from 1 November, the new one.

Practical information

FAQ

Can I pick wild garlic (ramsons) in Sweden?

Yes, in most of Sweden you may pick ramsons leaves under allemansrätten, as long as you don’t dig up the bulbs and pick moderately. Until 31 October 2026 ramsons are fully protected in Blekinge; from 1 November they have limited protection in Kalmar and Stockholm counties, where picking is allowed but uprooting and selling are not. Check reserve rules, and smell every leaf for garlic.

Can I pick hazelnuts in Sweden?

Only a few from the ground. Nuts and acorns are not part of allemansrätten: the Penal Code names nuts taken from growing trees as åverkan, an offence punished by a fine. Naturvårdsverket accepts a small quantity of hazelnuts picked up from the ground. For anything more, or from the tree itself, ask the landowner — most will say yes.

Can I take stones, shells or driftwood from a Swedish beach?

Small amounts, yes. Collecting stone needs the landowner’s permission, but a single loose stone or a souvenir fossil without economic value is acceptable, and shells in small quantities are fine. Never break stone or fossils out of bedrock, and never take stones from a cairn or other ancient monument. Nature reserves can ban even single stones.

Can I keep a moose antler I find in the forest?

Probably, but the law is unsettled. No statute covers shed antlers and no court has ruled; Naturvårdsverket has said a fallen antler is no longer game and can be picked up like droppings. An antler still on a skull belongs to the hunting-rights holder or the state. A dead bear, wolf, lynx or eagle is state property and must be reported to the police.

Can I cut birch twigs or pick spruce tips in Sweden?

Not without permission. The Penal Code makes it an offence to take twigs, branches, leaves, bark, birch bark or resin from a growing tree, and Naturvårdsverket says spruce tips are outside allemansrätten. Fallen dry twigs, branches and cones on the ground are free to take. A sauna whisk or a bowl of spruce-tip syrup therefore starts with a knock on the landowner’s door.

Can I pick mistletoe in Sweden?

Not before 1 November 2026: mistletoe is fully protected nationwide, and even berries lying on the ground may not be taken. From 1 November it moves to limited protection, which allows picking but forbids uprooting and collecting for sale; Naturvårdsverket’s guidance also says you need the landowner’s permission, since mistletoe grows on someone’s trees. Landowners may harvest it for sale under conditions.

Can I take moss and lichen for Christmas decorations?

A little, yes. Moss and lichen that are not protected may be picked in small amounts for your own use without asking the landowner, according to Naturvårdsverket. Larger-scale picking, such as for market sale, can need both landowner permission and consultation with the county board. Leave anything growing on trees in a nature reserve, and never strip a whole patch.

Related guides

• Allemansrätten explained: the whole right of access, not only what you may take
• Berry picking in Sweden: the four protection levels and the 12,500 kr tax-free rule
• Mushroom picking in Sweden: identification and the species that can kill
• Campfires and fire bans: where your fallen twigs may actually burn
• Free fishing in Sweden: the other food nature gives without a permit

Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: Sveriges Riksdag, Regeringen, Naturvårdsverket, Länsstyrelsen Gotland and Skåne, Giftinformationscentralen and Naturskyddsföreningen. Full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.