Buck’s Horn Plantain / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Names Stagshorn plantain, Minutina Botanical Name Plantago coronopus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Lamiales Family – Plantaginaceae Physical Characteristics The whole plant rarely grows more than 10cm tall. Leaves Hairy leaves growing in a basal rosette. Each…
Category: coastal

Nori / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Other Common Names: sometimes called Laver (not strictly correct, but they are very similar) Latin Name: Pyropia yezoensis, californica, tenera and other species. Note that Laver is in the Porphyria genus, but the seaweeds in each are often reclassified.…

Irish Moss Seaweed /Autumn / Winter / Spring / Edible Irish Moss (the source of carrageenan) Note: You may have heard more about Carrageenan than about Irish Moss, and you may be surprised to find controversial material after googling carrageenan! Irish Moss is the seaweed from which the fibre/carbohydrate carrageenan…

Sea Aster / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Name Sea Aster Botanical Name Aster tripolium Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Asterales Family – Asteraceae Physical Characteristics of Sea Aster Perennial (although often not for many years) herb that usually grows to about 50cm tall Leaves With…

Sour Fig / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Common Names Sour Fig/Ice Plant (The name Hottentot Fig is also known, but foragers should be aware that this name has colonial and racist history in South Africa where the plant originated) Botanical Name Carpobrotus edulis Scientific Classification…

Oarweed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Other Common Names: Tangle, Red Ware, Sea Girdle, Leath Latin Name: Laminaria digitata Harvest Season: April – October. As with all seaweeds, only take fronds that look healthy, fresh and free of infection, biofilm and other blemishes. Habitat: Kelps grow in…

Dulse Seaweed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Other Common Names: Red seaweed, Dillisk, Vegan’s Bacon, Creathnach Latin Name: Palmaria palmata – Palmariaceae Harvest Season: From April to November you should find plenty. Best to time your harvest for the two hours around the lowest tide, ideally at one…

Scurvy Grass / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Common Name: Common Scurvy Grass, Danish Scurvy Grass, English Scurvy Grass Botanical Name Cochlearia officinalis Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Rosales Family – Rosaceae Physical Characteristics for Scurvy Grass There is Scurvy Grass for most of the…

Sea Kale / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Name Sea Kale Botanical Name Crambe maritima Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Brassicales Family – Brassicaceae Physical Characteristics Leaves When young, the leaf shoots emerge with a magenta to violet colour, slowly turning green as they grow, but…

White Mustard / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Name White Mustard Botanical Name Sinapis alba Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Brassicales Family – Brassicaceae Physical Characteristics Flowers The whole plant can grow to nearly a metre tall, and tend to branch, ending in small clusters of…