Selfheal / Summer / Autumn / Edible Self Heal is a common and edible member of the Mint family. It’s a creeping, perennial plant with a long history of use in herbal medicine. Hippocrates said ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ And this plant is a…
Category: Foraging
Cooking Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) Its early spring and the weather is just beginning to improve, I think it’s just about my favourite time of year, the sap is rising, buds are swelling and the first shoots of Wild Garlic are just appearing. Wild Garlic is one of the best…
The best wild mushrooms for beginners The world of mushrooms and fungi can be an intimidating place for beginners so through this guide we’re going to look at the best wild mushrooms for beginners. Many of them look very similar and if you get it wrong there’s the risk of…
One of the most commonly asked questions, when we are running courses, is ‘Will we find any Truffles today?’ unfortunately my answer is almost always no, through this guide we’re going to look at An Introduction to Truffles in case you happen to be lucky enough to stumble across some…
Watercress / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Watercress is a fast growing, aquatic member of the Cabbage family. It’s very nutritious, easy to ID and edible. Common Names Watercress, Yellow cress, Poor Man’s Bread Botanical Name Nasturtium officinale Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Brassicales Family –…
Toxic plants and fungi When we think about poisonous plants and fungi what do we mean? A toxic plant is often defined as ‘a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or fatal to an organism or any plant capable of evoking a toxic and/or…
Fig / Summer / Autumn / Edible Fig is a non-native small tree or large shrub with edible fruit and leaves. Â Originally from the Mediterranean and Asia, it has been grown in the UK since the 16th century. Common Names Fig, Adriatic Fig, Symrna Fig Botanical Name Ficus carica Scientific…
Blackcurrant / Summer / Edible An easy to identify member of the Gooseberry family with edible fruits. It’s a medium-sized shrub, growing up to 1.5m tall. Common Names Blackcurrant, Cassis Botanical Name Ribes nigrum Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Saxifragales Family – Grossulariaceae Physical Characteristics for Blackcurrant Leaves…
Wild Gooseberry / Summer / Edible Wild Gooseberry is a thorny shrub or bush, up to 1.5 metres high. It’s difficult to know whether the plants you find are truly wild or if they are feral. Gooseberries were cultivated a lot in the past. Common Names Wild Gooseberry, European Gooseberry,…
Walnut / All year round / Edible A deciduous, broadleaf tree, it was introduced to the UK by the Romans. Common Names      Walnut, English Walnut, Persian Walnut, Common Walnut Botanical Name Juglans regia Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Fagales Family – Juglandaceae Physical Characteristics for Walnut Leaves The…