Category: Foraging

Cleavers / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Everything you need to safely identify the edible and medicinal Cleavers or Sticky Weed (Gallium Aparine) before heading out to forage some. Common Names Clivers, “bort”, bedstraw, goosegrass, catchweed, stickyweed, stickybud, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy, sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, and grip grass.…

Sow Thistle / Spring / Summer/ Autumn / Edible Common names Sow thistle, hare thistle, hare’s lettuce Botanical name Sonchus (genus of several species) Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Asterales  Family – Asteraceae Physical Characteristics for Sow Thistle Leaves Looks like a true thistle, but the leaves are much…

Rosebay Willowherb / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common names Rosebay Willowherb, Fireweed Botanical name Chamerion angustifolium Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Myrtales  Family – Onagraceae Physical Characteristics for Rosebay Willowherb  Leaves Starts as a rosette of lance-shaped leaves, which then becomes a tall stalk. The leaves…

Hairy Bittercress / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Botanical name Cardamine hirsuta Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Brassicales  Family – Brassicaceae Physical Characteristics for Hairy Bittercress Hairy bittercress is a very successful plant and, in the UK, will go through its life cycle several times between…

Pignut / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Common names Pignut, hognut, kippernut, cipernut, arnut, jarnut, hawknut, earth chestnut, groundnut, and earthnut Botanical name Conopodium majus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Apiales Family – Apiaceae Physical characteristics  The Pignut can only be found from Spring to…

Elder / Summer / Autumn / Edible Elder and Elder flowers are one of the most well-known wild flavours in the UK and they can be found in abundance throughout the hedgerows. Botanical Name Sambucus Nigra Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Dipsacales Family – Adoxaceae Physical Characteristics Elder is…

Common Sorrel / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Common Names Common Sorell, Garden sorrel, Spinach dock, narrow-leaved dock Botanical Name Rumex acetosa Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Caryophyllales  Family – Polygonaceae Physical Characteristics for Common Sorell This perennial can reach a full height of 50cm…