Creeping Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible A native, biannual member of the daisy family. It’s the most common thistle found in the UK and the stems and roots can be eaten raw or cooked. Common Names Creeping Thistle, Canada Thistle, Field Thistle Botanical Name Cirsium arvense…
Category: Plant identification
German Chamomile / Spring / Summer / Edible German Chamomile is A non-native annual member of the daisy family, it can be used in the same way as the less common English Chamomile. Common Names Chamomile, Camomile, chamomile, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, Wild chamomile, Blue chamomile, or Scented mayweed Botanical…
English Chamomile / Spring / Summer / Edible Chamomile A once common plant but due to habitat loss it is classed as vulnerable on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain. We would therefore not recommend harvesting it in the wild. Common Names Chamomile, Camomile, Roman Chamomile, English…
Milk Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Identification Guide for Milk Thistle Milk Thistle is an aggressive-looking plant, but with a pair of thick gloves and a little effort you can get plenty of fantastic edible stems & centres from this plant. Common Names Holy Thistle, Zebra…
Angelica / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible A common, annual and edible member of the Carrot or Umbellifer family. It’s not the easiest plant to ID as its leaves look a little like Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) so care must be taken. Common Names Angelica, Wild Angelica…
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…
Docks / All Year Round / Edible A common and familiar wild plant. Well known as a cure for nettle stings but it is also edible. There are two main species found in the UK, Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and Curled Dock (Rumex crispus) both have a similar taste and…
Shepherds Purse / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Shepherds Purse is a tasty, native, annual member of the mustard family, the common name comes from the shape of the seed pods which look like old fashioned purses. It’s very common in fact it’s the world’s 2nd most prolific…
Spear Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Spear Thistle is a native, biannual member of the daisy family. It’s massively common and the stems can be used as a celery substitute. Common Names Spear Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scotch Thistle Botanical Name Cirsium vulgare Scientific Classification Kingdom –…
Ground Ivy/ Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Ground Ivy is one of Britain’s most common plants, it’s not a true Ivy but a member of the mint family and it can be used as a substitute for Thyme, Mint or Rosemary. It’s an evergreen, ground cover…