Cherry Plum / Summer / Autumn / Edible Cherry plum aren’t technically wild, but they are commonly planted in gardens, parks and hedgerows. Many people think that they are purely ornamental but they are delicious. They are a broadleaved deciduous tree and one of the first Prunus species to flower…
Category: Plant identification
Bladder Campion / Summer / Autumn / Edible Young leaves of bladder campion have a sweet flavour like a combination of honey and peas. Use in salads, blanch or steam or stir fry briefly.  Common Names Bladder Campion, Maidenstears Botanical Name Silene vulgaris Scientific Clasification Kingdom – Plantae Order –…
Duke of Argyll’s tea tree / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Like many I’d imagine, I hadn’t heard of Goji berries (Duke of Argyll’s tea tree) until the early 2000’s when they became popular as a supposed ‘super food’. I imagined them growing on a rare, recently discovered…
Wild Plum / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Wild plum are a common sight on these shores and as all members of the plum family are edible they are really beginner friendly. Typically appearing as a large bush or small tree, up to 8m in height. Wild plums…
Common Reed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Reed is quite often a name that is used to describe the bulrush – which has the cigar-like tops, the two plants and two names are actually commonly used for one another now. Common Names Reed, Common Reed Botanical…
Medlar / Autumn / Winter / Edible Medlar are something that isn’t often eaten in the UK, it requires picking and letting to slightly ferment to produce a really nice caramel like fruit. Common Names Medlar, Common Medlar Botanical Name Mespilus germanica Scientific Clasification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Rosales…
Wild Apple / Summer / Autumn / Edible The guide focuses on the Wild apple or Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) but truly wild apples are getting harder to find. Most of the apples that you’ll see in the wild are technically ‘feral’. They have grown from a seed or core…
Sycamore / Spring / Edible Sycamore is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, it is native to Central Europe and Western Asia and is thought to have been introduced to the UK in the 1500’s. Common Names Sycamore, Sycamore maple Botanical Name Acer pseudoplatanus   Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –…
Tansy / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Tansy is an aromatic, perennial member of the Daisy family. It’s a very common plant in the UK with a long history of use. It’s native to Europe and Asia but can now be found almost worldwide. Common Names Tansy, Bitter…
Hops / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Well known in brewing for its aroma, bitterness and antibacterial properties Common Names Hop, common Hop Botanical Name Humulus lupulus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Rosales Family – Cannabaceae Physical Characteristics of Hops Perennial climbing vine (bine) plant appearing in…