Chaga / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible The Chaga Mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a unique fungus prized for its medicinal properties and revered in traditional medicine for centuries. Growing primarily on birch trees in colder climates, this irregular, black, crusty growth may not look like a…
Category: spring
Japanese Rose / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible The Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) is a delight for me to collect, offering an abundance of edible flowers and vibrant rosehips. This hardy, fast-growing shrub is often found in coastal areas, parks, and gardens across the UK, recognised by its…
Dog Rose / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible The Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is a beloved wildflower that adds a burst of beauty to hedgerows and woodland edges across the UK. With its delicate pink or white blossoms in summer and vibrant red rosehips in autumn, this hardy…
Common Dogwood / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Toxic The Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a familiar sight in hedgerows, woodlands, and gardens across the UK, admired for its vibrant red stems in winter and clusters of creamy white flowers in spring. As the seasons turn, its…
White Bryony / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Toxic White Bryony (Bryonia dioica) is a striking climbing plant found weaving its way through hedgerows and woodland edges across the UK. Its twisting tendrils, lobed leaves, and clusters of small greenish flowers give way to bright red berries in autumn,…
Scarlet pimpernel / Spring / Summer / Toxic The Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is a charming wildflower often spotted brightening up fields, gardens, and roadside verges across the UK. With its vivid orange-red flowers and creeping habit, it’s hard to miss and often mistaken for an edible herb by novice…
Tuberous polypore / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible The Tuberous Polypore (Polyporus tuberaster) is a delightful find for me. Known for its edible qualities and distinctive growth habit, this mushroom grows from an underground sclerotium—a hard, tuber-like structure that gives it its name. Found on…
Spring field caps / Spring / Summer / Edible The Spring Field caps (Agrocybe praecox) are one of the early arrivals in the fungal calendar, popping up in grassy areas and woodland edges as the days start to warm. Its pale, honey-coloured cap and stout stem make it a charming…
Splitgills / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Inedible The Splitgill (Schizophyllum commune) might be small in size, but it’s a giant when it comes to intrigue. This delicate, fan-shaped fungus is one of the most widespread mushrooms on the planet, thriving on deadwood in a variety of…
Smokey Bracket / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible The Smokey Bracket (Bjerkandera adusta) is a subtle yet fascinating fungus that you’ve likely walked past countless times without even noticing. Found on decaying wood, especially hardwoods, it’s a common sight in UK woodlands year-round. Its smoky-grey…