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…
Category: summer
Clematis / Summer / Autumn / Inedible Clematis vitalba, often called Traveller’s Joy or Old Man’s Beard, is a familiar sight in hedgerows and woodlands across the UK. This vigorous climbing plant is known for its feathery seed heads and clusters of creamy white flowers that brighten the countryside in…
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…
Cinnamon Bracket / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Toxic The Cinnamon Bracket (Hapalopilus nidulans) is one of those mushrooms that stops you in your tracks during a woodland walk. Its warm, cinnamon-brown colour and soft, velvety texture make it stand out against the dull greys and greens…
Egghead Mottlegill /Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Inedible The first time I came across the Egg head Mottlegill (Panaeolus semiovatus), I was struck by its delicate, egg-shaped cap and intricate mottled gills. This is one of those fungi that catches your eye in horse pastures and other…
Silver leaf fungus /Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Inedible The Silver Leaf Fungus (Chondrostereum purpureum) is a fascinating yet inedible fungus often found in UK woodlands, particularly on decaying hardwood trees and stumps. Known for its role as both a decomposer and a plant pathogen, it’s infamous…
Oak Mazegill / Autumn / Summer / Winter / Inedible One of the joys of walking through ancient woodlands is spotting the fascinating fungi that make their home on old, weathered trees. Among these, the Daedalea quercina, or oak mazegill, stands out as a true marvel of nature. Clinging…