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. Scientific Name Gallium aparine Family Rubiaceae Also known as Clivers, “bort”, bedstraw, goosegrass, catchweed, stickyweed, stickybud, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy,…
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Darwins Barberry (Berberis darwinii) How to Identify Darwins Barberry Edible Scientific NameBerberis darwinii FamilyBerberidaceae Also known asMmichay, calafate, and quelung. HabitatNative to southern Chile and Argentina and naturalized elsewhere. Moist shady woodland in the Patagonian mountains. Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedge; DescriptionIt is an evergreen thorny shrub growing…
GROUND ELDER (Aegopodium podagraria) How to Identify Ground Elder(Edible) Common namesGround Elder, Bishop’s Weed, Goutweed, Gout Wort, Snow-in-the-Mountain, English Masterwort, Wild Masterwort Botanical nameAegopodium podagraria Meaning of botanical nameFrom the Greek Aigos for “goat” and podo meaning foot. The second part of the name is Latin and is another reference…
Primrose / Spring / Edible Primrose is one of the first plants to produce edible wild flowers in spring, our favourite thing is to use them as a garnish or to crystalise them for future use. Common names Primrose, Common Primrose, Wild Primrose, English Primrose Botanical name Primula vulgaris Meaning…
Himalayan Balsam / Spring / Summer / Edible Himalayan Balsam is an incredibly invasive species that is often found spreading up riverside edges, however, it’s also a brilliant edible and has edible, leaves, shoots flower & seeds.. Common names Himalayan Balsam, Indian Balsam, Bobby Tops, Copper Tops, Gnome’s Hatstand, Ornamental…
Wood Avens, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Edible Wood Avens are one of those plants we walk over and past every time we go through a woodland, it’s amazing to learn the roots taste like cloves. Uncertain Could be confused with Water Avens (Geum rivale), and wild strawberries (Fragaria), but the…
Garlic Mustard / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Garlic Mustard, Hedge Garlic or Jack by the Hedge, whatever you call it, this edible wild green is a spicy mustard and garlic delight! Common names Hedge garlic, Jack-by-the-Hedge, Garlic Mustard, Poor Man’s Mustard, Garlic Root, Penny Hedge, Sauce Alone…
ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB (Chamerion angustifolim) How to Identify Rosebay Willowherb(Edible) Common namesRosebay Willowherb, Fireweed Botanical nameChamerion angustifolium Meaning of botanical nameThe first part, Chamerion, comes from the Greek words for low to the ground, chamai, and oldeander, nerion. Angustifolium is derived from Latin words for narrow, angustus, and leaves, folium. Known…
HAIRY BITTERCRESS (Cardamine hirsuta) How to Identify Hairy Bittercress(Edible) Common namesHairy Bittercress, Lamb’s Cress, Hoary Bittercress, Spring Cress, Flick Weed, Shot Weed Botanical nameCardamine hirsuta Meaning of botanical nameCardamine comes from the Greek Kardamon, meaning cress-like. Hirsuta means hairy, which is in references to the hairs on the leaves of…
Stinging Nettles / Spring/ Summer / Autumn/ Edible Stinging nettles are a plant that we’ve all been stung by at some point and, as such, have learned how to safely identify. Botanical Name Urtica dioica Known Hazards Stinging nettles are well known for the burning sensation they give if handled…
Silver Birch (Betula pendula) How to Identify Silver Birch Edible Botanical Name:Betula pendula Known Hazards:The tar present in the bark of this tree has been recorded as causing skin irritation, there’s also reference to an insect that feeds on the sap of the silver birch leaves exuding a chemical called…
Hogweed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Hogweed doesn’t sound like an edible plant, but it is and it’s one of my favourites! Botanical Name Heracleum Sphondylium Known Hazards A mild case of photo-phyto-dermatitis can be caused by touching the raw juice of this plant and,…
Hazel (Corylus avellana) How to Identify Hazel Edible Botanical Name: Corylus avellana Known Hazards: N/A Could be confused with: Other species in the Corylus family, of which are similarly used. Linden Tree (Tilia) which has a similar leaf structure but grows to a huge size and doesn’t produce hazel nuts…
Hawthorn / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Hawthorn is one of those plants that often blurs the line between medicine and food, it’s used for helping to regulate the heart and blood pressure, both for high and low blood pressure, but it can also be used in many…
Alexanders / spring / summer / autumn / winter / edible Welcome to our guide on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum), a fascinating and versatile wild edible that deserves a place in every forager’s repertoire. Often overlooked in favor of more well-known wild plants, Alexanders is a highly nutritious and flavorsome addition…
The Prince/ Summer / Autumn / Edible Indulge in the regal flavors of the Prince Mushroom (Agaricus augustus) as we embark on a culinary journey celebrating this esteemed delicacy. Join us in savoring the unique delights offered by nature’s culinary masterpiece. With its distinguished appearance and captivating aroma, the Prince…
Dandelion / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Dandelion is one of the UK’s most prolific weeds and most of us have spent some time digging this one up out of the garden, kicking and swearing at it. But if we look at it slightly differently it could help…
Cherry / Spring / Autumn / Edible Cherry trees are found in almost every town, village and city within the UK & they have edible parts in spring and autumn. Botanical Name Prunus Cerasus Family Rosaceae Known Hazards Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs…
Blackberry / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Through this piece we’re going to take a deep dive into everything blackberry, often an overlooked fruit by us foragers because it’s too main stream. A bit like when you loved a band more before you could hear them on radio…
Sweet Cicely / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible How to Identify Sweet Cicely Botanical Name Myrrhis Odorata Could be confused with Cows Parsley (Anthriscus Sylvestris) very easily, the leaves are almost identical although Sweet Cicely leaves are a little softer to touch, the flower bunches of Sweet Cicely…
Bilberries / Summer / Edible Bilberry Foraging is one of the first I ever did as a child, they go by many names such as whimberries, whortleberries, blaeberries & Wild Blueberries. They are beautiful wild ingredients and well worth hiking up to higher altitudes to find and enjoy. Botanical…
Japanese Knotweed / Spring / Summer / Edible Japanese Knotweed is an incredibly invasive plant, but it has an amazing rhubarb flavour which we can use in cooking. Botanical Name: Fallopia japonica Known Hazards: Oxalic acid and oxalates are mild nephrotoxic acids that are abundantly present in the stem and…
Magic mushrooms, the past, present and the future The last few years have seen a huge increase in the interest in magic mushrooms, on nearly every course I run I get asked about them or someone slips into the conversation that they are micro dosing. Research by the ONS shows…
Eco-packaging Cardboard is a vital packaging material and it has long been an integral part of our lives, in all honesty up until writing this article it wasn’t something I really thought too much about. I do try to live as ‘green’ a lifestyle as I can with two young…
Water Pepper / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Water Pepper is a plant of the Knotweed or Polygonaceae family, that was previously cultivated as a pepper alternative, it doesn’t strike you as anything speicifcally special to look at as it’s just growing in the water, but when you…
Field Bindweed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Toxic Field bindweed is a persistent and troublesome perennial weed, much hated by gardeners. Its is a toxic plant in the Morning Glory family, it’s generally 20–100 cm tall and it trails or climbs up other plants. Common Names…
Red Campion / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Red Campion is a common, native wildflower. It is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant that produces beautiful, bright pink flowers, which bloom in spring and early summer. Common Names Robin hood, Robin-run-in-the-hedge, Adder’s flower Botanical Name Silene…
Elm / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible There are many species of Elm such as the English Elm (Ulmus procera), Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra) and Field Elm (Ulmus minor). All were sadly affected by the fungal Dutch elm disease which came to the UK in the…
Henbane / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Toxic Henbane Is a poisonous plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) it is native to temperate Europe, and naturalised in Great Britain and Ireland. It’s a shrubby biennial that grows up to 1m tall. The whole plant is very hairy, very sticky…
Cowberry / Summer / Autumn / Edible Cowberry is a brilliant little edible fruit that isn’t heavily harvested in the UK, however in the nordic countries this one is commercially harvested from the wild and can be found in lots of products and menus, it’s lovely in Jam, fresh or…
Spanakopita is a very traditional Greek dish with a wild twist with our Wild Spanakopita. For mine, I’ve used nettle, dandelion, bistort, and common sorrel, but really anything green and good can be used. You could even make a coastal version with wild seaweeds, sea purslane, sea spinach and more….…
Through this guide we’re going to take a deep dive into the definition of foraging and why it’s a little more complex than a simple paragraph. Foraging is a fundamental behaviour observed in various organisms, including humans. It refers to the act of searching and obtaining food resources in the…