Buttercups / All Year round / Toxic There are many types of Buttercups, three species are very common in the UK. They can all be thought of as the same from a foraging point of view as they are all toxic. Common Names Buttercups, Creeping crazy, Devil’s guts, Lantern leaves,…
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Fools Parsley / Spring / Summer / Toxic A toxic member of the carrot family, it’s closely related to Hemlock (Conium maculatum) but is not as poisonous. Common Names Fools Parsley, Fool’s Cicely, or Poison Parsley Botanical Name Aethusa cynapium Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Apiales Family –…
Water Mint / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Identification Guide for Water Mint A fairly common, perennial member of the mentha family, it can be found near water or in damp woodlands. Common Names Water Mint Botanical Name Mentha aquatica Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Lamiales…
Lesser Celandine / Spring / Summer / Edible A very common, woodland plant, one of the first plants to flower in spring. Common Names Lesser Celandine, Spring Messenger, Pilewort Botanical Name Ficaria verna formally Ranunculus ficaria Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Ranunculales Family – Ranunculaceae Physical Characteristics for…
Wild Fennel / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Latin Name: Foeniculum vulgare Physical Characteristics: A tall umbellifer that can grow to 1.5-2m tall in favourable conditions. Leaves The leaves, which begin sheathed, are very finely branched and appear feathery. They have a strong aniseed smell when crushed Flowers…
Sea Plantain / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Other Common Names: Coastal Plantain, Plantain by the Sea, Goose tongue Latin Name: Plantago maritima subsp. maritima (there are several subspecies, differentiated by their geographical distributions). Physical Characteristics: Looking a bit like a wider, more succulent grass stem with a…
Salty Fingers / All Year / Edible Salty Fingers are an absolutely outstanding species that grows at certain special coastal spots throughout the UK and the rest of the world. This one looks prehistoric and like it shouldn’t be eaten, however it has a delightful salty flavour and the way…
Lilac / Spring / Summer / Edible Other Common Names: Lilac flower, sweet lilac Latin Name: Syringa vulgaris and other species Physical Characteristics: This is a deciduous shrub that blooms in spring with cones of wonderfully fragrant flowers. It can grow up to 7m tall and can form suckers with…
Buck’s Horn Plantain / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Names Stagshorn plantain, Minutina Botanical Name Plantago coronopus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Lamiales Family – Plantaginaceae Physical Characteristics The whole plant rarely grows more than 10cm tall. Leaves Hairy leaves growing in a basal rosette. Each…
Reindeer Moss / All Year / Edible Other Common Names: Reindeer lichen, Reindeer cup lichen, Grey reindeer lichen, Caribou moss, Deer moss Latin Name: Cladonia rangiferina Physical Characteristics: While it is colloquially known as a moss, this is actually a lichen, which is a symbiont of at least one fungus…