The Daisy family, scientifically known as Asteraceae, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world having over 32,000 species! It comprises mostly herbaceous plants especially in the UK, and makes up a huge portion of our most showy and valued flowers. Asteraceae is so large it’s incredibly varied,…
Tag: Asteraceae
We are lucky in the UK to have only a few plants that need caution when it comes to touching. Through this post we’ll look at Toxic Plants that affect you when touched. As beginners, it’s good to start with the main ones to avoid so you can be on…
Salsify / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Salsify is a true culinary delight, it’s a root vegetable with quite distinctive characteristics and is known for its delicate oyster-like flavour. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is a species that originated in the Mediterranean but it has historical…
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…
Creeping Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible A native, bi-annual member of the daisy family.  It’s the most common thistle found in the UK and the stems and roots can be eaten raw or cooked. Common Names Creeping Thistle, Canada Thistle, Field Thistle Botanical Name Cirsium arvense…
German Chamomile / Spring / Summer / Edible German Chamomile is A non-native annual member of the daisy family, it can be used in the same way as the less common English Chamomile. Common Names Chamomile, Camomile, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, Wild chamomile, Blue chamomile, or Scented mayweed Botanical Name…
English Chamomile / Spring / Summer / Edible Chamomile A once common plant but due to habitat loss it is classed as vulnerable on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain. We would therefore not recommend harvesting it in the wild. Common Names Chamomile, Camomile, Roman Chamomile, English…
Milk Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Milk Thistle is an aggressive-looking plant, but with a pair of thick gloves and a little effort you can get plenty of fantastic edible stems & centres from this plant. Common Names Holy Thistle, Zebra Thistle, The Spikey Queen…
Spear Thistle / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Spear Thistle is a native, biannual member of the daisy family.  It’s massively common and the stems can be used as a celery substitute. Common Names Spear Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scotch Thistle Botanical Name Cirsium vulgare Scientific Classification Kingdom –…
Ragwort / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Toxic Ragworts (Senecio species) are very common throughout the UK, the most common variety in the UK is Jacobaea vulgaris but they are all toxic. Common Names Ragwort, Common ragwort, Stinking Willy, Tansy ragwort, St. James-wort, Stinking nanny, Staggerwort, Cankerwort, Stammerwort. Botanical…