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…
Tag: roadside
Lesser Stitchwort / Spring / Summer / Edible Lesser Stitchwort is a common, native wildflower. It belongs to the Carnation or Caryophyllaceae family and as this plant is one of the first to flower in the year; seeing it gets me excited about the coming warmer months. Common Names Lesser…
Wild Apple / Summer / Autumn / Edible The guide focuses on the Wild apple or Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) but truly wild apples are getting harder to find. Most of the apples that you’ll see in the wild are technically ‘feral’. They have grown from a seed or core…
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 –…
Vetch / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Vetch is a member of the Pea or Fabaceae family, it’s one of the largest families in nature and there are around 240 Vetches worldwide. The most common in the UK is Common Vetch (Vicia sativa). They can sometimes be hard…
Ladies Smock / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible Ladies Smock is a native, perennial member of the Brassica family, with a delicious mustardy taste. Very easy to identify. Common Names Ladies Smock, Lady’s smock, Cuckoo flower, Mayflower or Milkmaids. Botanical Name Cardamine pratensis Scientific Classification Kingdom…
Ox Eye Daisy / Spring / Summer / Edible A fairly common and easy to identify plant with edible leaves and flowers. Common Names Ox Eye Daisy, Dog daisy, Marguerite. Botanical Name Leucanthemum vulgare Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Asterales Family – Asteraceae Physical Characteristics for Ox Eye…
Horseradish / All Year / Edible Common Names Horseradish, Wild Horseradish Botanical Name Armoracia Rusticana Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Brassicales Family – Brassicaceae Physical Characteristics for Horseradish Wild Horseradish looks most similar to dock and the easiest time of the year to identify between the two is in…
Mugwort / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Mugwort is a really interesting plant that has a boundless number of historical and ritual-based uses, on top of that is a potent flavoured herb with many uses within the kitchen. Common Names Mugwort, Sailors Tobacco, Wild Wormwood. Botanical Name Artemisia…
Poison Hemlock / Spring / Summer / Deadly  Poison Hemlock is one the most deadly plants found growing in the UK and if you forage for anything at all you should definitely invest time in learning how to safely identify this one. It can grow in quite staggering numbers…