Red Valarian / Spring / Summer / Edible Red Valerian is one of those plants you see growing out of walls and cracked pavements, it’s lovely to look at and is edible, although quite bitter. It’s not related to the valerian that’s used in sleepy tea though. Scientific Name: Centranthus…
Tag: spring
Wild Parsnip / Spring / Summer / Winter  Wild Parsnip could look like quite a few of the umbelifer (carrot family) species and some are deadly toxic so great care should be taken. Common names Wild Parsnip Botanical Name Pastinaca sativa Meaning of Botanical Name The genus Pastinaca means…
Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage / All Year / Edible Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage is quite a mouthful, especially for such a small plant, often found in damp places it provides a surprising crunch to salads. Scientific Name: Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Family: Saxifragaceae Also known as: Creeping Jenny, buttered eggs Habitat: Europe, including Britain,…
Brooklime / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Brooklime is a succulent, perennial plant. Native to the Mediterranean but naturalised across the whole of Europe. It is believed that it arrived in the UK with imported marble sculptures from Italy. It has been used as a salad ingredient in…
Duke of Argyll’s tea tree / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Like many I’d imagine, I hadn’t heard of Goji berries (Duke of Argyll’s tea tree) until the early 2000’s when they became popular as a supposed ‘super food’. I imagined them growing on a rare, recently discovered…
Wild Plum / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Wild plum are a common sight on these shores and as all members of the plum family are edible they are really beginner friendly. Typically appearing as a large bush or small tree, up to 8m in height. Wild plums…
Common Reed / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Reed is quite often a name that is used to describe the Bulrush – which has the cigar-like tops, the two plants and two names are actually commonly used for one another now which is quite confusing. In this…
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…
Dryads Saddle / Summer / Autumn / Edible Step into the enchanting realm of the forest, where the magnificent Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) awaits to captivate your senses. Join us on a journey of culinary exploration as we unravel the delights of this edible mushroom. With its large, saucer-shaped cap…
Hops / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible An attractive climbing plant of hedgerows, well known in brewing for its aroma, bitterness and antibacterial properties Common Names Hop, common Hop Botanical Name Humulus lupulus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Rosales Family – Cannabaceae Physical Characteristics of Hops Perennial…