Wild Thyme / All Year Round / Edible Identification Guide for Wild Thyme  It’s a low lying member of the Mint family, it often grows in dense mats and can be used in place of cultivated Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Common Names Wild Thyme, Creeping Thyme Botanical Name Thymus…
Tag: winter
Spruce / All year round / Edible Spruce is a naturalised, fast-growing, evergreen tree. Common Names      UK spruce, Norway spruce Botanical Name Picea abies Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Pinales Family – Pinaceae Physical Characteristics for Spruce Leaves The needles are stiff and sharp and grow individually, around…
Horse Chestnut / All year round / Toxic The ‘nuts’ or ‘conkers’ of Horse Chestnut are a common and familiar sight in autumn, the tree was introduced to the UK from Turkey in the 16th century. Common Names      Horse Chestnut, Conker tree, Buckeye. Botanical Name Aesculus hippocastanum Scientific Classification Kingdom…
Japanese Quince/ All Year Round / Edible Japanese Quince is a non-native, thorny deciduous shrub. Up to 2 metres tall. Common Names Japanese Quince, Maule’s Quince, Northern Lemon, Flowering Quince Botanical Name Chaenomeles Japonica Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Rosales Family – Rosaceae Physical Characteristics for Japanese Quince…
Daisy / All Year Round / Edible An abundant, perennial, wild edible that all of us are familiar with, if only from making ‘daisy bracelets’ as a child. They can be found almost anywhere on any soil type. Common Names Daisy, Common Daisy, Lawn Daisy, English daisy, Bruisewort, Gardeners’ Friend…
Pink Purslane / All Year Round / Edible A common non-native plant. It has a earthy almost beetroot like flavour and can be eaten raw or cooked. Other Common Names Winter Purslane, Siberian Spring Beauty Botanical Name Claytonia sibirica Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order – Caryophyllales Family – Montiaceae…
Heather / All Year / Edible Common Names Heather/Ling Heather/Scotch Heather Latin Name: Calluna vulgaris, Erica tetralix, E. caerulea – Ericaceae Harvest Season: Best to collect fresh, young (not too woody) flowering tops (leaves and flowers) when the flowers have just bloomed – usually July – October, depending on the…
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 and they are all toxic. Common Names Buttercups, Creeping crazy, Devil’s guts, Lantern leaves, and Tangle-grass. Botanical Name Ranunculus species…
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…
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:Â While it is colloquially known as a moss, this is actually a lichen, which is a symbiont of at least one fungus…