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…
Tag: woodland
Lily of the Valley / Spring / Summer / Toxic A sweetly scented woodland plant. All parts are highly poisonous to humans. It’s not too common in the wild and is mostly found planted in parks and gardens Common Names Lily of the Valley, May bells, Mary’s tears, Our Ladies…
Old Man’s Beard / All Year / Edible After processing Old Man’s Beard, it can be dried, or powdered and added to energy balls, crackers, and sauces that need thickening. Common Names (this refers to the lichen, not the species of Clematis that goes by the same common name). Tree’s…
Oak Moss / All Year Round / Edible Oak Moss and other Lichens have been used as food and medicine as long as there have been people. Common Names Tree moss Botanical Name Evernia prunastri Scientific Classification Kingdom – Fungi Order –Lecanorales Family – Parmeliaceae Physical Characteristics Grows primarily on…
Lords and Ladies / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Toxic Through this piece, we’re going to look at the full Identification Guide for Lords and Ladies as well as how to make sure we don’t confuse this one with Common or Lambs sorrel, or accidentally pick it amongst our…
Yew Tree / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible / Toxic Yew Tree (Taxus Baccata) Identification An evergreen tree up to 20 meters tall but quite often used as hedging. Virtually all parts of the Yew Tree are potentially deadly poisonous. Common Names English Yew, Common Yew. Botanical Name…
Wild Raspberry / Summer / Autumn / Edible Common Names Raspberry, hindberry. Botanical Name Rubus Idaeus Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Rosales Family – Rosaceae Physical Characteristics for Wild Raspberry Leaves Raspberry has compound leaves which have 5-7 serrated leaflets. They are bright silver on the underside. Flowers The…
Bluebells / Spring / Poisonous Common names Bluebell Botanical Name Hyacinthoides Non-scripta Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Asparagales Family – Asparagaceaees Physical Characteristics for Bluebells Leaf A small bulb growing into long thin waxy leaves which have C shaped veins. Flowers It has bell-like flowers, each flower with 6…
Wood Sorrel / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible  Common Names Wood sorrel, cuckoo sorrel, sleeping Molly, Alleluia Botanical Name Oxalis acetosella Scientific Classification Kingdom – Plantae Order –Oxalidales Family – Oxalidaceae Wood Sorrel Foraging Video Physical Characteristics This common perennial can grow in large patches connected by…
Stinging Nettles / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible Stinging Nettles are a plant that we’ve all been stung by at some point and, as such, probably remember! There are a few lookalikes, but none of them are dangerous – they just don’t taste as good. Common Names Stinging…