When Common Becomes Rare: The 2025 Red List
You assume plant conservation means saving exotic cliff rarities. The 2025 Red List (five years, 30 million records, 1,720 species assessed), reveals something more … Continue
Robin Harford
Red List 2025: Vulnerable Species
Taxon Vernacular Name Threat Category Actaea spicata Baneberry VU Aira caryophyllea Silver Hair-grass VU Aira praecox Early Hair-grass VU Alchemilla acutiloba Starry Lady’s-mantle VU … Continue
Red List 2025: Critically Endangered Species
Taxon Vernacular Name Threat Category Alisma gramineum Ribbon-leaved Water-plantain CR Arabis alpina Alpine Rock-cress CR Armeria maritima subsp. elongata Tall Thrift CR Atriplex pedunculata … Continue
Red List 2025: Endangered species
Taxon Vernacular Name Threat Category Adonis annua Pheasant’s-eye EN Ajuga chamaepitys Ground-pine EN Alchemilla falsadenta False toothed Lady’s-mantle EN Alchemilla mebii Margaret’s Lady’s-mantle EN … Continue
Judas Tree
The Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum) is a member of the Fabaceae family. Naturalised in Britain since at least the sixteenth century, carries with it … Continue
The Mint Family (Lamiaceae)
The Lamiaceae family might sound technical, but you already know these plants intimately. This is basil torn over summer tomatoes. Rosemary crackling on roast … Continue
Black horehound
If you’ve ever walked past a plant that initially looked like it was a stinging nettle or maybe a dead nettle, and then when … Continue
Marshmallow
In the 9th century, Emperor Charlemagne ordered marshmallow cultivated in his monastery gardens. The confection we know today, made from starch, sugar, and gelatin, … Continue
Wild Marshmallow Vegan Recipe
The marshmallow plant has pale pink flowers and thick roots. If you dig up those roots and soak them in water, they release something … Continue
Fire Cider: A Spicy Tonic for Winter Days
There’s something wonderfully unruly about fire cider. While others reach for neat rows of supplements, this folk remedy remains unapologetically unrefined. It’s a jar … Continue
Food and medicine plants of Thailand
Aristolochia labiosa (possibly A. tagala)ดอกกำลังวัวเถลิง (Dok Kamlang Wua Thaloeng), AristolochiaClimbing herb used in Thai medicine for vitality. Barringtonia racemosaต้นจิก (Ton Chik), Freshwater Mangrove / Fish Killer … Continue
Douglas fir
I walk through dense oak woods, prolific with acorns. The sound of them tumbling through trees is rhythmic as rain, echoing the season’s bounty. … Continue
Peach-leaved bellflower
Common name Peach-leaved Bellflower Scientific name Campanula persicifolia Family Campanulaceae (Bellflower family) Botanical description A perennial that grows up to 90 cm, spreading slowly … Continue
What’s the difference?
There are two main options for learning about wild plants: Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland (The Yellow Book) The Seasonal … Continue
Are the plants in my country
People often ask if the plants in my foraging books grow in their country. You can use the links below to check. All the … Continue