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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: 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

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

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

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

You’re paying for dead food.

That’s what supermarket vegetables are. Picked weeks ago. Shipped thousands of miles. Sitting in plastic, losing nutrients by the hour. And the average household is dropping £80 a week for the privilege.

Meanwhile? Your front garden is growing food that’s actually alive.

Here’s what nobody tells you about wild plants. When you eat them, really eat them. Fresh and just-picked. You’re not just consuming nutrients. You’re integrating the landscape into your body. The soil. The rain. The sunlight. All of it becomes you.

Last week, my daughter made soup for the grandkids from nettles she had gathered that morning. Still warm from the sun. One hour from ground to bowl. And she said she tasted the neighbourhood in that soup. The oak trees that shade those nettles. The river that waters them. The whole ecosystem.

That’s not nutrition. That’s alchemy. One form of life becoming another. You becoming part of the place you live.

Your supermarket can’t offer that. No matter how much you pay.

What if your food could actually connect you to where you live? What if eating wasn’t just fuelling your body, but participating in something older and wilder than any supply chain?

It can be. The food’s already there. Growing free. Waiting.

When did you last eat something truly alive?

Natural mirrors

Today, I want you to find a plant that tells a story about its survival. All plants adapt to their environment, as all humans … Continue

Rotational foraging

Foraging near rivers provides a rich variety of life. Many plants grow well in or around water. Some are aquatic, while others grow along … Continue

How to avoid dog pee

A reader asked me recently. ‘How safe is it to forage in cities?’ It is an important question and one that needs to be … Continue

Forest floor tea

I published an essay on making tea with birch twigs a few days ago. A reader named Rev emailed me, ‘Hi Robin, this silver … Continue

A cup of twig tea

During the recent cold weather, I gathered silver birch twigs from outside my local police station, under the constabulary’s watchful eye. I took those … Continue

The tale of Ash

I am Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), an ancient guardian of the woods. My roots plunge into Earth’s memories, as deep as my crown reaches for … Continue

The tale of Sea Buckthorn

I am sea buckthorn, and I have watched humans come and go along these coastal dunes for centuries. My thorny branches protect clusters of … Continue

The tale of Sowthistle

I am Sowthistle, standing resilient in the November chill. While most plants have scattered their seeds to the wind, I persist in protected corners … Continue

Elderberry glycerite shrub

Vegetable glycerine has a very low glycemic index of just 3. In comparison, sucrose (table sugar) has a medium glycemic index of 65. By … Continue

Nature’s quiet corners

Nature’s quiet corners hold profound truths. Look beyond the flashy and grand. Humble dandelions and silent moss speak volumes. Watch how water shapes stone … Continue

Alexanders

Contents — Introduction— Description— Habitat and distribution— Introduction Alexanders has a fascinating past, used as food and medicine since Roman times. Once called “parsley … Continue

Start with familiar plants

Begin your plant journey with species familiar from childhood, such as dandelions or stinging nettle. Develop an intimate knowledge of one plant before expanding … Continue

Sensory plant identification

Embrace an integrated approach to plant identification by engaging all your senses, not just sight. Encounter a plant and become completely absorbed in the … Continue

Better than potatoes

Silverweed, Potentilla anserina. A perennial plant in the Rosaceae family. It is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere. It produces carbohydrate-rich, nutritious storage roots. Worldwide, … Continue

The magic of gorse

Home > Plants > Gorse British and Irish folklore prominently features Gorse with its bright yellow flowers. People believed its prickly nature warded off evil spirits and fairies. … Continue

Japanese Cherry

Common name Sakura cherry, Japanese cherry, Ornamental cherry Scientific name Prunus serrulata Lindl. Family Rosaceae Botanical description Sakura cherry is a deciduous tree that … Continue

Camellia

Common name Common camellia, Japanese camellia, tsubaki Scientific name Camellia japonica L. Family Theaceae Botanical description Camellia japonica is an evergreen shrub or small … Continue

Sweet Flag

Acorus calamus, commonly known as Sweet flag is a plant typically found in marginal water areas, wetlands, alongside ponds, and in marshy areas. It … Continue

Common amaranth

Introduction Amaranthus retroflexus, known as common amaranth, is in the Amaranthaceae family. There are numerous species of amaranth in the British Isles. The BSBI … Continue

Scots Pine

Despite its common name, writes Peter Wyse Jackson, Scots Pine is not only found in its native Scotland but across northern Europe and as … Continue

Rock Samphire

Rock Samphire has been regularly consumed as part of a traditional Mediterranean diet. It’s time to bring this delicious vegetable back into our kitchens … Continue

Hazel

“Hazel was one of the first trees to colonise the land after the end of the last Ice Age,” writes Gabrielle Hatfield, “and for … Continue

Sea Purslane

Sea Purslane is a slow-growing shrub belonging to the goosefoot family and found in salt marshes and muddy beaches. Its thick, succulent leaves have … Continue

Himalayan balsam

The transportation of seeds or whole plants is an offence under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 in England and Wales … Continue

Orpine

Introduction Orpine is from the Latin verb sedeo, which means to sit. A reference to how the plant squats on rocks etc. The species … Continue

Lady’s-smock (Cuckooflower)

As the cuckoo calls in late spring and early summer, so the cuckooflower’s conspicuous blooms start to appear. Cardamine pratensis was also known as ‘water … Continue

Black mustard

Introduction Black mustard is an intrepid plant that has trekked its way across the world and is now cultivated in many countries including England, … Continue

Oxeye Daisy

A familiar sight in fields, the Oxeye Daisy is found throughout Britain, Europe and Russian Asia. When it was introduced to North America, the … Continue

Hogweed

I no longer recommend this plant be served to the public. This plant is not for beginners. Never eat raw. Always wear gloves when … Continue