Your lungs stop working whilst your mind stays clear. Hemlock doesn’t kill you like arsenic or cyanide. There’s no dramatic collapse, no frothing at the mouth. Instead, something far more sinister happens. The alkaloids in Conium maculatum bind to the receptors in your nervous system. The same receptors that normally …
Let’s talk about arrowhead, Sagittaria sagittifolia (pics). Native to these Isles. Member of the Alismataceae family. You’ve probably never heard of it. Most of us haven’t. Yet for thousands of years, entire communities across China and Southeast Asia have been thriving on this plant. Building food systems around it. Using …
The Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum) is a member of the Fabaceae family. Naturalised in Britain since at least the sixteenth century, carries with it one of the more unfortunate naming confusions in botanical history. The common name probably arose from a misunderstanding of Arbor Judae (Tree of Judaea). This referred …
In the 9th century, Emperor Charlemagne ordered marshmallow cultivated in his monastery gardens. The confection we know today, made from starch, sugar, and gelatin, bears only the plant’s name. Original marshmallow sweets were crafted from the roots themselves. The 17th-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper described how the mucilaginous juice from marshmallow …
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. The ground crunches. Thousands litter the woodland floor. At the edge stands a giant Douglas Fir. Pseudotsuga menziesii. I crane my neck looking upwards. Tall. Magnanimous. …
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 by short rhizomes.It forms a basal rosette of narrow, strap-like leaves that often persist through winter. Upper stem leaves wither before flowering. Smooth upright stems carry …
Contents — Introduction— Description— Habitat and distribution— Introduction Alexanders has a fascinating past, used as food and medicine since Roman times. Once called “parsley of Alexandria,” people grew this herb in gardens for years. But then celery became more popular. Even so, Alexanders still grows near the sea today. What …
Traveller’s-joy, Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba) is a climbing plant. It adorns hedgerows and shrubs across Europe. Many admire its white flowers and feathery seed heads. This plant also has a lesser-known history of use in cooking. From ancient Roman times to now, people have written about and enjoyed eating …
Common name Sakura cherry, Japanese cherry, Ornamental cherry Scientific name Prunus serrulata Lindl. Family Rosaceae Botanical description Sakura cherry is a deciduous tree that typically grows 20-40 feet tall with a spreading, rounded crown. The bark is smooth and grey, becoming fissured with age. Leaves are simple, alternate, ovate to …
Common name Common camellia, Japanese camellia, tsubaki Scientific name Camellia japonica L. Family Theaceae Botanical description Camellia japonica is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to 10 meters tall. It has alternately arranged, simple, glossy, dark green leaves with serrated margins. The flowers are large, showy, …
Acorus calamus, commonly known as Sweet flag is a plant typically found in marginal water areas, wetlands, alongside ponds, and in marshy areas. It favours moist, boggy sites and can be found in various regions across the British Isles, thriving in the wet, mild climate. The tender core of young …
Introduction Amaranthus retroflexus, known as common amaranth, is in the Amaranthaceae family. There are numerous species of amaranth in the British Isles. The BSBI Plant Atlas lists twelve species, and the genus was introduced most likely during the 1700s. I remember first paying attention to amaranth when I explored plants …
The Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) is grown as an ornamental in the United Kingdom. Most people grow this tree for its flowers. White cascades in summer. Pretty. But in China and Korea, where it comes from, people eat it. Not the flowers. Well, the flowers too. But mostly the young …
Despite its common name, writes Peter Wyse Jackson, Scots Pine is not only found in its native Scotland but across northern Europe and as far as Siberia and Asia. It is also naturalised in North America, Canada and New Zealand. In Ireland, where pine populations have waxed and waned, the …
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 and dining rooms. Since ancient times Rock Samphire, also known as Sea Fennel, has been extolled as fine food. One Greek legend mentioned it as one …
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 a crunchy texture and are flavoured by the natural saltiness of the sea. Atriplex is one of the names the Roman physician Pliny (23–79AD) gave to plants …
The transportation of seeds or whole plants is an offence under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 in England and Wales and Section 14AA of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Scotland. This means that no seeds or plants should be removed from the site where they …
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 cuckoo’ or ‘wet cuckoo’, because the plant grew in damp places. Its less flattering nickname of ‘cuckoo’s spit’, which referred to the foam covering a pale …
Introduction Black mustard is an intrepid plant that has trekked its way across the world and is now cultivated in many countries including England, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Holland, Finland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, China, India, South Africa, and in the Middle East. The plant is thought to have …
A familiar sight in fields, the Oxeye Daisy is found throughout Britain, Europe and Russian Asia. When it was introduced to North America, the plant spread so rapidly that North Carolina adopted it as the state flower. Its former genus name, Chrysanthemum, derives from the Greek chrisos (golden) and anthos …
I no longer recommend this plant be served to the public. This plant is not for beginners. Never eat raw. Always wear gloves when gathering. Please read the important Safety Notes below. Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) has enjoyed a reputation as both an important wild vegetable and a noxious weed. The …
There are around 400 species of violet found in the world, many of which are economically important. With so many species to distinguish between and so many popular names to identify them, there is often much confusion around the description of ‘violet’ in literature. For instance, the purple-coloured varieties of …
A recognisable flower of the hedgerows, the flowers of Red Campion (Silene dioica) were said to resemble buttons. The Latin name Silene comes from the drunken Greek god Silenus, although the plant was considered anything but merry in folklore. Red Campion had a dubious reputation in some parts of Britain, …
Under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1985 and amendments) it is an offence to deliberately or accidentally introduce this plant into the wild. Make certain when harvesting, to use suitable containers that do not allow any part of the plant to accidentally fall out when transporting back …
With around forty-five species of elm found in forests in the northern hemisphere to the tropical mountains of Asia, we’re spoilt for choice. Here, I focus on the wych elm. In Gerard’s time, elm trees were common in all parts of Britain. Many elm species, particularly European and American, have …
Introduction The birch tree is the ‘lady of the forest’ with its silvery bark, elegant white boughs and delicate leaves. The Latin name for the tree is from the Celtic betul, and the history of its name may date back to the Sanskrit bhurga, meaning ‘a tree whose bark is …
Salad Burnet is one of the few wild species which supplies edible greenery for most of the year. During the winter and spring months, you will frequently find new growth sprouting, and this may be used in salads, while you can add more mature leaves to soups and pottages. The …
Scientific name Rhus typhina Family Anacardiaceae Botanical description Habit: Small tree, typically forming a low, spreading dome to 7m in height, often with multiple trunks. Bark: Brown, with fine texture. Shoots: Densely covered in velvety hairs, resembling stag antlers. Buds: Small (4mm), dome-shaped, hairy and orange in colour, lacking scales. …
The wild service tree has earned its name from the Latin cervisia, because people used its small fruit in ancient times to make a fermented, beer-like liquor. In The Complete Book of British Berries, David C Lang writes that the name service-tree derives from the Latin word for beer, cerevisia, because the Romans …
Introduction Crab apple is the awkward cousin of the cultivated apple and is often overlooked in food and medicine. However, the tree produces small, round hard fruit that makes surprisingly good jams and jellies and can be made into the popular verjuice. Scientific name Malus sylvestris Family Rosaceae Botanical description …
Gorse is a pretty, fragrant shrub of the pea family. The native species to the British Isles is considered to be U. gallii, although U. europaeus is considered the most common in England. While today the plant is considered a nuisance by some, it was once a valued fuel source, fodder, and many …
Wood Avens, or herb bennet, is a woodland member of the rose family (Rosaceae). Curiously, the plant’s Latin name urbanum means ‘city dweller’ which is where this wild flower of hedges and woods was also once found. The generic name Geum derives from the Greek geno meaning an agreeable fragrance. …
Sea buckthorn is an ancient crop with modern virtues, say many researchers of ethnobotany. Its Latin name Hippophae is from the Greek ‘hippo’, meaning ‘horse’, and ‘phaos’, meaning ‘shine’. The plant was used in ancient Greece as animal feed, particularly for horses, because it was believed to make their coats …
Introduction Cow parsley displays characteristic rows of ‘white lace’ along roadside verges in spring and was once used in food and medicine. However, a danger of using this plant as a wild edible is its close resemblance to hemlock (Conium maculatum), a far deadlier species – poisonous and not to …
Ribes sanguineum is a versatile and attractive shrub that offers ornamental and culinary value in the British Isles. Its vibrant flowers, fragrant foliage, and edible parts make it a valuable addition to gardens and a source of seasonal delights in the kitchen. The flowers offer a unique taste and can …
Ground ivy is one of Britain’s commonest plants. It flourishes from sunny banks to shady wastelands. A perennial plant with trailing dark-green, kidney-shaped leaves that retain their year-round colour. Its bluish flowers with a purple tint are seen in summer and autumn. The common name is misleading because it is …
There is a tendency to overlook the navelwort in favour of the house-leek (Sempervivum tectorum) in folk medicine. David Allen and Gabrielle Hatfield consider the medical uses of both plants – specifically the fleshy leaves – as: …so broadly similar that they must surely have stood in for one another …
The hollow stem yields a white, milky juice said to be eaten by sows to increase the flow of their milk. The Latin name of the genus ‘sowthistle’ is Sonchus meaning ‘hollow’. There are many species of Sonchus – all are edible and most are indistinguishable in appearance – but …
Horseradish has been cultivated since ancient times and is a familiar culinary herb of many kitchens. Its distinctive taste is used to flavour many dishes and it has several uses in herbal medicine. The English name ‘horseradish’ means ‘coarse radish’ from the prefix ‘horse’, which distinguishes it from ‘edible radish’ …
There are few customs more autumnal than collecting chestnuts and roasting them over a fire. Chestnuts, from the sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), are still a staple part of people’s diets in many mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. As a wild edible, it can be prepared in countless ways. According …
Scientific name Tripolium pannonicum Family Asteraceae. Botanical description The plant yields blue-purple, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow stamens among a sea of long, slender green leaves. Status Native to Britain, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Habitat and distribution Sea cliffs, saltmarsh, salt water, coastal mud flats. Parts used for food …
Common Lime (Tilia x europaea) is a sweet-scented blossoming tree that brings a generous crop of nectar for bees and lime-flavoured honey for beekeepers every summer. All lime trees in the species Tilia are unrelated to the species of tree that produces lime fruit (Citrus aurantifolia). Scientific name Tilia spp. …
Every herb garden should grow rosebay willowherb (or fireweed as it is known) for a splash of colour and a buzz of bees. Where woodlands are cleared, buildings fall, and fire scorches the earth, so rosebay willowherb will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. This exciting plant also makes …
This humble little plant that often pops up unexpectedly in a corner of the garden after a long winter is a gentle herbal soother to the skin and makes a pretty addition to salads. Scientific name Primula vulgaris Family Primulaceae. Botanical description Large, yellow-green flowers appear to grow out of …
While children once sucked the sweet nectar from White Dead Nettle flowers, today’s wild food enthusiasts may enjoy the plant in many other ways. Scientific name Lamium album Family Lamiaceae Botanical description Green-white flowers with heart-shaped, hairy, green leaves. The hollow, hairy, square stems distinguish the plant from Stinging Nettle. …
Introduction Brooklime is a delicate blue flower of ponds and streams and often grows with watercress. It was used for centuries as a salad plant in northern Europe, collected in spring and is well known for its pungency and bitterness. Indeed, its species name beccabunga means pungent. The lime in …
Chenopodium comes from the Greek chen, meaning goose, podus or foot. Fat hen was considered important enough in Anglo-Saxon times to have places named after it. Fat hen has been used as a wild vegetable since ancient times in Europe, and its remains have been found in Britain’s Bronze Age …
Medieval monks cultivated ground elder as a medicinal plant, but it later earned a reputation of a nuisance weed thanks to its rapid growth. Is there any redemption for this once useful wild edible? Scientific name Aegopodium podagraria Family Apiaceae Botanical description The plant forms a creeping, pale green carpet …
Guelder rose berries have fed and healed people in many cultures. They have become part of European and Native American cuisines. They appear in jams, porridges, and are even served as a coffee substitute. Guelder rose, especially its bark, has antispasmodic properties. It relieves menstrual cramps and muscle spasms. Scientific …
Selfheal is a forgotten healer that has made a recent comeback as a modern-day heal-all with promising potential for use in food and medicine. Scientific name Prunella vulgaris Family Lamiaceae. Botanical description The flowers appear on purple, sometimes pinkish, cylindrical spikes and distinguish the plant from others in the mint …
Yarrow is the herb of a million flowers, thanks to its prolific foliage. This wild edible has been used in food and medicine since ancient times, and it is still a commonly used herb today. Scientific name Achillea millefolium Family Asteraceae. Botanical description It has a rough, angular stem with …
Rowan or Mountain Ash is an ancient tree used since ancient times. The berries provide a variety of wild edible delights and offer a range of uses in medicine. Scientific name Sorbus aucuparia Family Rosaceae Botanical description The bark of this small shrubby tree is smooth, shiny and greyish-coloured. The …
Docks have grown in Britain since three ice ages ago, and remains of dock have been found in places where people once farmed, such as the ancient Celts. Broad-leaved dock has been used in food and medicine for centuries. Scientific name Rumex obtusifolius Family Polygonaceae Botanical description Has long, broad, …
Introduction Daisy, a humble little flower that is widespread in many parts of the world. A children’s favourite for making ‘daisy chains’ or ‘fairy chains’, the daisy has also been used in food and medicine. Scientific name Bellis perennis Family Asteraceae. Botanical description Flower-heads solitary on a leafless stalk springing …
Sweetly scented meadowsweet was famous as a strewing herb and as a flavouring for mead. It later gained recognition as one of the plants that contain salicylic acid, from which is derived aspirin and has been used for many of the same complaints for which aspirin is used today. Scientific name …
Plantain belongs to a big family of plants called Plantaginaceae. Greater and lesser plantain is also known as common plantain and ribwort plantain respectively. Plantains are a versatile wild edible and herbal remedy. Scientific name Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata Family Plantaginaceae Botanical description Greater Plantain (Plantago major): the leaves …
Garlic mustard is a common wild herb in Britain and Ireland. Its leaves exude a garlicky smell when bruised or chopped, although the plant is unrelated to garlic. Scientific name Alliaria petiolata Family Brassicaceae Botanical description Garlic mustard has straight, stems (hairy at the base) with large green and toothy …
Introduction Cleavers earned its name thanks to the sticky plant’s tendency to ‘cleave’ to human clothing or animal fur. However, this common weed is also a surprisingly versatile wild edible. Scientific name Galium aparine Family Rubiaceae Botanical description Flowers white, in clusters of 2-5 together, rising from the axils of …
Dog Rose (also known as Rosehip), is a climbing wild rose with white-pink flowers and a soft subtle scent. Its deep orange-red fruit, the rosehip, is the most commonly used part of the plant, although dog rose has many other uses in food and medicine. Scientific name Rosa canina Family …
Stinging Nettle is a surprisingly helpful plant in food and medicine despite its stinging hairs, as seen below. Scientific Name Urtica dioica Family Urticaceae Botanical Description An upright plant with dull green, serrated leaves, covered with stinging hairs. The flowers are small, green and catkin-like with no petals. Status Perennial. …
Elder is a valuable wild edible tree or shrub. Its berries have a cornucopia of uses. Scientific name Sambucus nigra Family Adoxaceae Botanical description A small tree or shrub growing up to 10 m. The bark is brownish grey, deeply furrowed and gnarled in appearance. The leaves are long, oval …
Introduction Chickweed is a familiar garden weed recognisable by its tiny white flowers. The seeds were once fed to birds, which is how the plant earned its common name. In pastimes, the plant was a common potherb and had various medicinal uses. Scientific name Stellaria media Family Caryophyllaceae Botanical description …
Sloe also known as Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a thorny hedgerow plant with dark purple berries often sought after in autumn to make warming country wine or gin. The small tree or shrub also has a firm place in folk history and medicine in the British Isles. Scientific name Prunus …
As I write this, I am sitting on a bench. Opposite me is a large patch of water pepper. I write with an ancient, primitive tool. A pencil that creates my scribblings on chequered paper in my journal. This morning, water pepper rises amongst the Himalayan Balsam as I sit on …
Laver seaweed has traditionally been harvested in Scotland, Wales and Ireland to make laverbread, and cultivated in countries such as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines as a sea vegetable. In East Asia, laver is one of the most commonly used seaweeds for human consumption. The name Porphyra is the Greek …
Purple loosestrife can be used as food and medicine. Below you’ll learn the parts used, harvest time, nutrition and other ways humans use this amazing plant. Scientific name Lythrum salicaria Family Lythraceae Botanical description Stems erect, 2-4 feet high, slightly branched, glabrous or softly downy; leaves opposite, or in threes, …
Introduction A popular bramble fruit, blackberries are often picked in late summer to autumn to make jams, jellies and pies. Bramble is one of our most commonly used wild edibles and such a familiar hedgerow plant in Britain that it needs no introduction. The thorny bush often goes overlooked and …
The leaves of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) harvested before flowering have a delicious, sweet and pungent taste. Excellent raw in salads and as pesto. Dry or dehydrate leaves to make crisps. Cooked leaves are a good vegetable, and they lose their pungency. All parts of the plant make good lactic …
Lesser celandine belongs to the buttercup family. The bright yellow flowers appear briefly in early spring. The plant has a long history as a wild edible with its large fleshy roots and green shoots that appear as one of the first signs of spring. Scientific name Ranunculus ficaria (= Ficaria verna) …
Introduction The Beech belongs to the same family as the oak and chestnut – Fagaceae. Its species name Fagus sylvatica refers to the tree’s woodland habitat. There are differences of opinion about its arrival in Britain. Some sources lean heavily on the report of the Gallic wars in De Bello …
Introduction One of the principal uses of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) has been as a timber tree. The wood is renowned for its strength and flexibility for building, furniture-making, garden tools, farming equipment, weapons and musical instruments. Geoffrey Grigson writes that the ash is “immensely useful even in our age of …
Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) has often been regarded as the poor man’s substitute for garden angelica (Angelica archangelica). However, the uses of this wild edible are just as varied and interesting. Scientific name Angelica sylvestris Family Apiaceae Botanical description Umbrella-like clusters of white flowers tinged with pink or purple burst …
Introduction Alexanders has a fascinating past, used as food and medicine since Roman times. Once called “parsley of Alexandria,” people grew this herb in gardens for years. But then celery became more popular. Even so, alexanders still grows near the sea today. What makes alexanders special is its ability to …
Mugwort is one of our commonest weeds, with around 250-300 species in northern Europe, including wormwood, southernwood and the common mugwort. As a group of plants, mugworts held an important place in antiquity. They were dedicated to Artemis in Greek mythology or to her equivalent Diana in Roman mythology, the …
Introduction Dandelion grows abundantly in many parks and gardens. This easily recognisable weed was once a cure-all of herbal medicine and is still popular in food and drink. Scientific name Taraxacum officinale agg. Family Asteraceae. Botanical description Bright yellow composite flowers crown an erect stem (up to 1-30 cm) emerging …
The plant was introduced to the British Isles in 1730 and is now considered naturalised. How to use The dried, red fruits are eaten in rich tonic soups and stews of poultry or meat, to which they impart a delicate sweet flavour. Leaves and fruits are used for making tea. …
Common Mallow is an attractive species that has been used throughout history in food and medicine. In traditional folk medicine, common mallow was often used for making medicinal poultices and soothing ointments. It was also harvested as a nutritious wild edible, as you will see below. Scientific name Malva sylvestris …
Introduction The common name for burdock that we are familiar with today, the English ‘bur’, originated from the French bourre, meaning ‘woolly’. Grieve attributes the French bourre to the Latin burre, or ‘lock of wool’ frequently found entangled with the plant where sheep have grazed. Burdock might be a form of beurre or butter, which comes …
Scientific name Convolvulus arvensis Family Convolvulaceae Photo identification Reliable resources for accurate botanical photo identification of field bindweed. Habitat and distribution Cultivated land, dunes, hedgerows, roadsides, short turf, wasteland. Entomology Flowers May, July, August, and September Safety note WARNING: Very experimental; tread cautiously. Just because a plant was used as …