Alvaro Docio 
Common name: Lemon balm, common balm, balm mint, melissa Botanical name: Melissa officinalis Family: Lamiaceae (Mint) Worldwide distribution: Native to southern Europe and western Asia. Naturalised elsewhere. Local distribution: Britain and Ireland. Habitat: Park, gardens and urban areas. Foraging season: Leaves in spring. This member of the mint family with subtle and pleasant citrus scent … Read more
Common name: Wild strawberry, alpine strawberry, fraise des bois Botanical name: Fragaria vesca Family: Rosaceae (Rose) Worldwide distribution: Most of Europe, temperate Asia and North America. Local distribution: Very common throughout Britain and Ireland. Habitat: Woodland clearings, grassy places, hedge banks, hillsides and scrubland. Foraging season: Leaves early to mid-spring and fruit late spring to … Read more
Common name: Elder, black elder, European elder, bour tree Botanical name: Sambucus nigra Family: Adoxaceae Worldwide distribution: Native to most of Europe and North America. Local distribution: Very common everywhere in the UK and Ireland. Habitat: Hedgerow, woodland, scrub and wasteland. Foraging season: Flowers early to mid-summer and berries early to mid-autumn. The superstitions associated … Read more
Common name: Dandelion, dent-de-lion, lion’s tooth, piss-en-lit, piss-a-bed Botanical name: Taraxacum officinale agg. Family: Asteraceae (Daisy) Subfamily: Cichorioideae (Chicory) Worldwide distribution: Native to Eurasia and found in the northern temperate zones. Local distribution: Extremely common all over the UK and Ireland. Habitat: Grassland, meadow, wasteland, lawns and gardens. Foraging season: Leaves and flowers in early … Read more
Common name: Garlic mustard, hedge garlic, jack in the edge, jack in the bush, poor man’s mustard, hedge garlic, sauce alone Botanical name: Alliaria petiolata Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage) Worldwide distribution: Native throughout Europe, North Africa, western and central Asia. Introduced in North America, where it’s considered invasive. Local distribution: Very common throughout England, Wales, south … Read more
Common name: Stinging nettle, common nettle, nettle leaf Botanical name: Urtica dioica Family: Urticaceae (Nettle) Worldwide distribution: Native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. Introduced elsewhere. Local distribution: Widespread in the UK and Ireland. Habitat: Woodland edges, wasteland and hedgerow banks. Foraging season: Young leaves early to late spring and second growth early … Read more
There is certain scepticism about foraging amongst people who are not used to eating wild foods. We may wrongly assume the reason why supermarkets are not selling certain ingredients is because these are not worth eating and might despise them as famine foods. Far from the truth, there are several reasons why some ingredients are … Read more