Field Guide
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· May · 11 speciesBlackberry
Rubus fruticosus agg.
Thorny arching canes with compound leaves of 3–5 leaflets
Sloe / Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa
Dense thorny shrub with small oval blue-black berries with waxy bloom
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) — larger leaves, larger fruit. Berries mildly toxic.
Elder
NowSambucus nigra
Compound leaves 5–7 leaflets, strong smell when crushed
Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus) — TOXIC. Water Hemlock (Cicuta virosa) — DEADLY. Always check compound leaves and smell.
Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna
Deeply lobed leaves with sturdy sharp thorns
Crab Apple
Malus sylvestris
Small apple-like fruit 2–4cm, yellow-green to red-blushed
Chanterelle
Cantharellus cibarius
Egg-yolk yellow, wavy-edged cap with forking false gills (ridges, not true blade gills)
False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) — toxic, true crowded gills, more orange. Jack-o-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) — TOXIC, true gills, grows in clusters on wood.
Hedgehog Mushroom
Hydnum repandum
Cream to pale buff cap with hanging spines (teeth) beneath instead of gills
No dangerous lookalikes — the only British mushroom with pale spines beneath a pale cap.
Giant Puffball
Calvatia gigantea
Football-sized pure white sphere with no visible cap, gills or stem
Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) — TOXIC, smaller, patterned skin, purple-black inside. Amanita egg — DEADLY: always slice every puffball to check interior.
Chicken of the Woods
NowLaetiporus sulphureus
Vivid yellow-orange overlapping shelf brackets growing directly from wood
No close dangerous lookalikes. Avoid specimens growing on yew or robinia which may absorb host toxins.
Wild Garlic
NowAllium ursinum
Broad bright green oval leaves with unmistakable garlic smell when crushed
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) — TOXIC, no garlic smell. Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum) — TOXIC, arrow-shaped leaves. CRITICAL: always smell-test every leaf.
Stinging Nettle
NowUrtica dioica
Heart-shaped serrated leaves covered in hollow stinging hairs
Three-Cornered Leek
Allium triquetrum
Distinctly triangular stem — run your fingers down the stem to feel three corners
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) — mildly toxic, no garlic smell, broader leaves. Always smell-test.
Wood Sorrel
NowOxalis acetosella
Trefoil clover-like leaves that fold down at night and in bright sun
Jack-by-the-Hedge
NowAlliaria petiolata
Heart-shaped toothed leaves with mild garlic-mustard smell when crushed
Yarrow
NowAchillea millefolium
Feathery, finely divided fern-like leaves with aromatic medicinal scent
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) — DEADLY. Hemlock has purple-blotched hollow stem and unpleasant mousy smell. Yarrow stem is SOLID. Always check the stem.
Rose Hip
Rosa canina
Oval to elongated red-orange berries on thorny rose stems
Hazel / Cobnut
Corylus avellana
Round to oval nuts in ragged green leafy husks in clusters of 2–5
Alexanders
NowSmyrnium olusatrum
Celery-like glossy dark green leaves and yellowish-green flowers
Hemlock (Conium maculatum) — DEADLY. Hemlock has purple-spotted stems and mousy smell. Alexanders has glossy leaves and celery scent.
Dandelion
NowTaraxacum officinale
Deeply toothed rosette leaves with hollow stems producing milky white sap when broken
Cleavers
NowGalium aparine
Whorls of 6–8 narrow sticky leaves up clinging stems — adheres to clothing instantly
Ground Elder
NowAegopodium podagraria
Compound leaves in threes-of-threes — three main divisions each split into three toothed leaflets
Hemlock (Conium maculatum) — DEADLY. Hemlock has purple-blotched HOLLOW stem with mousy smell. Ground elder stem is SOLID and smells of celery. Always check stem and smell all umbellifers.
Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa
Long (15–25cm) glossy toothed leaves; very spiny husks — spines dense and hair-like
Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) — NOT edible. Horse chestnuts have palmate compound leaves and much smoother, fewer-spined conker shells. Sweet chestnut has simple elongated serrated leaves.
Wild Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
Soft red berry that leaves a hollow core when picked — the defining field characteristic
Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Dense frothy clusters of tiny cream flowers with an intense sweet almond fragrance
Penny Bun / Cep
Boletus edulis
Bun-shaped tan-brown cap with fine white network (reticulation) on the upper stem
Satan's Bolete (Rubroboletus satanas) — TOXIC, red pores, blue-staining flesh. RULE: any bolete with red pores OR that stains blue strongly when cut — do not eat.
Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus
Fan to oyster-shaped grey to blue-grey caps in overlapping tiers from dead wood
Angel Wings (Pleurocybella porrigens) — TOXIC, pure white, grows on conifer wood only. Oyster mushrooms are grey-brown and grow exclusively on deciduous trees.
Legal notice: Personal foraging is permitted under the Theft Act 1968. Never uproot plants without landowner permission. Always use multiple identification methods before consuming any wild food.