May is a wonderful time for foraging for edible wild plants. It has been a very dry spring here so far and many plants were rather late to emerge. However, a short burst of rain recently saw the landscape to 'green' up and allowed buds and leaves to burst forth.
We now manage to pick a wide variety of leaves and flowers for our salads (see image below). This bowl contains dandelion leaves and flowers, dog violet leaves and flowers, wild garlic leaves and flowers, bistort leaves, chickweed leaves, young beech leaves, yarrow leaves and the tops of cleavers plus homegrown radish. Most of these plants were found within a few metres of the house so we didn't have to go far to pick them.
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) have begun to flourish after a slow start. There are now almost too many to deal with but we don't want to miss a single leaf of this very nutritious plant. Quick to colonise an area, and very robust, they come up year after year. Nettles are, undoubtedly, one of our favourites. Use the leaves before the plant comes into flower. They can be eaten raw or cooked. We use them to make soup, tea and pesto. Simply substitute basil leaves for nettle leaves for a tasty pesto spread. They can be used raw but we find them quite strong tasting so we generally gently simmer the leaves for a minute or two before using them in a recipe. We also use a strong vegan hard cheese such as mature cheddar and this works really well providing lots of flavour.
The primrose (Primula vulgaris) is flowering now and this pretty yellow low-growing flower can be found in hedgerows, woodland, on banks and in domestic gardens. It is especially good during the winter months when there are few green edible leaves available. The sweet flowers and wrinkly leaves are edible raw or cooked.
Young leaves from the small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) are now emerging. Leaves have a good texture and mild slightly sweet flavour. They are excellent in salads and can be used in much the same way as a lettuce or be used to make pesto. Leaves can also be dried and made into a flour. If the tree is coppiced or pollarded it will produce an abundance of branches and young leaves for the table. The young heart shaped leaves of all Tilia species are generally considered edible raw but the small leaved lime is probably the best.
Cleavers (Galium aparine) is also now available. Commonly known as sticky willy because the stems attach themselves to clothing, dogs and just about anything else. The whole plant is edible raw and can be made into a beneficial green tea. However, the aerial parts of this plant contains hooked hairs, like Velcro, which can be rough and irritating. It is best, therefore, to eat the young parts of the plant such as the top 10-20cm of the growing tips and ground shoots. The seeds can be dry roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) can be found carpeting woodland areas. This is a very pretty low-growing plant whose leaves are heart-shaped and fold in the middle. Wood sorrel has raw edible flowers, leaves and tubers. The flowers and leaves have a sharp acidic lemony flavour because they are high in oxalic acid. The leaves and flowers make a good addition to a green salad.
And finally, many of you will have hostas emerging in your gardens now. It isn't a native wild plant in the British Isles but worthy of a mention all the same. Hostas are herbaceous perennial species from the Asparagaceae family. The shoots, leaf petiole, whole leaves and flowers of all hostas are edible raw or cooked. The fresh leaves and stems are best harvested while young and tender. The older leaves become tough and fibrousy and may become bitter in flavour. Hostas can be used as a cut and come again plant and will readily re-grow their leaves after being chopped down to the base.
That's all for this month. As always, try to forage in your own garden as much as you can. Encourage the wild plants to come up by not 'weeding' various areas. The spring and summer months are the best times to let your garden go wild.
We now manage to pick a wide variety of leaves and flowers for our salads (see image below). This bowl contains dandelion leaves and flowers, dog violet leaves and flowers, wild garlic leaves and flowers, bistort leaves, chickweed leaves, young beech leaves, yarrow leaves and the tops of cleavers plus homegrown radish. Most of these plants were found within a few metres of the house so we didn't have to go far to pick them.
 |
| A seasonal salad made from edible wild plants and homegrown radish |
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) have begun to flourish after a slow start. There are now almost too many to deal with but we don't want to miss a single leaf of this very nutritious plant. Quick to colonise an area, and very robust, they come up year after year. Nettles are, undoubtedly, one of our favourites. Use the leaves before the plant comes into flower. They can be eaten raw or cooked. We use them to make soup, tea and pesto. Simply substitute basil leaves for nettle leaves for a tasty pesto spread. They can be used raw but we find them quite strong tasting so we generally gently simmer the leaves for a minute or two before using them in a recipe. We also use a strong vegan hard cheese such as mature cheddar and this works really well providing lots of flavour.
 |
| Stinging nettles just coming into flower |
 |
| Primrose by Tony Hisgett |
Young leaves from the small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) are now emerging. Leaves have a good texture and mild slightly sweet flavour. They are excellent in salads and can be used in much the same way as a lettuce or be used to make pesto. Leaves can also be dried and made into a flour. If the tree is coppiced or pollarded it will produce an abundance of branches and young leaves for the table. The young heart shaped leaves of all Tilia species are generally considered edible raw but the small leaved lime is probably the best.
 |
| Cleavers (Galium aparine) |
Cleavers (Galium aparine) is also now available. Commonly known as sticky willy because the stems attach themselves to clothing, dogs and just about anything else. The whole plant is edible raw and can be made into a beneficial green tea. However, the aerial parts of this plant contains hooked hairs, like Velcro, which can be rough and irritating. It is best, therefore, to eat the young parts of the plant such as the top 10-20cm of the growing tips and ground shoots. The seeds can be dry roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
 |
| Cleavers (Galium aparine) |
Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) can be found carpeting woodland areas. This is a very pretty low-growing plant whose leaves are heart-shaped and fold in the middle. Wood sorrel has raw edible flowers, leaves and tubers. The flowers and leaves have a sharp acidic lemony flavour because they are high in oxalic acid. The leaves and flowers make a good addition to a green salad.
 |
| Wood sorrel in woodland (Scotland) |
And finally, many of you will have hostas emerging in your gardens now. It isn't a native wild plant in the British Isles but worthy of a mention all the same. Hostas are herbaceous perennial species from the Asparagaceae family. The shoots, leaf petiole, whole leaves and flowers of all hostas are edible raw or cooked. The fresh leaves and stems are best harvested while young and tender. The older leaves become tough and fibrousy and may become bitter in flavour. Hostas can be used as a cut and come again plant and will readily re-grow their leaves after being chopped down to the base.
 |
| Hosta spp |
That's all for this month. As always, try to forage in your own garden as much as you can. Encourage the wild plants to come up by not 'weeding' various areas. The spring and summer months are the best times to let your garden go wild.
