Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) are a native superfood in the UK. What’s even better is that they are wonderfully easy to identify, collect and use! You will find stinging nettles available year round in abundance spread across a wide variety of habitats making them a great plant for those new to foraging.
Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is often listed as being toxic in wild flower identification books, but it is recommended by many foragers. There are some potential health and toxicity issues to be aware of (see below), but in small quantities it is quite a good edible wild plant with a refreshing/tangy flavour.
This distinctive fungi looks like something straight out of Lord of the Rings (or your other chosen fantasy film). You have probably seen this small fungus adding some colour to the otherwise often dull winter palette as it pushes it’s way through moss and leaf litter in order to blow it’s spores across the woodland. Don’t be put off by the red colour warning, as it is in fact considered edible.
This short, green and slightly hairy plant is almost always found in shaded wet soils within a few metres of a body of water – even if that body of water is more of a swamp than a babbling brook. It can be found across the UK and all year round, although it is most noticeable from early Spring until August-September.
Cep (Boletus edulis) is one of the most reassuring edible mushroom that you will find in the UK. It has a distinctive appearance, few things to confuse it with and very tasty. It’s a highly-prized mushroom in the kitchen and can be found across the Northern Hemisphere. For the novice mushroom forager it’s a great species to look out for and the taste is almost out of proportion to how little effort goes into finding it – Ceps (‘Penny Bun’ in England) are quite common and come in a variety of sizes.
From early August onwards any of my work in the mountains of England, Wales and Scotland is often accompanied by the action of grazing on these tiny purple blobs as I work my way through the heather and scrub. Bilberries (the most-used common name, but lots of regional variations exist – see above) are easy to find and identify, and can be eaten straight from the bush with no problems and few misidentification worries. The fruits can be picked easily by hand and turned into a variety of jams, pies and other fruit preserves.