At last, time for another foraging walk! We enjoyed a beautiful woodland in Tickenham in Bristol to ourselves and set out to see what we could find beneath our feet and all around us.
Hazel from Totally Wild UK was our guide and knowledgeable forager.
Here is the extensive list of what we found (some missing):
Edibles:
- Elder tree – we talked about elderberries and elderflower being available at different times of the year
- Ash tree and ash keys
- Broadleaf plantain (in Hazel’s ‘kale/cabbage’ category’. Use the dried seeds like flax seeds (see ‘The Black Forager’ on Instagram)
- Ribwort plantain
- Crab apples
- Apples
- Rosehips
- Wood avens
- Wood sage
- Wild marjoram
- Self heal
- Hogweed
- Meadow vetch
- Gorse flowers
- Ground ivy
- Mushrooms – I didn’t catch which ones were found
- Hawthorn trees, berries and blossom
- Blackthorn / sloe
- Hazel tree and hazelnuts
- Acorns on oak tree (various uses)
- Nettles
- Mushrooms – The Prince and Clouded Agarics
Pretty but not for eating!
1. Spindle tree – pink and orange
2. Bryony – red berries
Useful but not edible!
1. King Alfred’s cakes – a useful tinder
2. Ivy leaves – try using as laundry detergent (especially when camping/off grid)
