Plant Guide – Forage UK

Himalayan Balsam

[foogallery id="538"] Common name: Himalayan Balsam Scientific name: Impatiens glandulifera This large, incredibly tasty, extremely invasive plant is in fact one of the most invasive plants we have in the UK. Now on Defras hit list. It is native to the Himalayas where it has traditionally been used...

Rosebay Willowherb

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[foogallery id="536"] Common Name: Rosebay willowherb , Fireweed , Railway chrysanthemum, Bombsite weed, Poor man’s asparagus Scientific Name: Chamerion angustifolium Description Rosebay Willowherb is a tall straight plant that can grow to 5-6 foot in height. It has leaves that are green and long and lanceolate. The flowers are...

Hawthorn

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[foogallery id="532"] Common name: Hawthorn , Mayflower , Haw , Thornapple , Whitethorn , Hawberry. Bread and cheese Scientific name: Crataegus Monogyna/Laevigate Description Hawthorn is a common tree/shrub that grows to be 5-15 meters in height it has a red brown knotty twisted trunk with many branches that are...

Stinging Nettle

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[foogallery id="530"] Common Names: Stinging nettle, stinger, nettle, burn hazel, burn weed Scientific Name: Urtica dioica Description Nettle is a perennial plant that is very common in the UK and can be found growing almost everywhere usually in large patches. The leaves are soft green and strongly serrated, tear...

Hogweed

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[foogallery id="526"] Common Name: Hogweed, Cow Parsnip Scientific Name: Heracleum Sphondylium Edible: Yes Description The leaves of the Hogweed are green matt and deeply lobed and are covered in lots of tiny hairs. The stems are green and can be quite thick. They have a reddish, purple tinge, and are...

Ground Elder

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[foogallery id="524"] Common Name: Ground Elder, Bishops weed, Goutweed, Herb Gerrard, English Masterwort, Masterwort. Scientific Name: Aegopodium Podagraria Edible: Yes Description The leaves of Ground Elder resemble the leaves of the Elder tree. When young the leaves are light green soft, glossy and translucent. The become a papery darker green,...

Chickweed

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[foogallery id="515"] Common names: Chickweed, Starweed, Chickenwort, Winterweed, Craches, Maruns Scientific name:, Stellaria Media Description Chickweed is an annual flowering plant which is very common and can be found almost all year round. It grows close to the ground and shallow rooting. The leaves grow opposite each other on...

Lime Tree

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[foogallery id="522"] Common name: Lime tree, Tilia, Linden tree Scientific name: Tilia species Desciption NB: No connection to citrus lime tree The Tilia species are large deciduous trees reaching the height of 20 to 40 metres. The leaves are heart shaped and initially are light green in colour, translucent and...

Elder Tree

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[foogallery id="520"] (The medicine tree) Common names: Elder, Black Elder, Common Elder Scientific name: Sambucus Nigra Description The flowers have large umbels of small white flowers heads that have a distinctive smell that once smelt cannot be mistaken. They appear in late spring, end of April/May. The leaves are green,...