The "what is that plant?" thread

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
I thought I would open up this thread as we have one for mushrooms but none for plants weirdly, it's something I'm planning to do a lot of this year (already have to be honest) and theres no better time to be learning what plants are around.

So I'll get the ball rolling with a few that I've seen recently

20210227_141424.jpg

Lesser celandine. Really common around here, especially in boggy areas. Edible, the leaf can be eaten as a salad

20210107_220738.jpg
Common sorrel. Great flavour! Edible, great salad leaf with a nice apple skin acidity

20210227_141900.jpg

Lords and ladies/cuckoo pint. Loads of this growing almost everywhere at the mo. Poisonous

20210314_210031.jpg

Meadowsweet. Edible, it can even be dried for smoking.
 
Last edited:

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
20210328_153107.jpg
Jack by the hedge, strong garlic/mustard flavour, great used sparingly in salads or with strong food

20210328_145043.jpg

Cowslip- a new one to me chuffed to find it. Edible flower, use sparingly in salads

20210328_144255.jpg

Cleavers. Edible, not tried them myself yet.

20210328_144059.jpg


Arum/lords and ladies, seems to be a variegated version, I've seen this a few times now. Poisonous
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: dwardo

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I use soapwort, and I get annoyed at all the book descriptions that say to dig up the roots.
You don't need the roots. Simply gather a long strand of the stuff (or a few of those new whorls of leafy stems) and rub it up really well in water. Be vigorous about it. It'll froth green, the water will feel soft on your skin. It won't stain, it is an excellent cleanser and it is very kind to your skin. It doesn't need the roots destroyed to use the plant. It'll come again.
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
852
920
Kent
Soapwort was my first thought before I saw what you'd written. It does 'soap' up if can try some. At this time of year there will be old long shoots and fresh new shoots appearing.
I did try a bit but it didn't froth up very convincingly which brought in some doubt. It was part of some wild flower seed that I introduced to my garden a few years ago, hence the lack of old stems because I cut them off last autumn.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
It really needs you to be rough with it, really crush it and rub it up in the water. The old washing boards were ideal for doing that, but just really rubbed between your hands in the water will work.
I can usually get three pailfulls from three or four stems.

M
 

Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
Here's one - Cuckoo Flower.
There were lots out today.
The leaves are edible (never tried them myself. Cuckoo Flower is a member of the bittercress family, so I can take a punt on what they taste like).

51120992226_34494a9945_c.jpg
 

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
Couple of coastal ones from the weekend

20210418_144442.jpg

Alexander's.... there were loads around. I'll be heading back soon to pick some for sure. Edible but haven't personally had the pleasure myself.

20210418_144934.jpg

Scurvy grass... Edible, salad. awesome stuff! Tastes exactly like wasabi, just needed some soy sauce and fresh mackerel! Super hot.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Toddy

Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
Out for a stroll at the weekend and I passed by some cuckoo flower again, so thought I'd try it.
The flowers were very mild in flavour, just a distant hint of mustard.
Then tried a leaf.
A much stronger flavour. Not over-powering at all, but distinctly mustard. It'd be a lovely addition to a salad. I enjoyed it, and very glad I tried it. Lovely.

Also saw this - garlic mustard/jack by the hedge:
51122499977_45c7f8d7ee_z.jpg


For a garlic-hater like me, it's not too bad. More like a spring onion than garlic, and quite gentle.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Here's one - Cuckoo Flower.
There were lots out today.
The leaves are edible (never tried them myself. Cuckoo Flower is a member of the bittercress family, so I can take a punt on what they taste like).

51120992226_34494a9945_c.jpg

It's spicy, cress like :)
One of my Spring time favourite weeds :cool:
 

Brizzlebush

Explorer
Feb 9, 2019
581
397
Bristol
20210411_141014.jpg
Wood anemones. Plentiful, but inedible.
20210411_140655.jpg
Early Purple Orchid, almost in full flower, irritatingly slightly out of focus. Edible, but not numerous enough, and too pretty to eat.
Also violets and ground ivy.
The ground ivy was delicious garnishing our nettle soup.

In a different wood, a week later;
20210416_181456.jpg
Opposite leaved golden saxifrage. Quite succulent and tasty.

I also foraged last week; lady's smock (cuckoo flower) quite delicious, ramsons, scapes and leaves, white dead nettle (I'm going to Lacto-ferment it) and Alexanders.
Spring is most definitely happening!
20210416_182000.jpg
I thought this might be wild celery, but I didn't want to take a chance. My carrot family ID isn't great yet, so I'm not going to chance it. I ate one leaf tip, and I'm still here, but...
It could be water dropwort, which is delicious once, apparently!
 

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
20210424_210530.jpg

Pennywort, what a lovely edible this one is. We found a few whilst camping on the llyn peninsula last weekend, alongside 3 cornered leek. They have a fantastic peashoot flavour, the books said they were more of a dull lettuce taste but in my opinion they were much more interesting than that. Great succulent texture too
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brizzlebush

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE