This is a list of wild foods that can be foraged in the UK during May.

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Disclaimer: There are wild plants and fungi in the UK that are poisonous. Do not eat any wild edible that has not been positively identified. All edible mushrooms must be cooked. Do not use this site as your only source of information. Check the law before picking any wild plant. Nothing on this site is meant to encourage you to break any laws.

Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale

This common weed is familiar to everyone. Found throughout gardens and fields, Dandelion has historically been used to treat infections and also used as a diuretic. Dandelion leaves are high in vitamin C, iron and calcium and can be consumed in a number of ways.

Where to find it:

• Gardens
• Fields
• Road sides

Appearance:

• Yellow flower
• Hollow stems
• Long toothed leaves

To eat:

Dandelion leaves can be used in sandwiches and salads. The roots can also be cooked and eaten after being washed thoroughly.

Fairy-Ring Champignon
Marasmius oreades

Fairy-Ring Champignon gets its name from the ‘fairy rings’ it grows in. It is very common and often found growing on lawns. Its culinary use is popular due to its sweet taste. Caution must be taken to distinguish Fairy-Ring Champignon from the poisonous Clitocybe species. Clitocybes are distinguishable by their lack of an ‘umbo’, which is a raised point in the middle of the cap.

Where to find it:

• Lawns
• Grassland

Appearance:

• 2-5cm cap
• Bump in centre of cap
• Pale tan colour
• Wide gills

To eat:

Add to stews or casseroles. Caps can be preserved by drying them out, then soaked in water to reconstitute them.

Stinging nettle
Urtica dioica

Stinging nettles have historically been used as food, medicine and used to make fibre. Its high in protein and iron and its taste is similar to spinach. ‘Urtica’ is derived from the Latin word for sting, whilst ‘Dioica’ is derived from Greek, meaning ‘of two homes’.

Where to find it:

• Hedge banks
• Field edges
• Woodland
• Wasteland

Appearance:

• Heart shaped leaves
• Covered in stinging hairs

To eat:

During and after its flowering stage, nettles can form crystalline particles called cystoliths. These cystoliths can taste bitter, and can also irritate the urinary tract. For this reason it’s best to harvest nettles when young, particularly during late February to early June. Nettles can be wilted over a fire and consumed like marshmallows. They can be added to soups or its leaves can be dried and strained to make tea.

Hop
Humulus lupulus

Hop is best known for its use in the brewing of beer. The name ‘Hop’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Hoppan’, which means to climb. This is indicative of the plants climbing nature. ‘Lupulus’ is Latin for small wolf. This name is owed to Hop’s tendency to strangle and kill other plants like a wolf kills sheep.

Where to find it:

• Hedge rows
• Scrub land
• Woodland edges

Appearance:

• Cone shaped fruits
• Toothed leaves, 3-5 lobes

To eat:

Shoots should be picked when young. These shoots can be chopped and added to soups and omelettes.

Sea beet
Beta vulgaris

Sea beet is a plant found around the coastline of most of the UK. It is an ancestor of beetroot, and can be used in the same way. Its leaves can be eaten raw and are said to taste and have a texture similar to spinach.

Where to find it:

• Coastlines
• Shingle
• Cliffs

Appearance:

• Large fleshy leaves
• Green spiky flowers along the stem
• Up to 1m tall

To eat:

Smaller leaves can be used in salads. Larger leaves should be boiled until they turn dark green.

Sweet Violet
Viola Odorata

Sweet Violet’s pleasant fragrance has led to its inclusion in the ingredients of perfumes. Some believe Sweet Violet to have medicinal qualities relating to skin disorders and respiratory issues. It was historically used decoratively to dress meat

Where to find it:

• Woodland edges
• Gardens
• Hedge banks

Appearance:

• Violet or white flowers
• Rounded leaves

To eat:

Leaves can be used in salads. The flowers are also edible and were historically used to dress meat, favoured for their decorative qualities.