Hello Greenfingers:

You want to get out and about, but lacking things for a nice homemade soup, a mean coffee substitute, or some hairy bittercress (better than it sounds). 

Find out about what’s still resiliently growing in January, and where to find it (instructed to advise that you must, at all costs, follow the rules)

Foraging Tips for January:

Mindful Foraging: Always forage sustainably, taking only what you need and ensuring you leave enough for wildlife and plant regeneration.

Safety First: Be certain of your plant identification to avoid consuming toxic species. Consider joining guided foraging walks in London to enhance your knowledge.

Locations: below!!

Great Apps:

PlantNet, Picture Mushroom & PictureThis

Wild greens & ‘erbs.

  • Cleavers (Galium aparine)

    Also known as sticky weed, young shoots can be used in soups or as a tea. Often found in hedgerows and woodland areas.

  • Nettles (Urtica dioica)

    Young nettle shoots can be harvested carefully (using gloves) and used in soups or teas. They are often found in nutrient-rich soils, woodland edges, and disturbed grounds.

  • Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

    A versatile plant with a flavor reminiscent of celery. Young shoots and leaves can be used in salads or cooked dishes. Commonly found along coastal areas and roadsides.

  • Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

    Also known as Jack-by-the-hedge, its leaves have a mild garlic flavor, suitable for salads and pestos. Look for it along hedgerows and woodland edges.

  • Chickweed (Stellaria media)

    A delicate green with a mild, spinach-like taste. Common in gardens, parks, and moist, shady areas.

  • Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

    A peppery-flavored green that thrives in damp, disturbed soils. Look for it in urban green spaces, gardens, and along pathways.

Roots, nuts & shrooms.

  • Dandelion Roots (Taraxacum officinale)

    These can be dug up and used as a coffee substitute or cooked similarly to other root vegetables. Dandelions are widespread in lawns, parks, and meadows.

  • Beech Nuts (Fagus sylvatica)

    While many may have fallen earlier, some beech nuts can still be found beneath beech trees. They can be eaten raw or toasted but are fiddly to shell.

  • Scarlet Elf Cups (Sarcoscypha coccinea)

    A striking red fungus that adds color to winter foraging. While not highly flavorful, it can be used as a decorative edible garnish. Typically grows on decaying wood in damp, deciduous forests.

  • Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes)

    Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes): An edible winter mushroom with a shiny orange-brown cap and velvety stem. Often found on dead or dying hardwood trees. Ensure proper identification, as some mushrooms have toxic look-alikes.

Location, location, location

Hampstead Heath: This expansive park offers diverse habitats where you might find chickweed, dandelion greens, and other wild edibles. Guided foraging walks are available here.

Walthamstow Marshes: These marshlands are rich in biodiversity, offering opportunities to forage for wild greens and herbs.

Epping Forest: This ancient woodland may still harbor some edible plants and nuts during the winter months.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Known for its biodiversity, this park offers guided foraging walks where you can learn about edible plants available in January.

Nunhead Cemetery: This serene location is known for an abundance of three-cornered leeks, one of the earliest wild ingredients available in the year.

Streatham Common: The wooded areas near underground springs are ideal for finding wild garlic shoots as they begin to emerge with the warmer weather in spring.

Dulwich Park: This park offers diverse habitats where you might find various wild greens and herbs.

Wimbledon Common: A vast area with woodlands and open spaces, suitable for finding chickweed, dandelion greens, and other wild edibles.

Wormwood Scrubs: An open space in West London where you can explore and potentially find various wild plants.