The Poppy is one of the most recognisable flowers of the UK countryside and across the world due to its links to remembrance parades and the poppies growing in the fields of previous war battles (Flanders Fields). It is also used in medicine to produce pain killers and other uses.

Growing in fields, along roadsides and in gardens the Poppy is easily recognisable due to its red flowers, however poppies are not always red and can be yellow, purple, orange or even white.

Poppy seeds are used in culinary dishes such as Turkish poppy seed cake or sprinkled across the top of bread.

There are many different varieties of poppy (List below from Wikipedia) that grow across the world.

• Papaver – Papaver rhoeas, Papaver somniferum, Papaver orientale, Papaver nudicaule, Papaver cambricum
• Eschscholzia – Eschscholzia californica
• Meconopsis – Meconopsis napaulensis
• Glaucium – the horned poppies including Glaucium flavum and Glaucium corniculatum
• Stylophorum – celandine poppy
• Argemone – prickly poppy
• Romneya – matilija poppy and relatives
• Canbya – pygmy poppy
• Stylomecon – wind poppy
• Arctomecon – desert bearpaw poppy
• Hunnemannia – tulip poppy
• Dendromecon – tree poppy

When the poppies age towards autumn, they form dried seed pods that act as shakers in the wind and spread the Poppy Seeds for the next plants to grow.

The Dog Rose or Wild Rose (Rosa canina) can be found in hedgerows and road sides. It can also be found as a cultivated garden plant. There are many different varieties of this rose.

The rose climbs and winds through hedgerows. In a garden it needs something to grow against. Growing anywhere between 1 and 5 meters and like other roses, the stems are covered with thorns. The thorns help to provide grip and hold against and aid its climb.

Typically the flowers are pink and white with five petals. In Autumn they turn to Rose Hips.

The rose hips outsides (shell) contains antioxidants and some vitamins. Hence Rose Hip Tea and its benefits. When using rose hips, its important to know what you are doing and also not to use the seeds as they are poisonous.

As with all foraging, forage responsibly and within the law. Also don’t over indulge on something if its your first time trying it!

Goosegrass (Galium aparine), also known as Cleavers, Sticky Willy, Sticky Weed…. there are quite a few names for this plant. If your not familiar with the names, maybe the use of it, as lots of people pick some of the plant and throw it at each other as it sticks to clothes due to the tiny hooked hairs on the leaves and stalks. Know it now?

Its one of those plants that you see a lot of along hedgerow, paths and woods, growing intertwining itself amongst other plants.

Its “sticky” properties help it climb through other plants and also help disperse its round seeds which are also covered in the tiny hooked hairs. Normally on the coats of mammals and feathers of birds, but also by humans seeing how much you can get onto someones back before they notice.

It is worth noting though that some people can be allergic to this plant and may come up in a rash, so I’m not suggesting that you pick and throw it at anyone.

Its distribution is throughout Europe and its a fairly common plant.

It does have uses in both medicine and foraging.

The plant can be boiled and used as a potato substitute or its seeds roasted and ground as a coffee without caffeine. A herbal infusion can be made from its leaves. Before you go out and try any of these, you must first learn how to prepare, use and make.

As with all foraging, forage responsibly and within the law. Also don’t over indulge on something if its your first time trying it!