Weeds to eat: a guide to foraging
By Lola Mors
April 2025
Are you on a student budget and craving a fresh salad? Look no further! This post teaches you how to forage four common eatable plants – ground elder, yarrow, daisy, and dandelion.
Responsible foraging
Appreciating biodiversity can be tasty. Weeds despised by many gardeners can make a delicious meal. Before you start, check out these simple three rules to make foraging safe and fun for everyone (adapted from the Woodland Trust):
​
-
Only eat plants you have identified with certainty—guided foraging walks and plant identification guides are good places to start. Don’t solely rely on apps, as they can make mistakes. If in doubt if a plant is edible, give it a miss! Avoid areas with dog pee.
-
You can forage as much as you will eat. Leave plenty behind so that the plants can recover. Check out the law if you want to use roots or sell plants.
-
Be respectful of the land—don’t pick protected species, walk with care to avoid trampled plants, and be gentle when picking leaves and berries so the plant can recover.
Why should you start to forage?
Still not convinced?
-
Foraging is free. Picking plants costs you nothing. Who doesn’t want free food? Especially in this economy…
-
Foraged food is pretty to look at. Whether you’re impressing everyone at the next potluck with flowers in your salad or getting more likes than ever on your Instagram posts, foraging will level up the aesthetic of your meals.
-
Foraging is a great starting point for caring about biodiversity – in no time, you will know where to find sorrel, ground elder, fat hen, and fresh lime leaves! Once you get your eye in, you will notice their habitats, advocate for less grass lawns, and make this University a champion for biodiversity.
​
The fact that you’re still reading this post makes me hopeful that you are convinced to give foraging a go. But where to start? Here’s how to identify four common eatable plants:
Carpet of ground elder. Photographed in the transition garden in Deans Court.
What to forage for our salad:Young leaves are the most tender.
Season: April to October
Habitat: Roadside verges, woodlands, hedgerows, meadows, literally everywhere
Distinctive features: Three smooth leaves (that split into three lobes each) with serrated edges. The stem is triangular in cross-section. Small white flowers in early summer.
Taste: Peppery, a bit like celery (but, in my opinion, a lot better).
Biodiversity benefits: Provides shelter for invertebrates.
Possible confusion with: Hemlock water-dropwort (very poisonous but distinguished by fern-like leaves)
Fun fact: Likely brought to the UK by the Romans (source: The Wildlife Trust)
Common yarrow, photographed in St Mary’s secret garden.
Common yarrow, photographed in St Mary’s secret garden.
What to forage for our salad: Leaves
Season: April to November
Habitat: Lawns and meadows
Distinctive features: Leaves that are so finely divided they resemble feathers.
Taste: Resembles liquorice.
Biodiversity benefits: Yarrow may support the transition from arable land to grassland.
Possible confusion with: Wild carrot (also edible, distinguished by three-lobed leaves)
Fun fact: Yarrow contains flavonoids and may help ease stomach cramps (source: National Institutes of Health).
Daisies, photographed in front of the Byre Theatre.
What to forage for our salad: Buds and flowers
Season: March to November
Habitat: Field and path margins, lawns, meadows
Distinctive features: The most characteristic feature is an array of white petals around the yellow “centre” of the flower. Small rounded leaves that grow from the bottom of the hairy stem only.
Taste: Nutty flavour
Biodiversity benefits: Provides nectar for pollinating insects such as butterflies and hoverflies.
Possible confusion with: Oxeye daisy (but flower heads are three to five centimetres in diameter instead of one to two for the common daisy)
Fun fact: Fossils from Antarctica reveal that the oldest flowers in the daisy family were “trampled by the last surviving dinosaurs” (source: Kew Gardens).
Dandelion, photographed in front of the Byre theatre.
What to forage for our salad: Young leaves, flower buds, petals
Season: March to October
Habitat: Roadside verges, meadows, lawns
Distinctive features: Toothed leaves that grow from the bottom of the stem only. Bright yellow flowers that transform into “seed clocks”. Dandelion has many microspecies, which are all edible.
Taste: The leaves are bitter and earthy, with notes of coffee. The flowers are sweeter and grassy.
Biodiversity benefits: Dandelions’ long flowering season provides nectar and pollen when other flowers are scarce.
Possible confusion with: Coltsfood (likely unsafe for consumption, distinguished by prominent round middles in the flour heads)
Fun fact: On average, a single dandelion plant produces 15,000 seeds (source: Michigan State University).
Foraged salad recipe
Last but not least, the secret recipe for a delicious foraged salad:
Ingredients for four people:
- 400 g of foraged herbs (ground elder as a base, with yarrow and dandelion leaves for added taste and daisy flowers for decoration – vary according to season and availability)
- A teaspoon of mustard
- A teaspoon of honey
- Three tablespoons of oil
- A dash of balsamic or other vinegar
Foraged salad with dandelion and daisies, made using Canva.
Instructions:
-
Wash all foraged herbs and leave to dry.
-
Cut the yarrow and dandelion leaves and stems into one-centimetre-long pieces.
-
Mix the mustard and honey with a fork.
-
Add the oil and vinegar and stir until it forms an emulsion.
-
Transfer all herbs except daisies to a bowl and mix the dressing under it.
-
Garnish with daisies before serving. Enjoy!
Looking for more foraging tips and events? Come along to Transition’s spring forage on April 27 2025.