What to look out for this month

What to Forage in July & August in the UK

After one of the driest summers in recent years, many of our favourite wild plants are looking a little tired. 

But don’t put your foraging basket away just yet. Late summer offers its own unique harvest, with aromatic seeds, coastal plants, edible flowers and herbs thriving despite the dry conditions. I’ve also been noticing some blackberries ready to pick. 

I also find this a perfect time to slow down, observe nature and prepare for the abundance that autumn will soon bring. 

Here are some of my favourite wild foods to look out for during July and August.

Salt Marsh Plants

If you’re lucky enough to visit the coast, salt marshes are bursting with flavour. Look out for:

Marsh samphire - forage the tips, avoiding woody stems

Sea purslane leaves 

Sea aster

Sea beet

Annual sea-blite 

These plants make wonderful additions to salads, pickles, ferments and seafood dishes. Always harvest responsibly, be mindful of tides, avoid pollution and protected habitats.

Edible Flowers

Many edible flowers continue well into late summer, bringing colour and delicate flavour to the table.

Keep an eye out for:

Meadowsweet

Yarrow

Wild carrot flowers (before seed)

Red clover

Green elderberries for pickles 

Mallow flowers

Rosebay willowherb flowers

Wild Roses 

Use them fresh in salads, infuse them into syrups or dry them for herbal teas.

Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea)

One of my favourite summer finds.

Often growing between paving stones, on well trodden path, entrances to fields and compacted ground, pineapple weed has a sweet tropical aroma reminiscent of pineapple.

The flower heads make a delicious caffeine-free tea and can also be infused into syrups, vinegars or desserts. I’ve just made a few bottles of pineapple weed syrup and it tastes like heaven drizzled over ice cream. 

Wild Chamomile

Delicate and calming, wild chamomile can still be found flowering through the summer, harvest the flower heads and dry them for relaxing herbal teas.

Hogweed Seeds

By late July and August the seeds are usually ready to forage. Be certain of your identification and avoid confusing hogweed with the dangerous giant hogweed.

Their incredible aroma has hints of citrus, cardamom and warming spice, making them one of the most exciting wild spices. 

Use them sparingly to flavour biscuits, cakes, curries, roasted vegetables or infuse into spirits.

 Wild Herbs

Even during dry weather many aromatic herbs remain in excellent condition.

Look out for:

Wild marjoram

Wild thyme

Wild mint

Wood sage

Alexander seeds (can be used as a black pepper substitute)

These herbs dry beautifully for use throughout the year and add some interest to your spice cupboard. I often find using them brings a snails to me face and transports me back to when I foraged them. 

Early Fruits

Although the main berry season is just around the corner, some are ready now.

One of my favourite summer finds has to be bilberries. Often overlooked because of their smaller size, these tiny wild berries pack an incredible depth of flavour that’s far more intense than cultivated blueberries.

Growing low to the ground on moorland and heath, bilberries are usually ready from late July & August, depending on location and the weather. Their deep purple flesh stains your fingers (and tongue!) as you pick them.

They’re delicious eaten straight from the bush, scattered over porridge or yoghurt and baked into muffins. If you can resist eating them all fresh, they’re well worth taking home to freeze. They are packed with antioxidants and good for your eyesight too which helps spot them.

Looking Ahead

Nature is already preparing for autumn. As August draws to a close, you’ll start to notice more hedgerow berries, rosehip and hawthorn berries,  ripening nuts and, if the rain returns, flushes of wild mushrooms.

Each season has its own gifts. Even in a dry summer there’s always something worth discovering if you take the time to look.

As always, forage responsibly, only harvest plants you can identify with complete confidence. Happy foraging, and don’t forget to take only what you need, leaving plenty for wildlife and for others to enjoy.