Did you know?
- Foraging is the act of identifying and collecting food resources in the wild, including a wide range of uncultivated plants, mushrooms, herbs, and fruits that grow naturally in our surroundings.
- The tools that a forager should have for foraging include, bags, small jars for berries, paper bags for mushrooms, a pocket knife, and a pen and a notebook to jot down names.
Elder
- Also known as the wisdom tree. There have been so many uses for Elder in herbal medicine it is sometimes called “The medicine chest of the countryman”. Elder has been used to treat colds, viruses, chill bruises, sprains, asthma, bronchitis, and fevers.
- How to identify? Leaves which have 5–7 pairs of leaflets with sparsely serrated edges. In springtime, the Elder is covered in white umbels of flowers. These umbels turn to small green berries, before ripening to a dark purple-black.
Tips:
- Beware of pesticides, herbicides, and other pollutants. Plants near busy roads are tainted with exhaust fumes.
- Don’t Munch on a Hunch – Unless you are 110% sure what you have found whilst foraging do not eat it.
For more information:
- Check out Julianne Olivers on TikTok – @gatheringgoodness
Following Foraging Donegal on Facebook – A page for those who are interested in Foraging and learning more about our wild foods and medicines.
