Wild Food Species Directory
This directory brings together key information on some of the most common, remarkable, and ecologically significant wild species found across the UK.
Many of these species are edible or have practical uses, while others are included due to their importance in conservation or their potential for misidentification with edible counterparts.
Each entry covers identification, preparation, and responsible use, ensuring that foragers, hunters, and anglers can make informed, sustainable choices. We also highlight species of ecological concern—whether due to declining populations, invasive status, or their role in maintaining biodiversity.
The information here is drawn from decades of hands-on experience in wild food gathering, professional foraging, and ecological study. Alongside traditional knowledge, we incorporate the latest research on wild species and their relationships with human health and the environment. This directory will continue to evolve as new insights emerge.
Compiled by Richard Prideaux and the Wild Food People team.
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EDIBLE PLANTS
Edible species of plant that can be found in the British countryside.
Click on each species for more information.
PIGNUT
COMMON BEECH
WILD GARLIC
MEADOWSWEET
STINGING NETTLE
WOOD SORREL
ROCK SAMPHIRE
OPPOSITE-LEAVED GOLDEN SAXIFRAGE
ELDER
HAWTHORN
BILBERRY
MARSH SAMPHIRE
BLACKBERRY
BLACKTHORN / SLOE
SWEET WOODRUFF
HERB ROBERT
EDIBLE TREES
Edible species of tree that can be found in the British countryside.
Click on each species for more information.
COMMON BEECH
ELDER
HAWTHORN
BLACKTHORN / SLOE
COASTAL EDIBLES
Edible species of plant, seaweed and shellfish that can be found in the British shoreline.
Click on each species for more information.
MARSH SAMPHIRE
ROCK SAMPHIRE
COMMON LIMPET
COMMON PERIWINKLE
SHORE CRAB
EDIBLE MUSHROOMS
Edible species of fungi that can be found in the British countryside.
Click on each species for more information.
SCARLET ELF CUP
CEP
WOOD EAR
TOXIC SPECIES
Toxic and lookalike species that you may come across while foraging.
CAUTION: There are commonly-found species in the British countryside that can be deadly if ingested. Foraging can be dangerous – you need to be sure that you only eat things that you have correctly identified as safe.
Click on each species for more information.
ARUM LILY
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SMALL GAME
Small game species that can be legally harvested in the UK.
CAUTION: There are considerable legal, ethical and logistical challenges that come with trying to hunt for food in the UK.
It is up to you to do your own research and ensure that what you do is safe, legal and ethical.
Click on each species for more information.
PIGNUT
LARGE GAME
Larger game species that can be legally harvested in the UK.
CAUTION: There are considerable legal, ethical and logistical challenges that come with trying to hunt for food in the UK.
It is up to you to do your own research and ensure that what you do is safe, legal and ethical.
Click on each species for more information.
PIGNUT
FISH
Fresh and saltwater fish species that can be legally harvested in the UK.
CAUTION: There are considerable legal, ethical and logistical challenges that come with trying to fish for food in the UK – particularly with our freshwater fish species.
It is up to you to do your own research and ensure that what you do is safe, legal and ethical.
Click on each species for more information.
PIGNUT
We work with nature.
We deliver expert foraging and wild food training as part of our wider work managing habitats in North Wales.
Every single one of our courses and events feeds back into improving those habitats, helping to provide healthy ecosystems for our local wildlife and communities.