Herbs where the aerial parts are used are best collected as the plant comes into flower, leaves are best collected for the fresh spring growth, roots autumn/winter.  Some herbs, such as dandelion root, have different properties depending on spring or autumn harvest. Other herbs are available much of the year and can be harvested throughout; though there may be optimal times for collecting, they can be collected at other times if supplies are low.

Leaves, flowers and roots need to be thoroughly and carefully dried and chopped small enough to be infused as teas. The berries should be frozen whole. 

All plant material should be in fresh, vibrant, healthy condition when picked, without any trace of disease.

The List

Wildcrafting:

This is a brief list of herbs we commonly use that can be sustainably collected from the wild. Most of these plants are common weeds and can be found almost anywhere. Others are common but would be best collected from sites where there is a plentiful supply of the herb to ensure the herb’s persistence on that site – these herbs are marked with an asterisk. We can give information regarding sites for specific herbs to individuals collecting for this project.

Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to know exactly what we are in need of that’s available in the wild at the time you are going to harvest.

Make sure you are absolutely certain of your plant identification before harvesting any herbs. Some of the more easy herbs to confuse with other plants are: Comfrey, Elderflower, Meadowsweet and Yarrow.

HERB TO HARVEST:

Elderberries – Sambucus nigra fruct. ( frozen, not dried)
Aug/sept.

Elderflowers – Sambucus nigra 
May-June.

Hawthorn flower and leaves – Crataegus spp
May

Lime flower – Tilia spp
June/July, blink and you miss them, parks

Meadowsweet flowering tops – Filipendula ulmaria
July, aerial parts

Nettle leaf – Urtica dioica 
April/May/June – pick the top four to six leaves before the plant goes to flower and seed

Yarrow flowers – Achillea millefolium
Aerial parts when in flower July-sept.  Ubiquitous but take care and harvest over a wide area.

Cultivated in gardens:

Comfrey leaves – Symphytum officinale
April-August

Hyssop – Hyssopus officinalis
August – aerial parts when in bloom

Marigold flowers – Calendula officinalis ( NOT French marigold)
May to September – pick the flower heads as they come, more will keep growing!

Peppermint – Mentha piperita
May/June – before it goes to flower

Lemon Balm – Melissa officinalis
May/June – before it goes to flower

Lemon Verbena – Aloysia citrodora
June – September

Sage – Salvia officinalis
May/June – when it is still vibrant and undamaged by bugs and disease.