The Foraging Course Company
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Offering fun foraging courses for those wanting to learn about edible mushrooms and plants.
Is hemlock water dropwort really Britain’s most poisonous plant?
Every spring and summer posts appear from plant enthusiasts proclaiming hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe Croats) as Britain’s most poisonous plant. But is this really the case?
In comparison to Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) it is far from deserving of that title.
This repost from 2025 looks at the toxins and doses of both, plus the reasons why the belief hemlock water dropwort is more toxic may have arisen
We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to our new Wildflowers and Witchcraft guided walks so far. Reading kind words, thoughtful reviews and magical moments from the woods and hedgerows has been such a joy.
These walks are far more than a stroll through nature. We explore the hidden folklore woven through our wild plants and landscapes; from flowers linked to ancient gods and goddesses, to tales of mischievous imps, cranky fairies, fierce dragons, saints, sinners and spirits said to linger in wild places.
Along the way we uncover bizarre folk remedies, protective charms, old countryside superstitions and the ways our ancestors used plants to ward off evil, invite luck, heal illness, and explain the mysteries of the world around them.
Whether you come for the history, the mythology, the magic or simply the chance to slow down and reconnect with nature, these walks are designed to leave you seeing the landscape in a completely different way.
Thank you to everyone who has joined us so far and if you’ve been thinking about coming along, this is your sign.
Fabulous fungi guided walks
Discover the weird, wonderful and whacky fungi found in the UK on our fabulous fungi guided walks. You’ll discover a variety of unusual shapes, spectacular colours and amazing smells. They are beautiful, bizarre and truly fascinating.
Led by an expert guide, this walk offers a fun and educational dive into the mysterious world of fungi. You’ll learn about identification, hear quirky facts and folklore, and discover the vital role fungi play in our ecosystems.
Find out more on our website
Autumn foraging course and fabulous fungi guided walk dates released!
All of our autumn foraging course dates are now released and ready to book on our website.
This year we will also be running our new Fabulous Fungi guided walks. Rather than being edibility focussed, these walks look at the wider fungi world, their amazing lives and huge impact on the world around us.
Find out more via our website www.foragingcoursecompany.co.uk/courses
12/05/2026
We have released our Autumn foraging course and guided fungi walk dates. We have also got a new venue in Cambridgeshire for our popular plant folklore walks. Check them out here: https://www.foragingcoursecompany.co.uk/courses
Wolf’s bane (Aconitum lycoctnum)
A deadly poisonous discover on the recce for yesterday’s foraging course. Wolf’s bane (Aconitum lycoctnum) is native to some parts of Europe but not the UK. It was introduced around 500 years ago and has since naturalised in shady woodland areas. The UK native relative of this plant is Monkshood (Aconitum napellus), which has bright purple hooded flowers, is often called wolf’s bane but it is A lycoctnum that was used historically to kill wolves. Both plants are deadly poisonous.
Aconitum species are sold in garden centres and carry warnings about toxicity. They are desired for their tall beautiful flower stalks and deeply lobed leaves. Just don’t eat them!
Both are considered to have the ability to be able to poison through the skin so excessive handling with bare hands (especially if cuts or grazes are present) is advised against
More venues and dates for our wildflowers and witchcraft guided walks!
Wander the countryside with us and uncover the hidden folklore, myth and magic of wildflowers used for healing, protection and spellcraft, where old beliefs still murmur through hedgerows, meadows and ancient paths.
Currently available in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.
Find out more via our website (in bio) or direct at https://www.foragingcoursecompany.co.uk/wildflowers-and-witchcraft-walk
St George’s Mushroom
The St George’s mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) is so called because of its fruiting period being roughly around St George’s Day (23 April).
It likes calcarous soil and is found growing in rings in grassland near trees. It is thought to potentially be saprobic (feeding on decaying organic matter), mycorrhizal (symbiotic) and pathogenic (harming a host) all at once!
The grass in the ring is often flushed (grows faster than the grass around it).
The St George’s mushroom is cream coloured, the cap is often misshapen and the stem has no ring/skirt. It has crowded, sinuate gills (attached to the stem but with a little notch before the attachment) that are very shallow. The base of the stem is often swollen to one side.
Its smell is doughy, mealy or sometimes like cucumber.
At this time of year there is little to confuse it with but check out the guide on our website for possible lookalikes.
Don’t eat wild food unless you are 100% sure of your identification!
Common morel (Morchella vulgaris)
These were found at the end of a recce for one of our wildflowers and witchcraft walks and although they weren’t part of the event today, they were shown to participants.
Growing with Ash that was clearly suffering from dieback. These were decent-sized specimens.
The morels still seem to be popping in the UK.
15/02/2026
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) was introduced to Britain by the Romans as a pot herb.
It is salt tolerant so likes coastal areas where there is less competition but it can be found much further inland too - often on old Roman sites.
It starts putting up shoots, which are widely regarded as the best part to eat, in winter. However, it is strongly aromatic and the flavour is not to everyone’s liking.
Alexanders’ seeds are also used as a spice to flavour stews. The hard black seed can be crushed and used in a spice bag.
As a biennial, Alexanders grows over two years - no flowers first year, flowers and seeds in second year - but can appear over three or four year of it doesn’t go to seed.
It is similar in appearance to hemlock water dropwort, which is deadly poisonous, but Alexanders have shinier leaves and yellow flowers, hemlock water dropwort has white flowers
Find out more in the guides and article sections of our website, which include an article and an ID guide for Alexanders
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