How to use it: every part of it is edible but the succulent stem is the best bit. People say it tastes similar to angelica and parsley, but there are many different ways to bring out its flavour. You can steam or boil them, toss in butter and season with black pepper. Leaves and flowers are also edible - add them to salads.
What to look for: it’s particularly widespread in coastal regions in the south of England. Look along cliff tops and hedgerows. You can pick the stems from February but they’re at their best when the first flower buds appear in late March and April.
Take care: be careful not to confuse this with other umbellifers (plants in the Apiaceae family). Some species, like hemlock, are extremely poisonous.