Search our site
-
Blog
Is ivy poisonous?
Discover whether ivy is poisonous and learn more about where it grows, how to take care of it in your garden and why it’s a great plant for wildlife.
Kate Lewthwaite • 17 Aug 2021
-
Blog
Foxglove and other poisonous plants: a list of toxic plants in the UK
A quick guide to five of the most poisonous plants you may encounter on a countryside walk in the UK. Learn how to recognise them and get fascinating facts on their toxicity.
Helen Keating • 01 Jul 2020
-
Blog
Poisonous mushrooms: 8 most dangerous UK mushrooms
Your guide to 8 of the most poisonous mushrooms in the UK, including the terrifyingly named death cap, destroying angel and funeral bell. Find out where they grow, how to identify them and why you should steer clear!
Helen Keating • 27 Oct 2022
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Lily-of-the-valley
Charming, sweetly scented and highly poisonous, lily-of-the-valley is a romantic woodland stunner.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Deadly nightshade
Attractive, psychoactive, dangerous. Found in scrub and woodland, the deadly nightshade lives up to its name. Though highly poisonous, it feeds woodland animals and even has medicinal properties.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Dog’s mercury
A poisonous coloniser of ancient woodland, dog’s mercury is quick to sweep over the wood floor, sometimes outcompeting more delicate ancient woodland species.
-
Blog
Are bluebells poisonous? And more bluebell facts
Find out all about bluebells, including if they’re poisonous, when to see them and lots of other bluebell facts.
Hannah Vickers • 06 Apr 2020
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Mistletoe
Romantic, parasitic and poisonous, mistletoe loves broadleaf trees and provides an important habitat for woodland wildlife. Its leathery green leaves offer welcome colour among bare winter branches when much else is dormant.
-
Blog
Elephant hawk-moth: caterpillar, lifecycle and is it poisonous?
If you’ve been lucky enough to encounter a big, brightly coloured elephant hawk-moth, you’ll know you’ve seen something special. But what do elephant hawk-moth caterpillars look like, where does their name come from, and why are the adults pink?
Amy Lewis • 03 Jul 2018
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Common earthball
Warty, poisonous, explosive. Common earthball might look like a potato, but it is not for eating.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Foxglove
Beautiful but deadly. This familiar flower has the power to cure and kill.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Morel
Highly prized and easily recognised, the morel is a favourite edible mushroom. It has a strong, nutty flavour and a pleasant, earthy smell and grows in a variety of habitats, including well-drained woodland. But beware, it is poisonous when raw.
-
Blog
Best native hedge plants: choose the right hedges
Autumn and winter are the best times to plant a hedge. To get you started, here are our top 10 recommendations for the best native hedge plants and the amazing benefits they'll bring.
Helen Keating • 23 May 2023
-
Blog
Foraging in April: edible wild plants to harvest
April is the time to look out for fresh new greens and herbs to give your food a seasonal springtime boost. Here are seven easy-to-identify edible herbs and plants to look out for.
Helen Keating • 27 Apr 2023
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Hop
A twining hedgerow climber with a boozy use, hop has been used in the beer-making industry for centuries. Look out for it across the UK.
-
Blog
Foraging in October: which wild mushrooms can you eat?
Explore the world of foraging with these top wild fungi picking and cooking tips. Here are five edible fungi that are easy to identify.
Helen Keating • 29 Oct 2018
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Ivy
Clingy, luscious, misunderstood. Ivy has long been accused of strangling trees, but it doesn’t harm the tree at all, and even supports at least 50 species of wildlife.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Buckthorn, purging
Prickly and with the ability to purge. This plant’s common name harks back its use as a laxative. It’s a fierce, invasive species in North America.
-
Blog
Foraging in June: edible flowers, plants and herbs
From fresh flowers to tender leaves, here are some edible plants to forage in June. These are my top tips on where to find them, and how to turn them into something tasty.
Helen Keating • 24 Jun 2021
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Deathcap
Silent assassin and killer of kings. The deathcap has been used as a murder weapon for millennia.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Cow parsley
A true roadside stunner, cow parsley is a familiar sight in the UK. It’s a hardy plant which is popular with pollinators and grows just about anywhere.
-
Blog
Foraging in February: mushrooms, nettles and early flowers
Even in February, green shoots and early spring flowers are starting to appear. And they’re growing quickly. Here are some spring plants and winter fungi to look out for.
Helen Keating • 22 Feb 2018
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Snowdrop
One of the first signs of spring. While not native to these shores, these hardy flowers have become a familiar indicator of the shifting seasons and a sure sign that warmer weather is on its way.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Wild garlic
A delicious sign of the old, wild garlic is also known as ramsons. Look for them in shady woods where they coat the woodland floor in spring.
-
Visiting woods
Responsible foraging guidelines
Follow our responsible foraging guidelines and you can collect wild food without harming woods or wildlife.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Honeysuckle
Twining, scented woodland stunner. This trumpet-like flower is a paradise for wildlife, with its sweet, heady fragrance calling to nearby species, particularly on warm summer evenings.
-
Blog
Early spring flowers quiz: 12 flowering plants and shrubs
Want to identify blooms spotted on a refreshing woodland walk or bring some early colour to your garden? Take our quiz to discover some of the most common early flowerers.
Charlie Mellor • 11 Feb 2021
-
Support us
Get inspired by William Shakespeare
Discover the trees and plants in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
-
Blog
First signs of autumn
Discover when autumn starts and the signs of the season – look for leaves changing colour, autumn fruits and seeds, migrating birds, ivy flowering and incredible fungi.
Danielle Wesley • 31 Aug 2019
-
Blog
How invasive non-native species threaten our woods
Invasive species impact our environment and wildlife, are costly to the economy, and can even pose a risk to our health. Find out what you can do to help.
Sally Bavin • 05 Oct 2023
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Brown roll-rim
The brown roll-rim might look innocent enough, but it’s a deadly fungus of birch woodland.
-
Blog
Foraging for natural Christmas decorations
Transform your home into a woodland wonderland this Christmas with our easy ideas for festive, foraged home decor.
Helen Keating • 05 Dec 2022
-
Blog
Types of mushroom in the UK: common identification guide
Mushrooms (or toadstools) is a term given to the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies that certain fungi produce. Here are nine common mushrooms that you may come across.
Helen Keating • 31 Aug 2017
-
Blog
The best elderberry recipes
Make the most of dark, fragrant elderberries while they’re in season. Try our favourite elderberry recipes.
Helen Keating • 28 Sep 2022
-
Blog
Giant hogweed: the facts
How common is giant hogweed in the UK and is it really that dangerous? We've distilled the facts to give you the low-down on giant hogweed.
Helen Keating • 29 Jun 2022
-
Blog
Winter berries: what are they and where to find them
Winter berries are a vital food source for wildlife and can be foraged to make delicious seasonal treats too. Here are our tips on when and where to find them.
Charlie Mellor • 29 Nov 2018
-
Blog
13 hardy plants for your garden
Our pick of hardy plants and trees perfect for any outdoor space. From pretty annual flowers to hard-working, long-lasting evergreens, they're all hardy to at least -15C.
Charlie Mellor • 07 Mar 2024
-
Blog
Why are plants important? Reasons why we need them
Plants are an essential resource. We rely on them for food, water, medicine, the air we breathe, habitat and our climate.
Eleanor Clark • 17 Apr 2018
-
Blog
9 carnivorous plants to spot in the UK
Did you know there are carnivorous plants in the UK? Take a look at some of the predatory and parasitic plants you could spot in our woods and wetlands.
Charlotte Varela • 28 Jun 2023
-
Event
Arable plants walk at Langley Vale Wood
Join us for a guided walk at Langley Vale Wood, discovering the rare arable plants that call this woodland home.
Wed 12 Jun 2024 • Langley Vale Wood, Ashtead
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Plants
Visit any wood and you'll find a high diversity of flowering plants, ferns and mosses. From spectacular wildflower carpets to damp-loving ferns and mysterious mosses.
-
Blog
How to protect your plants in winter
Top tips on how to protect your garden plants from wind, rain, frost and snow, plus other garden jobs for winter: planning, planting and helping wildlife.
Kate Lewthwaite • 04 Nov 2020
-
Blog
Insect identification: common UK insects
There are a staggering 27,000 types of insect in the UK. Let's take a look at some of our most common insect groups and how you can identify them.
Charlotte Varela • 09 Oct 2023
-
Blog
Can you eat conkers? And other conker facts
Learn more about conkers with our fascinating facts. What are they? Can you eat them? And what’s the difference between conkers and chestnuts?
Danielle Wesley • 25 Sep 2019
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Tackling air pollution with trees
Air pollution can have a serious impact on our health, global climate and biodiversity, but there are ways to reduce it. Discover the role trees have to play.
-
Blog
11 types of day-flying moth in the UK: an identification guide
The UK is home to a number of moths that are active during the day, many of which rival butterflies for colour and beauty. Which species might you encounter on a summer's walk?
Amy Lewis • 23 Apr 2021
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Woodland wildlife
The UK's native woods and trees support a great diversity of living organisms. Our species guides explore the wildlife that depends on woodland, from plants and fungi to mammals, birds, bees and beetles.
-
Visiting woods
Love your woods
Our woods are home to amazing plants and animals and they're all free for people to enjoy responsibly. Show them you care with our top tips for your visit.
-
Position statement
Moving plants and animals for conservation
The Woodland Trust follows and endorses the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines on conservation translocations.
PDF (386 KB)
-
Blog
7 extinct plants in the UK and rarest plants to save
The UK has some wonderfully diverse countryside, but some of our plant species are disappearing forever.
Laura Cottam • 25 May 2018
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Mosses
Ancient and damp, mosses are part of a group of plants known as bryophytes. There are over 1,000 in the UK, and some have global significance.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Temperate rainforest
Also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforest, this special habitat is incredibly rare. Its lush conditions are perfect for scarce plants, lichens and fungi, as well as a number of unusual animals.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Grasses and sedges
Grasses and sedges are in different botanical families, but because of their similar appearance they are collectively known as graminoids (plants with a grass-like appearance).
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Oakbug milkcap
Stinky and unimpressive. Oakbug milkcap is a dull-looking fungus that is easily missed in woodland among its more spectacular cousins. It is edible, though is not to everyone’s taste, and is said to have an oily smell, similar to bed bugs. Yum.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Chicken of the woods
Bright, bold and soft to the touch, chicken of the woods is easy to spot.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Candlesnuff fungus
Pallid, petite, a tumour-fighter. Candlesnuff fungi may be small but they are a medical force to be reckoned with.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Scarlet elf cup
Mystical and cheery, the scarlet elf cup grows on decaying sticks and branches in damp spots and beneath leaf litter on the woodland floor. Their bright pops of colour brighten up even the darkest winter day.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Penny bun
Weighty, fat and delicious with a cap like a crusty, well-baked bun. Penny buns, or ceps, are prized for their taste and benefits to woodland, tree and human health.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Common inkcap
Sticky and useful, inkcaps were used as a source of ink for important documents to guard against forgeries.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Yew
Ancient, morbid, toxic. The yew is one of the longest-lived native species in Europe. This has made it a symbol of death and doom, but it provides food and shelter for woodland animals.
-
Visiting woods
Discover woods in autumn
A visit to the woods during this spectacular season is always a treat. Grab your woolly scarf, pull on your wellies and venture out into the crisp autumn air. Listen to the crunch of leaves beneath your feet and get swept away in all that this season has to offer.
-
Blog
Foraging in September: edible wild plants and berries to look out for
Five edible wild plants to forage for in September with tips on what to look for and how to gather and eat them.
Helen Keating • 07 Sep 2017
-
Blog
Foraging in May: a guide to wild herbs and other edible plants
Find out which wild plants you can forage in May. Learn about edible plants with our quick identification guide and tips on how to find, eat and prepare them.
Helen Keating • 08 May 2019
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Greater stitchwort
Pretty, star-like and abundant along hedgerows. These plants have an explosive seed-dispersal mechanism. Disturb a large patch of them in summer and they go off like fireworks.
-
Visiting woods
Foraging recipes
From flowers and fruits to leaves, nuts and seeds. Here are our favourite foraging recipes using plants from the UK countryside.
-
Support us
Hedley Hall appeal, Tyne & Wear
Your donations saved this angel in the north - and the ancient woodland, rare plants and wildlife that call it home.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Ferns
Lush, ancient and primitive, ferns are magnificent non-flowering plants that reproduce via spores. They are a common sight in woods, as many species are shade tolerant and can grow year round, bringing some welcome green to cooler months.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Wayfaring tree
A welcome sign you’re homeward bound, the wayfaring tree is so named because it grows close to paths. Look for them in hedges and woodland edges, with full bloom in the spring and heavy with berries in the autumn.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Chanterelle
Prized ingredient. Forager’s favourite. Succulent and delicate in flavour, chanterelle is used by chefs the world over.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Beechwood sickener
Toxic, brittle, red-capped. Beechwood sickener is only found in beech woodland and help beech trees take up nutrients from the soil.
-
Blog
Do conkers keep spiders away? And other conker facts and uses
Do conkers keep spiders away? Do they deter moths? Can you eat conkers? Check out our top six facts and debunked myths.
Rachel Hoskins • 30 Aug 2019
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Velvet shank
A burst of sunshine in wintry woods, the bright orange of velvet shank fungus is a treat for the eyes on a dark day. Not only are they a cheery sight but they are also edible.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Jelly ear
Velvety and a little disconcerting, the jelly ear looks just like an ear growing off decaying branches.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Fly agaric
Famous, enchanting and highly toxic. Fly agaric is the home of fairies and magical creatures and a lover of birch woodland.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Collared earthstar
The star of the show in broadleaf woodland, this charming fungus would look at home at the bottom of the sea..
-
Blog
How to make a nature trail for kids
Make your family’s woodland walks extra fun by following our top tips to create your own nature trail.
Danielle Wesley • 15 Jul 2019
-
Blog
What is a fairy ring and what causes them?
Find out why fungi grow in circular shapes and where you can see them, plus discover more about fairy ring folklore.
Hannah Vickers • 26 Aug 2019
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Yew, Irish
A mutant favourite with wildlife, the Irish yew is thought to have developed from the common yew. All Irish yews descended from cuttings of one tree found in County Fermanagh in the 1700s. Nowadays, it provides food and shelter for native animals.
-
Trees woods and wildlife
Greater butterfly-orchid
Tall and glowing, the greater butterfly-orchid sways over unimproved grasslands and open woods. Though not so sweet-smelling as its lesser relative, keep a nose out for it in the early evening when it is at its most pungent.
-
Blog
Foraging at Easter: make a wreath and other home decorations
Brighten up your home and bring spring indoors with these easy ideas for Easter decorations using wild foraged plants.
Helen Keating • 07 Apr 2022