What to Forage in June: Five Flowers in Season Right Now

June in England is the month of flowers. The hedgerows are at their most exuberant — white, cream, and pink blossoms cascading over every lane and field edge — and the forager’s challenge shifts from the tender green shoots of spring to something more complex: knowing which flowers to pick, how to use them, and what the science says about why they matter.

This week’s guide covers five plants that are all in season right now and all within easy reach of any park, hedgerow, or damp meadow in England. Each one has a distinct identity, a distinct flavour profile, and a body of research that goes well beyond folk tradition. Between them, they cover bitters and sweets, anti-inflammatory compounds, nervine action, and one of the most vitamin-C-rich fruits in the British flora — still months from harvest, but identifiable now by its flowers.

1. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

How to identify it

Yarrow is one of the most reliably identifiable plants in the British flora once you know it. The leaves are the key: finely divided and feathery — the millefolium (thousand leaves) of its Latin name — with a distinctive peppery, slightly aromatic scent when crushed. The flowers form flat-topped clusters (corymbs) of small white or occasionally pale pink flower heads, each cluster typically 5–10 cm across. The stems are tough, slightly angular, and covered in fine white hairs.

Yarrow grows in grassland, road verges, field margins, and any reasonably open ground. In June it is in full flower across most of England, and it is very common — once you have found it once, you will notice it everywhere. It typically grows 30–60 cm tall and stands upright in a way that makes it easy to spot from a distance.

How to use it

The flowers and young leaves are both edible. Raw young leaves have a sharp, slightly bitter flavour that works well chopped small in salads or stirred into a dressing. The flowers are milder and work beautifully as a garnish, in teas, or infused into vinegar. Yarrow tea — dried or fresh flowers steeped for 5–10 minutes — has a pleasant, slightly bitter herbal character. It has been used for centuries as a digestive bitter, and as we covered in the bitter June greens post, the research on its TAS2R receptor activity is genuinely interesting.

The bioactive compounds in yarrow include flavonoids (particularly apigenin and luteolin), sesquiterpene lactones, and achilleine — a compound associated with haemostatic and anti-inflammatory action. A 2023 review in Heliyon (PMC10703637) confirmed that yarrow’s anti-inflammatory activity operates via COX inhibition and prostaglandin E2 suppression — the same general pathway as aspirin and ibuprofen, though with a very different pharmacokinetic profile and a much weaker clinical effect. Think of it as a gentle, food-grade botanical bitter rather than a medicine.

2. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

How to identify it

Wild chamomile is identifiable by three features used together: the flower head (white petals reflexing downwards from a hollow, dome-shaped yellow centre), the scent (apple-like, sweet, unmistakeable when you crush a flower head), and the leaves (finely divided and thread-like, similar to yarrow but more delicate).

The hollow disc is the most reliable distinguishing feature between German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and the superficially similar scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum), which has a solid yellow centre. Cut a flower head in half: if it is hollow inside, it is chamomile. If it is solid, it is not. The scent is the quicker test for most foragers — scentless mayweed, as its name suggests, has no apple fragrance.

How to use it

Pick the flower heads on a dry day when fully open. Use fresh in tea (3–4 flower heads per cup, steeped 5–7 minutes) or dry for later use by spreading on a tray in a warm, well-ventilated space for 2–3 days. The flowers can also be scattered over salads, used to infuse cream or custard, or added to honey.

Chamomile’s calming reputation is not merely folkloric. The primary active compound, apigenin, binds to GABA-A receptors in the brain — the same receptor system targeted by benzodiazepine drugs, though with a far gentler and more diffuse action. A comprehensive 2022 review (PMC9611340) confirmed chamomile’s anxiolytic and mild sedative effects, alongside documented anti-inflammatory activity via COX-2 and nitric oxide suppression. The overview of M. chamomilla in Molecular Medicine Reports (PMC3210003) summarises these mechanisms clearly.

One practical note: chamomile is in the Asteraceae family. People with known ragweed, chrysanthemum, or daisy allergies have an elevated risk of cross-reactivity and should approach chamomile cautiously.

3. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

How to identify it

Meadowsweet is one of the most distinctively scented plants in the British flora. If you are walking along a river bank or through a damp meadow in June and catch a heavy, sweet, almond-vanilla fragrance in the air, you have almost certainly found it before you have seen it. The flowers are creamy-white and held in dense, frothy clusters; the leaves are compound with a large terminal leaflet and smaller leaflets between, dark green and wrinkled above, silvery-white and downy below.

Meadowsweet grows in damp grassland, riverbanks, roadside ditches, and marshes. It can reach 1–1.5 metres tall when flowering and tends to form large stands. It is currently coming into flower across England and will be at its peak through July. We covered the story of its salicylate compounds in more detail in the early June foraging guide — it is one of the most historically significant plants in Britain, the source of the compound that gave aspirin its name.

How to use it

The flowers are the most useful part. They can be used to infuse creams, custards, and syrups with a distinctive almond-vanilla flavour, steeped in cold water overnight for a floral shrub, or dried for tea. Meadowsweet cordial is one of the most elegant wild drinks of the English summer — simmer the flowers gently with water, sugar, and a little lemon, then strain. The leaves have a milder flavour and can be added to stocks and soups, or used to wrap foods during cooking to impart a subtle fragrance.

The anti-inflammatory activity of meadowsweet extract has been confirmed in vitro, with a 2023 study in Pharmaceuticals (PMC10140895) documenting COX inhibition and cytokine suppression. Its key flavonoids — rutin, quercetin, and spiraeoside — act synergistically rather than in isolation, which is why whole-plant preparations perform differently from isolated extracts in research settings.

Important caution: Because meadowsweet contains salicylate compounds, it should be avoided by anyone with aspirin sensitivity, by those taking blood-thinning medications, and by pregnant women. Always consult your GP if in doubt.

4. Dog rose (Rosa canina)

How to identify it

Dog rose is at the peak of its flowering right now, and it is one of the most beautiful plants in the June hedgerow. The five pale pink petals — often fading to near-white at the centre — surround a dense cluster of yellow stamens, and the whole flower has a delicate, sweet fragrance. The arching thorny stems scramble up through hedgerows and over walls, reaching several metres in height. The leaves are compound with 5–7 toothed leaflets.

Britain has several wild rose species, and they hybridise freely. For foraging purposes, any pale pink five-petalled wild rose in a hedgerow can be treated as Rosa canina or close relative — they all have edible petals and will all produce rosehips in autumn. We covered the dog rose in more detail in the dog rose deep-dive earlier this season.

How to use it

The petals are the June harvest. Pick them in the morning before the heat disperses their fragrance, pulling them gently away from the yellow stamens and the base of the flower. They can be eaten raw scattered over salads or desserts, steeped in honey, used to make rose petal vinegar, infused into cream or yoghurt, or dried for later use in teas and baking.

The phenolic content of Rosa canina — including quercetin, kaempferol, and catechins — is well documented. A 2013 study (PMC3668991) established a strong correlation between vitamin C content, total polyphenols, and antioxidant activity in rose hip species. The petals themselves contain flavonoids and polyphenols with antioxidant and mild anti-inflammatory properties. The more famous health story is the rosehip — extraordinarily high in vitamin C and anti-inflammatory glycosides — but the June petals are the seasonal gift right now.

A simple recipe: rose petal honey. Fill a clean jar with freshly picked petals, pour over raw honey to cover, seal, and leave in a sunny spot for two weeks. The honey takes on a beautiful pink tinge and a delicate floral flavour. Stir into yoghurt, spread on good bread, or add to salad dressings.

5. Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

How to identify it

Elderflower season in southern England typically runs from late May to mid-June, and we are now in the final window. Pick in the next week or two if you want this year’s flowers — the ones in shadier, north-facing spots will be slightly later. The flowers are held in large, flat-topped clusters (corymbs) of tiny five-petalled cream-white flowers. The scent is the most reliable guide: heavy, musky, distinctively floral — and at peak ripeness, deeply perfumed.

The critical safety point with elderflower is the lookalike risk. Hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) — one of the most toxic plants in Britain — also has white umbel-like flower clusters and grows in similar damp habitats. Key distinguishing features for elder: compound leaves with 5–7 leaflets (not the finely divided, carrot-like leaves of water dropwort); the distinctive warty, grey-brown bark of the elder shrub when mature; and the scent of the flower. If you are not certain, do not pick. Elder is best learned with an experienced guide on the first occasion.

How to use it

Elderflower is one of the most versatile wild ingredients in the English forager’s repertoire. The classic cordial (flowers simmered with sugar, water, lemon, and citric acid) needs no introduction, but the raw flowers are equally valuable: cold-infused in water overnight for a delicate floral drink, folded into whipped cream or panna cotta, used to flavour vinegar, or simply scattered over a fruit salad.

From a nutritional science perspective, elderflower contains flavonoids (particularly rutin and quercetin), chlorogenic acid, and volatile terpenes that contribute to its documented antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. A key caveat worth noting: heat processing — as in cordial-making — degrades some of the polyphenol content. The cold-infusion method preserves more of the bioactive compounds, though the total amounts in a serving remain modest. We covered this in more detail in the elderflower wellbeing post from May.

A forager’s week in June

If you were to go out this week with a basket and no particular plan, here is what I would prioritise: elderflower first, because the window is closing. Dog rose petals next, while they are at their most fragrant. Yarrow and chamomile can wait — both will still be going strong in July. Meadowsweet is just opening and will peak over the next three to four weeks.

For a family outing or a session foraging with children, yarrow, chamomile, and dog rose are the most accessible of the five — all grow in open, easily navigated ground, all have clear identification features, and all offer immediate sensory engagement (the scent of yarrow and chamomile when crushed, the beauty of rose petals, the tiny daisy-like flowers of chamomile that children find immediately appealing).

The broader picture of why this kind of dietary diversity matters — the microbiome argument, the polyphenol case for eating across species rather than eating more of the same things — is something we explored in the health benefits of foraging post. Five plants, five different phytochemical profiles. That is the point.

References

• PMC10703637 — Farasati Far B et al. Achillea millefolium: Mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic, clinical drug-drug interactions and tolerability. Heliyon. 2023.
• PMC9611340 — A Comprehensive Study of Therapeutic Applications of Chamomile. 2022.
• PMC3210003 — Srivastava JK et al. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Molecular Medicine Reports. 2010.
• PMC10140895 — Filipendula ulmaria as anti-inflammatory agent — phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Pharmaceuticals. 2023.
• PMC3668991 — Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of Rosa canina species. 2013.

A note on safety

This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Wild plants can be dangerous if misidentified. Never consume any wild plant unless you are completely confident in your identification. Elderflower must be distinguished from elder leaves and unripe berries (which are toxic) and from the toxic lookalike hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) — always confirm identification using multiple features. Some wild plants can interact with medications. Always consult your GP before using wild plants medicinally, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.