What to Forage in June: Wild Strawberries & Summer Greens
June is when summer foraging truly begins. The days are long and warm, the hedgerows are heavy with fruit, and the coastal paths are lined with samphire. This is the month when your basket fills with tiny wild strawberries, tender salad greens, and the last of the elderflower.
The countryside feels generous in June. There's an abundance of everything—more daylight, more warmth, more growing. And for foragers, that means more variety than almost any other month. You can spend a morning picking wild strawberries in the woodland, an afternoon gathering samphire on the coast, and still have time to collect the last elderflowers on the way home.
This is peak foraging season. The waiting is over. Summer is here.
What to Forage in June
1. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Where to find them: Woodland clearings, grassy banks, hedgerows, sunny spots with well-drained soil.
How to identify them: Tiny strawberries (about the size of your little fingernail) growing low to the ground. The plants have the characteristic three-lobed strawberry leaves and small white flowers. The berries are bright red when ripe.
Why June is perfect: Wild strawberries are at their peak in June. They ripen in waves, so you can return to the same patch multiple times throughout the month.
Why they're brilliant: Wild strawberries are intensely flavoured—they taste like concentrated summer. One tiny berry has more flavour than a whole punnet of supermarket strawberries. They're sweet, aromatic, and absolutely delicious.
What to make: Eat them fresh (they're too precious for much else), add to summer puddings, scatter over ice cream, infuse in gin or vodka, or make wild strawberry jam if you're patient enough to collect a good quantity.
Foraging tip: You'll need patience—wild strawberries are tiny and you'll need quite a few to make any quantity. But the flavour is worth it. A small basket like The Hedgerow Berry Picking Basket is perfect for collecting these delicate treasures without crushing them. The compact size means you can see exactly what you've gathered, and the open weave keeps the berries from getting squashed.
How to pick: Gently pinch the stem just above the berry. If it's ripe, it'll come away easily. If you have to tug, it's not ready yet.
2. Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) – Last Chance
Where to find it: Hedgerows, woodland edges, riverbanks, waste ground.
Why June is your last chance: Elderflowers are still available in early June, but by mid-month they'll start to fade and turn brown. If you missed May, early June is your final opportunity to make cordial.
What to make: Elderflower cordial, elderflower champagne, elderflower fritters, or infuse in cream for desserts.
Foraging tip: Pick flower heads when they're still creamy white and fragrant. Once they start browning, they're past their best.
3. Samphire (Salicornia europaea) – "Sea Asparagus"
Where to find it: Coastal salt marshes, mudflats, estuaries. Best foraged at low tide.
How to identify it: Bright green, succulent stems that look like tiny cacti or asparagus spears. It grows in dense clumps on mudflats and salt marshes. The stems are jointed and slightly crunchy.
Why June is perfect: Samphire is at its tender best in June and July. Later in the season it becomes woody and too salty.
Why it's brilliant: Samphire is crunchy, salty, and tastes like the sea. It's often called "sea asparagus" or "glasswort" and is considered a delicacy. It's packed with minerals and has a unique flavour that's impossible to replicate.
What to make: Steam or blanch briefly (2-3 minutes), then serve with fish, add to salads, pickle in vinegar, or simply eat with melted butter.
Foraging tip: Only take the top 5-10cm of each stem—the tender tips. The lower stems are too woody. Rinse thoroughly in fresh water before using (it's naturally salty, but you don't want sand or mud). Check local regulations—some areas restrict samphire foraging.
How much to pick: A good handful is enough for a side dish for two. Don't strip entire patches—leave plenty to regenerate.
4. Sea Beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima)
Where to find it: Coastal areas, shingle beaches, clifftops, salt marshes.
How to identify it: Dark green, glossy leaves that grow in rosettes close to the ground. The leaves are thick and slightly fleshy (to cope with salt spray). It's the wild ancestor of beetroot, chard, and spinach.
Why it's brilliant: Sea beet tastes like a cross between spinach and chard—earthy, slightly salty, and delicious. And it's available almost year-round on the coast.
What to make: Use like spinach—wilt into pasta, add to soups, make spanakopita, or sauté with garlic and olive oil.
Foraging tip: Pick the younger, smaller leaves—they're more tender. Older leaves can be tough and very salty.
5. Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia)
Where to find it: Waste ground, roadsides, disturbed soil, coastal areas.
How to identify it: Deeply lobed leaves (similar to cultivated rocket but more divided) with a strong, peppery smell. Yellow flowers with four petals appear in summer.
Why it's brilliant: Wild rocket is much more peppery and flavourful than shop-bought rocket. A little goes a long way.
What to make: Add to salads (use sparingly—it's quite strong), make wild rocket pesto, or use as a pizza topping.
Foraging tip: Pick the younger leaves before the plant flowers—they're less bitter.
6. Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Where to find it: Gardens, waste ground, cultivated soil, woodland edges.
Why June is good: Chickweed is still tender in June, though it prefers cooler weather. Look for it in shaded spots.
What to make: Add to salads, blend into smoothies, make chickweed pesto.
Foraging tip: Snip the top few inches with scissors—it'll regrow quickly.
7. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Where to find it: Meadows, grassland, woodland edges, hedgerows.
Why June is good: Sorrel is still tender and lemony in June, though it's starting to flower.
What to make: Sorrel soup, add to salads, wilt into omelettes.
Foraging tip: Pick before it flowers for the best flavour.
8. Lime Flowers (Tilia species)
Where to find them: Parks, streets, woodland. Lime trees are common in urban areas.
How to identify them: Small, pale yellow-green flowers hanging in clusters beneath a distinctive wing-like bract (a modified leaf). They smell sweet and honey-like.
Why June is perfect: Lime flowers bloom in late June and early July.
Why they're brilliant: Lime flower tea is calming, soothing, and delicious. It's been used for centuries as a relaxing bedtime drink.
What to make: Lime flower tea (the classic), infuse in honey or syrup, or add to bathwater for a relaxing soak.
Foraging tip: Pick flowers when they're freshly opened and smell their strongest. Dry them on a tray in a warm, airy place, then store in an airtight jar.
9. Bilberries / Blaeberries (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Where to find them: Upland areas, moorland, heathland, acidic soil. Common in Scotland, Wales, and northern England.
How to identify them: Small, dark blue berries (similar to blueberries but smaller) growing on low shrubs. The berries have a distinctive five-pointed crown on the bottom.
Why June is good: Bilberries start ripening in late June (though July and August are peak season).
Why they're brilliant: Bilberries are sweet, slightly tart, and packed with antioxidants. They're a wild delicacy that's hard to find in shops.
What to make: Eat fresh, make bilberry pie or crumble, bilberry jam, or add to pancakes.
Foraging tip: Bilberries stain everything purple—wear old clothes and bring a container with a lid.
10. Early Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)
Where to find them: Hedgerows, woodland edges, waste ground.
Why June? If we've had a warm spring, you might spot the very first blackberries ripening in late June (though August and September are the main season).
What to make: Eat fresh, make blackberry crumble, jam, or cordial.
Foraging tip: Only pick berries that are fully black and come away easily from the stem.
Coastal Foraging in June
June is one of the best months for coastal foraging. The weather is warm, the tides are predictable, and the coastal plants are at their tender best.
What to bring for coastal foraging:
A sturdy basket or bag
Coastal foraging can be messy—you'll be dealing with salt water, sand, and mudflats. A basket that can be rinsed clean is ideal. The Highgrove Garden Trug
Wellies or waterproof boots
Mudflats are slippery and wet.
A tide timetable
Always check tide times before heading out. You want to forage at low tide, and you need to know when the tide will turn.
A bag for wet finds
Samphire and sea beet will be damp from the sea—bring a separate bag so they don't make everything else wet.
Sun protection
Coastal areas have little shade—bring a hat and sunscreen.
What You'll Need for June Foraging
A Small Basket for Delicate Finds
Wild strawberries, bilberries, and tender herbs need a gentle touch. The Hedgerow Berry Picking Basket is perfect for these delicate finds—its compact size means you can see exactly what you've gathered, and the open weave keeps everything fresh without crushing.
A Larger Basket for Coastal Foraging
Samphire, sea beet, and salad greens need more space. The Highgrove Garden Trug is ideal for coastal trips and larger harvests—sturdy enough for a day by the sea, and easy to clean afterwards.
Scissors or Secateurs
For cleanly cutting stems and herb sprigs.
A Foraging Guide
Even in June, when plants are easier to identify, it's always good to have a field guide for reference.
Sun Protection
June can be gloriously sunny—bring a hat and sunscreen.
Water Bottle
Stay hydrated, especially if you're out for a few hours.
Recipe: Wild Strawberry & Elderflower Fool
A simple, elegant dessert that celebrates the best of June foraging.
Ingredients:
- 200g wild strawberries (or as many as you can gather!)
- 300ml double cream
- 3 tbsp elderflower cordial (homemade or shop-bought)
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- A few elderflowers for garnish (optional)
Method:
- Hull the wild strawberries and mash half of them with a fork. Leave the other half whole.
- Whip the cream with the icing sugar and elderflower cordial until it forms soft peaks.
- Gently fold the mashed strawberries into the cream, creating a rippled effect.
- Spoon into glasses and top with the whole strawberries.
- Garnish with a few elderflower petals if you have them.
- Chill for at least an hour before serving.
The result: Light, creamy, and tasting like summer in a glass. The wild strawberries are intensely flavoured, and the elderflower adds a delicate floral note.
The Joy of June Foraging
June foraging feels like the reward for all the patience of winter and spring. This is the month when the hedgerows finally deliver on their promise—when you can fill your basket with tiny, perfect strawberries, when the coastal paths offer up their salty treasures, when the last elderflowers hang heavy and fragrant in the evening air.
There's a generosity to June that's hard to describe. The days are long, the weather is warm, and everywhere you look there's something ripe and ready. You can forage in the morning, make cordial in the afternoon, and still have time for a coastal walk to gather samphire in the evening.
And perhaps most of all, June reminds us that the best things are often small and fleeting. Wild strawberries don't last long. Elderflowers fade. Samphire has a short season. But that's what makes them precious—the fact that they're here now, for this brief moment, and then they're gone.
So this June, take a walk. Look for the tiny red jewels of wild strawberries. Gather the last elderflowers. Walk the coastal paths at low tide. And see what the early summer countryside has to offer.
Next month: What to Forage in July: Berries, Blossoms & Coastal Finds (coming 1 July 2026)
Last month: What to Forage in May: Elderflower, Hawthorn & Wild Herbs
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes. Always be 100% certain of plant identification before consuming wild food. The Timeless Trading Co. is not responsible for misidentification or adverse reactions. When in doubt, consult an expert forager or field guide.
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