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Making life better by water
From blackberries and elderberries to horseradish and dandelions, learn how to identify edible wild plants and forage safely along our canals.
Spending time outside is great for your health and wellbeing. Throw some foraging into the mix and you could be enjoying a fresh berry smoothie or whipping up a homemade preserve by the end of the day.
We asked our ecology team what we could forage for along our canals and rivers over the summer months.
When: August, September
Easy to identify, blackberries are a firm favourite when it comes to summer foraging.
Super as an ice-cream sauce, in crumbles, smoothies or simply enjoyed freshly picked - just make sure you avoid getting them from low-lying bushes.
One of the most abundant free foods along our canals, they provide a healthy treat and can be cooked into a delicious crumble
When: August, September
Packed full of vitamins, ripe elderberries are great for making juices. Boiled up with sugar and water, elderberry syrup has been hailed as a natural remedy through the ages to treat coughs, colds and flu.
However, do not eat these raw as they contain toxins which can cause stomach troubles.
When: June, July, August
Often found in wet or damp habitats, this lovely plant can be used to add flavour to jams, sauces and beverages. Try adding a couple of flower heads of meadowsweet and a drop of honey to a cup of hot water for your own herbal brew.
Don't mistake it for water dropwort, which can also grow by the water's edge. Some species, like hemlock water dropwort, are extremely poisonous to humans and animals.
When: September
Many an apple tree can be found along our towpaths. New varieties appear from discarded cores because apples don't grow to the original variety of their seeds.
Walk along the Great Canal Orchard between Birmingham and Wolverhampton to enjoy the array apple trees that we have planted along the way.
When: July, August
Often associated with old lock cottages, damsons grow in back gardens or wild in hedgerows.
They provide fantastic fruit for both eating on the spot or in jams, preserves or summer fruit juice drinks. If you're really lucky, you can occasionally find the closely related greengage, with its green outer skin and yellow inner flesh.
When: June, July, August
Water mint grows in and alongside canals and can be used like any other mint. It has a pleasant taste and the fragrance is fantastic for attracting pollinators. Pop some of the leaves in boiling water for some delicious herbal mint tea.
When: spring through to autumn
This was introduced and is now very firmly established along many of our canals. The leaves are tall and lush green and have a sharp taste, but dig up the root to add a hot flavour to your sauces.
When: late August, September
Hazelnuts will be ripening towards the end of August, but you will be in close competition with your local squirrels to find and eat these delicious nuts, so haste is of the essence.
When: May, June, July
Both the leaves and the flowers of the dandelion plant are edible. Children especially find it very exciting to give them a try once they know they can eat them. They do taste quite bitter and become more so as the summer draws on. Dig up the roots and grind them up to make a coffee substitute.
Visit our canals and rivers and you’ll find a diversity of bright wildflowers, wildlife-friendly aquatic plants and a canopy of trees
The spring and summer months are when most wildflowers thrive along our canals and rivers
We work hard to make sure our urban canals bring the heart of the countryside to some of the country’s most built up areas
Our newsletter is packed full of exciting updates and stories of how our charity keeps canals alive.
Last Edited: 6 July 2026
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