Written by Sammie Longhorn, Lime Wood’s resident forager

The Summer of 2026 has been extraordinary. When it comes to the climate crisis, the word ‘unprecedented’ is being deployed with such regularity that it is beginning to lose all meaning. As residents of the New Forest, we have experienced this new reality more starkly than ever, with the severe and extended drought, and the inevitable but nonetheless heartbreaking wildfire, which the National Park Authority stated has destroyed over 100 hectares of heathland.

For many of us, the heatwaves were punishing. As a forager, I’ve also been preoccupied with how the extreme temperatures are affecting our wild plants. I have observed that different species have responded in different ways.

Long after lawns were crisp and lifeless, some of our brave little native plants were still flourishing, most notably dandelion and plantain. However, some of my favourite summer harvests, such as meadowsweet and rose petals, have been deeply impacted by the lack of rain and extreme heat. A couple of my meadowsweet harvesting spots were very depleted and, I estimate, reduced to about a quarter of their size in previous years.

Earlier in the year, it seemed that trees, with their deeper tap roots, were less affected. I initially thought that we would have a good harvest of elder, rose and hawthorn, but on closer inspection there are some signs that trees are aborting excess fruit. I have also been discussing this with fellow members of the Association of Foragers, who have shared their experiences from throughout the British Isles. The consensus seems to be that the gathering seasons have shifted forwards by at least one month. We will have to see how this impacts things into the autumn and early winter.

Even though a poor season will not be detrimental to me personally, as it would have been for our ancestors, it has nevertheless been distressing to see Mother Nature in such a parched state. The real concern has been for the ecosystem and the entirety of the interconnected web of life that relies on these wild plants. What impact will these shifting seasons have on the insects, birds and mammals of these lands?

Although it has been only too easy to spot the plants that have struggled, conversely, other harvests have utterly flourished, partly due to the lack of competition. I have felt humbled to see swathes of wild carrot, yarrow and many species of thistle. I was also amazed to see heather flowering so happily!

Another plant that has happily proliferated, and that I have spotted in densities and growing to heights I have never seen before, is fennel, Foeniculum vulgare. This should come as no surprise, as this plant is native to the sun-baked shores of the Mediterranean and has therefore been well suited to this year’s weather.

You can often find fennel on the central reservation of a motorway, which we would obviously never harvest. It is, however, a great exercise to ‘get your eye in’ before harvesting it in safer and cleaner environments. These gloriously structural, yellow annual herbs are unmistakable once you have connected with them a few times. As a member of the potentially dangerous plant family known as the Apiaceae, it is best practice to be able to identify hemlocks before harvesting from this family. The key identifying features that set fennel apart as safe are its uniquely thin fronds of foliage, yellow umbels of flowers and enticing aniseed scent.

Fennel is wonderfully nutritious, packed with calcium, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. Not only is it a wonderful accompaniment to fish and grilled vegetable dishes, being too delicate and floral to stand up to stronger meaty dishes – we can leave that to a different herb that the Romans brought over, rosemary – it is also a wonderful digestive aid, easing the discomfort of trapped wind and bloating. Unusually for a digestive herb, which usually stimulates the appetite, fennel suppresses hunger and has therefore been used as a diet aid in the past, popularly taken as a fragrant fennel tea.

Want to join Sammie on one of her foraging experiences? Click here to view upcoming dates and availability: Foraging · Lime Wood Hotel

Want to keep up to date with Sammie’s foraging activities? Visit her website: The Hedgerow Yogi