I was overjoyed at finding Elm samaras in the Peak District, along the River Dove. They taste like mild peas, deliciously crunchy. I only munched a few, as I feel Elm is an increasingly rare tree due to Dutch Elm disease. (Plus, my son and his friend had a big barney, and I had to drag my little darling away from the scene.)
So what IS the story really with Elm? How nutritious are Elm samaras? Are all Elms endangered? Should we eat them, and if so, what’s the best way? Plus, what the boot is a samara anyhow?!
Read on to find out.
What is a samara?
A samara is a botanical term for a winged seed. Samaras are dry and don’t split open to release the seed. Instead, the seed bursts out of them when it germinates.
Elm seeds are samaras, as are Ash keys (see my post on Pickled Ash Keys here) Maples and Sycamores (Acer family) have their famous ‘whirlygig’ samaras with one wing.
Above are Maple samaras. Maple samaras are edible, but Sycamore and Red Maple samaras are best avoided. Though some bushcafters say they taste of peas (and they do – I’ve tried them, then spat them out), these samaras contain toxic hypoglycin-A, which is most concentrated in the autumn.
Below are Red Sycamore samaras. As you see, they look similar to Maple samaras, which is why you must always check what type of leaves the tree has. Our native Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, has the same shape leaves, but they are green.
Below are Ash keys. They’re really samaras, but the name ‘keys’ has stuck as they resemble a bunch of keys! They’re bitter if eaten raw, but can be pickled like capers.
The samara shape helps the tree spread its seed via the wind. This allows it to move out of the shade of its parent tree.
What do Elm samaras look like?
Elm samaras have a very different shape, being papery ovals with the seed in the centre. They are green when young, changing colour to tan or brown. Some have a rosy blush.
Below are some mature dry samaras I gathered from the roadside in the Peak District. They germinate in the same season, so hopefully I’ll have some Elm seedlings! If you can feel a hard bump in the middle (she said ;p), you may get a baby Elm. (Or a baby. Haha.)
I’ve planted these now and am looking forward to helping these native British trees survive.
Species of Elm in the UK
There’s several species of Elm in the UK, plus introduced Elms planted for ornament. Here’s some of the most common.
Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
Wych Elm is Britain’s commonest native Elm. You can find it all over Europe too, and in Ireland. Find it in woods and hedgerows, often near running water.
Observe the stunning spreading profile and low-growing branches. These low branches are ideal for foraging! Wych Elm can have several trunks growing from a thick bole.
Wych Elm leaves are supposed to be asymmetrical at the base, with one side higher than the other. This is a common feature for Elms. However, in some Wych Elm trees this doesn’t show up very well due to genetic variation.
Wych Elm leaves in particular have a shape that in botanical terms is ‘oval’, but I like to call it ‘skinny with a big blunt tip‘! Right at the tip, there’s a tapering point. Leaves are arranged alternately along the twigs. The leaf margins are biserrate, which means there are jagged points of two different sizes. The leaves feel rough and hairy.
The flowers are sessile – they come straight out of the twig with no stalk. They have purple anthers, which is the top part of the male part of the flower.
Now we come to the ‘meat’ of things – the succulent samaras. Above you can see the immature green seeds in their cases. There tends to be large amounts of these when you find them, so by all means have a nibble. They can be 2cm long.
English Elm (Ulmus procera)
The joke is: ‘English’ Elm isn’t even native to Britain! It comes from Europe, and was most probably brought over by early Roman colonisers. It’s been a couple of thousand years since then, so it depends how fussy you are on the definition of ‘native’.
English Elm has been hardest hit by Dutch Elm disease, so it’s not nearly as common as it once was. However, there’s half a dozen saplings growing well in the communal garden I share.
English Elm has a more lofty and ‘skinnier’ profile than Wych Elm, as seen above. It has dark brown bark, as opposed to the grey of Wych Elm.
Notice the typical Elm presentation of the ‘wonky’ leaf base, with one side higher than the other. Or asymmetrical, to use the proper botanical term! The leaves are rounded to oval and serrate (jagged-edged, pointing to the tip).
The flowers of English Elm are dark red, coming out before the leaves do in early Spring. The samaras are much rarer than Wych Elm and smaller, being up to 1.5cm long.
Smooth-Leaved Elm (Ulmus minor)
The Smooth-leaved Elm is considered native. It has several variations or subspecies, including Jersey Elm and Cornish Elm. It grows only in the East and South-east of England.
Smooth-leaved Elm has oval leaves, pointed at the tip. Depending on the subspecies, they can be shiny or slightly downy.
Should we eat Elm samaras?
So we know that Elm seeds (samaras) are edible, especially when they are still green and tender. Should we be eating them, however? I’m talking ethics here.
Dutch Elm disease
In the 1970’s, an outbreak of Dutch Elm disease swept the UK. It killed 90% of our native Elm trees, including Wych Elm and English Elm. Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus, carried into trees by the Elm Bark Beetle, Scolytus multistriatus .
Elms affected by the disease have spiderweb type patterns of tunnels all over their bark. These are caused by the tunneling larvae. The fungus kills the tree by blocking its water uptake.
Research is underway to breed resistant Elms. Young and hedgerow Elms are less likely to be targeted by the beetles, which prefer older trees with lots of mature bark.
Ethical Elm harvesting
Knowing this, I will only take a small cereal bowl full of Elm samaras for myself and my son. Once a year, as a special treat! I’ll only harvest this if there’s lots of samaras. I’ll stick to Wych Elm, as it produces a lot more seeds than English Elm and does so more often.
US forager Erica Davis (Wild Food Girl) harvests Siberian Elm samaras. In her part of the US, Siberian Elm is an invasive species. So it does depend on where you live. Erica does some great webinars, (including one with samara recipes) which I like to attend even if I’ll have to travel to the US to meet the plants! Check her site out here.
Last but not least, if you find some dry brown Elm samaras, why not plant them and grow some Elm trees. You’ll be helping save a species.
Elm Samara Recipes
- Pickle the green samaras in cider vinegar with peppercorns and mustard seeds. One jar should be enough to enjoy.
- Strew fresh samaras on crackers with soft cheese.
- Raw in a light salad with vinagrette and mint dressing (remember, they taste like peas!).
- Toasted in sesame oil til crisp as a snack.
- Cook for a few minutes in a miso or green soup.
Alan Bergo of Forager:Chef has some great recipes here. Remember, he is American, so has access to a lot of invasive Siberian Elm. Us British may need to be more restrained in our use of Elm seed!!
H.A. Courses and Events
Yes, the bit where I try and flog you stuff…don’t run away!!
Next Sat 20th June is a bit special. I’m part of Rooted In’s ‘Well & Wild Festival‘ in Linslade Mews, Leighton Buzzard. It’s £4 for daytime entry, and includes musicians, shamanic drumming, and yours truly’s Edible Wilderness Sensory Quiz with free tasters. I’ll have a stall with herbal products too.
In the evening, the music carries on, with a bar and dancing!
Get your tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rooted-in-summer-solstice-tickets-1988098210265?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Instagram link here:
As for my next field course, it’s Summer Foraging at the Blue Lagoon, Bletchley, on the 4th July at 10am. 3 wild tapas and a herbal tea included.
After that, I’m running Make Your Own Herbal Medicine courses through July. Forage, then make 3 herbal remedies to take home! Click below to get to Hedgewitch Adventures Eventbrite page.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom–leighton-buzzard/hedgewitch-adventures
xx Hedgewitch Kat xx