Friday Foraging #145 - 12th June 2025

Feverfew or Tanacetum parthenium.

Also called Batchelors buttons, pale maids and pellitory.

Commonly found in the UK, it is a short-lived perennial which is easy to recognise by its white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers, (larger than daisies though). They typically blooming from June to September and thrive in sunny locations with well-drained soil. Typically picking the leaves and flowers in the morning ensures the most taste.

It can grow from between 0.1 and 0.5 metres high as they are deciduous and bushy.

The white, daisy-like flowers have a large yellow center. The leaves are feathery and strongly scented and have a bitter taste. 

You can eat both the young leaves and the flowers in a salad or a herbal tea. They can be dried and stored in an airtight container and will last for up to 2 years  

Because the leaves can have a bitter taste, you can mix with other herbs that work in a similar way such as lemon balm or many of the mint family just to achieve a better taste in herbal teas.

Try to avoid excessive use of the fresh leaves.