I know almost nothing - can you help me identify these pleas

[Islay]

I can't resize the photo on my computer (I am not entirely technically minded), so i've done a post on my blog that I'll delete in a bit when I've completed my identification.

One has mysterious red berries that I am definitely not risking eating until I'm a little more sure what it is, the other I think is a kind of mint, but again, not sure.

Blog link in signature, sorry for incompetence!

[Millymollymandy]

Best to go to http://www.efficientsufficient.blogspot.com/ and click on the photo to enlarge it.

I think you are right about the hawthorn (bottom right), do not eat the berry (bottom left) as it looks like it is related to the tomato/deadly nightshade family (solanacea or some such spelling!) and looks poisonous to me. The two at the top I don't know but best best is to crush the leaf and have a sniff!

[Islay]

thanks for putting the picture up!

[Hedgehogpie]

Top left I'm not too sure, but it could be wood sage which, if it is, isn't really useful to you. Top right looks like wild marjoram as we have that locally. This is just like the herb but more leggy & a bit woody. Use in the same way as cultivated marjoram. Bottom left looks like a woody nightshade leaf & berry. As has been said, tempting as they may look it's toxic so do not eat! Bottom right is a hawthorn leaf & an immature berry. Wait till the berries get plump and deep red and then you can use them in preserves & other ways. They aren't esp. flavoursome but not bad. I can pop back later with more info about them if you want it.

[Islay]

I will make a mental note to avoid the deadly nightshade - it might put my boyfriend off the whole foraging things slightly if I poison us both!

Thanks very much for the opinions on the others - I've been googling the wild marjoram and it looks like it'll dry quite well, so I might go and get some of that.

Hedgehogpie if you've got any good ideas/recipes, I'd love to read them.

[Ron and Jean]

I thought the top right looked like red valarian. Are the flowers tube like with 5 petals at the top?

[Hedgehogpie]

That's possible too as the pic's not all that clear and we don't know the full size of the plant. Ilslay, which of these resembles it best?

Red valerian: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previe ... 009407.JPG

Wild marjoram: http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/gal ... umvulg.jpg

If the plant is low growing (around 8" to 10" in height approx) with leaves that are aromatic when crushed it's probably wild marjoram.

If the plant in situ is anything up to 2 feet high and as much wide with thickish, oval leathery leaves on the lower stems and no real smell when crushed, then it's more likely to be valerian.

By the way, that's not deadly nightshade (Belladonna atropa) which can reach above waist high and has large purplish flowers and tempting round black berries the size of a marble & looks like this: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previe ... 012101.JPG

It's most likely a woody nightshade, or 'bittersweet' which is much more spindly and looks like this: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-me ... 662399.jpg
Berries:
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/ud ... 0_0118.jpg

[Islay]

After close examination, and a good crush 'n' sniff, I am certain it's wild marjoram. I am equally certain that the other is nightshade now, so good thing I checked with you wise lot!

[Millymollymandy]

Goodo - it's definitely not red valerian. If you click on the photo in the blog to enlarge it you'll see quite clearly that it isn't and is the same as the photo of the marjoram that Hedgehogpie posted.

[Hedgehogpie]

I guess it's worth saying that although I might have an opinion on what a plant might be, it's always best to check and re-check what you have until you're fully confident you have the right id. If I chuck in a latin name it's because that is the best way to be sure we're all talking about the same plant - common names can be notoriously variable countrywide. It also makes it easier to find the right information is you have the latin name as well as the common one.

Islay, you might find this site interesting if you haven't come across it already:

http://www.pfaf.org/database/index.php

No photographs, but it has a lot of useful info in it and pointers about other places where you might find out more.