When is elderflower ready to pick?

Late May into June in Ireland and Britain. The heads should be fully open, creamy rather than browning, and smell sweet rather than of cat.

Should I wash elderflower?

No. The pollen carries most of the flavour. Shake the heads out over paper to drop the insects and use them the same day.

What's in season in May in the southern hemisphere?

Citrus, kiwifruit, feijoa and the last of the olives, as the growing year slows towards dormancy.

Season guide

What's in season in May, around the world

May. Elderflower and the first salads in the north; citrus and the beginning of dormancy in the south.

May at a glance

Climate band	Ripe now	Being foraged	Going in the ground
Northern temperate40–60°N	Asparagus, salads, early strawberries, rhubarb	Elderflower, hawthorn blossom, nettle, gorse flower	Beans, sweetcorn, squash outside
Mediterranean & warm temperate30–40°N/S	Cherries, apricots, strawberries, courgettes	Wild fennel, mulberries	Tomatoes out, melons
Southern temperate30–50°S	Citrus, kiwifruit, feijoa, olives	Late porcini, rosehips	Garlic, broad beans, winter greens
Tropical & subtropical0–25°N/S	Mango end, rambutan, mangosteen	Wild greens	Rice, taro

In the north

Elderflower is the whole month. It comes out towards the end of May in Ireland and Britain, earlier further south, and it lasts a fortnight — miss it and you wait a year. Pick on a dry sunny morning, shake out the insects, don't wash it, and get it into cordial the same day.

Hawthorn is in blossom, gorse smells of coconut, and the first salads, early strawberries and the last good asparagus are all on at once.

In the ground: beans, sweetcorn and squash go out once the frost risk passes, which in Ireland is generally after Beltane and often not until the end of the month.

What's in season in Ireland in May

In the south

The year winding down. Citrus is coming into its long season across the southern temperate band, kiwifruit and feijoa are dropping in New Zealand, and the olive presses are finishing.

Growth slows, dormancy begins, and the last winter greens and garlic go in the ground while the soil still has warmth in it.

Marked days

Beltane
Ireland and Celtic Europe, 1 May
Summer's start. Hawthorn cut for the May bush, yellow flowers set on the threshold, cattle moved to summer grazing.
Hachijūhachiya
Japan, around 2 May
The 88th night from the start of spring — the day the best tea of the year is picked.
Green Man festivals
England
Foliage, garlands and the turn of the year into summer.

From the community

No entries for May yet — yours would be the first.

Tell us what's ripe where you are, and what your place does with it.

Find somewhere near you

4 places on the map are in season in May.

Blue Ridge Wild Pawpaw Trail
Pawpaws & ramps · Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Altes Land Obsthof
Apples & cherries · Jork, Lower Saxony, Germany
Hokkaido Forest Foraging Reserve
Sansai & wild berries · Furano, Hokkaido, Japan
Batlow Mountain Apples
Pink Lady apples · Batlow, New South Wales, Australia

Open the map

This month in the Harvest Club

May's Gathering is Elderflower — catching a fleeting season in cordial.

Join the club →

Questions

When is elderflower ready to pick?: Late May into June in Ireland and Britain. The heads should be fully open, creamy rather than browning, and smell sweet rather than of cat.
Should I wash elderflower?: No. The pollen carries most of the flavour. Shake the heads out over paper to drop the insects and use them the same day.
What's in season in May in the southern hemisphere?: Citrus, kiwifruit, feijoa and the last of the olives, as the growing year slows towards dormancy.