Though I love to grow greenery and herbs for floral arranging purposes, there’s something fun about going into nature to find wild and rambling bits - especially at the height of summer season, where so much can typically be found.
So today I’m sharing my top three favorite foraged greenery to look for in the month of August here in central Virginia. Starting with….
Elaeagnus
Elaeagnus (also known as Silverberry or Autumn Olive) is a non native you’ve most likely seen along roadways or in open fields in Virginia. You may have even seen small shrubs of it for sale at a nursery, but it is one that I would not recommend planting due to its highly invasive nature. Seriously, plant one and you may end up with 100 in just a few years. Which isn’t really a good thing since it often keeps other beneficial and native pollinator plants from growing in its shade.
However, given that it’s so readily found already existing in nature, I would recommend foraging from it to use in floral arrangements. Not only does it look beautiful and have good vase life, but by foraging it this month (when the berries start to appear) you’re helping to keep those seeds from spreading all around. Also, the berries are edible, and though not the most delicious, that’s good news given that there’s no concern in bringing it into your home around pets and children! Of course you can also just take the berries off and discard of them (in a trash can, not a compost pile), if you wish to have just greenery visible.
A bridal bouquet made with elaeagnus as the greenery base (photo by Hannah Malloy Photography)
Once you’re done foraging from a particular shrub, at some point within the month, cutting it all the way back to the ground is best. I promise you it’ll grow back (you really have to dig it up to officially get rid of it), but again, cutting it back keeps it from multiplying at an unhealthy rate.
And if you’re at all curious to learn more about how this particular invasive species came to be so prevalent in our landscape, I found this wonderful article by Lewis Ginter:
https://www.lewisginter.org/elaeagnus/
Wild Blackberry Vine
Ah, the most exciting vine of summer. The fruit that appeared in July has started to fade by now, but the lovely vine of wild blackberry is still very green and wonderful to weave into arrangements: just be sure to take caution when harvesting, as the thorns aren’t very forgiving of fingertips grabbing onto them.
I personally harvest in leather gloves, and then before putting the stems into water, I strip the thorns by gently scraping with a knife or edge of scissors so positioning stems in a vase won’t be so threatening. The sturdy stems and leaves have a droopy but not-too-droopy form that makes it wonderful for creating a base layer in a vessel before weaving in flowers among them.
Virginia Ground Cherry (Physalis virginiana)
This one is a bit trickier to find than the previous two due to its short nature and easy ability to hide, making it all the more special when it does appear! Growing only 1-2 feet tall, you’ll most likely notice its tubular, off white/maroon tinged flowers first. Then, if you look more closely, you’ll find beautiful green paper lantern like orbs hiding under the leaves. Those contain either green berries or ripened red-orange berries (which typically occurs in late August).
To harvest for floral arrangement, cut as low down on the stem as possible and strip enough leaves so that there won’t be any sitting in water. Then, I would recommend arranging the flowers first and then tucking this ingredient in last, around the edges to allow it to peek out. It’s not the strongest stem, so using it as a base layer or grid isn’t recommended. It’ll definitely be a conversation starter for anyone who sees the arrangement, and I’ve found it can last for up to two weeks in a vase!
Hope this is helpful, and happy foraging!