Forgotten Greens

Forgotten Greens Come let's explore the world of wild, edible, medicinal greens that grow in every nook and corner of our streets and gardens.

In nature, there are look-alikes — doppelgängers, if you may call them that. What’s fascinating is that they not only re...
10/05/2026

In nature, there are look-alikes — doppelgängers, if you may call them that. What’s fascinating is that they not only resemble each other but often share similar properties too. If one thrives in dry, arid landscapes, nature somehow creates its counterpart in comparatively moist regions.

and decided to create a comparative post on two fascinating “jelly plants” found in nature, because learning about plants becomes far more fun when we notice their similarities and differences.

Cyclea peltata and Cocculus hirsutus are both climbing plants from the Moonseed family (Menispermaceae). When their leaves are crushed in water, strained, and left to rest, they set into a beautiful green jelly. They may look alike, yet each has its own character — one with glossy leaves, the other with soft velvety leaves.

Swipe through to know more about these doppelganger greens. Know more about them, share with us in the comments 👇🏽👇🏽

Here we are with our first offering from Rewilding Academy - a learning initiative by Join us this June as we explore th...
03/05/2026

Here we are with our first offering from Rewilding Academy - a learning initiative by

Join us this June as we explore the world of w**ds: the most misunderstood plants around us. Weeds, as we know them, defy our ideas of how cities, farmlands, and forests should look. In some places, they’re seen as a nuisance; in others, as a blessing.

Join us for this 4-part series as we dive into Weedology : the science of w**ds.

- June 7 | Rethinking Weeds: Beyond Myths and Misconceptions
- June 14 | Know Your Weeds & Eat Them Too
- June 21 | Weeds as Soil Indicators
- June 28 | Backyard Herbalism

You can register for the full course (highly recommended) or sign up for individual sessions that resonate with you.

If this work feels meaningful, do share it within your circles.

Head to the link to learn more and register - https://rzp.io/rzp/VrCzZ1r
**dology **ds

When Forgotten Greens started, it was merely an expression of the joy of learning about the world of wild edible and med...
26/04/2026

When Forgotten Greens started, it was merely an expression of the joy of learning about the world of wild edible and medicinal greens and sharing it with the rest of the world. It was also an attempt to create a platform that was decolonial, one that spoke about plants as food and medicine at the intersection of culture, biodiversity, and politics.

Then, when people began asking for ways to learn this knowledge so they could practice it themselves, we launched our first-ever workshop in 2020 – Rewild Your Life. What an incredible response we received for it…It took us a few months to really come down from that high!

Since then, educational workshops have become an integral part of our work and the ways in which we share knowledge, and they have continued to evolve into diverse offerings.

It's been six years since that first workshop, and we feel the need to build a stronger foundation for it as we grow and evolve. So here we are, after six years of evolution and growth, introducing our learning centre – Rewilding Academy ( )

Currently, the learning centre is a non-physical space of learning, but hopefully someday we will find our physical space as well.

If has added value to your life in small or big ways, do consider supporting our work by liking the page and sharing it with your friends.

The vision is to curate more meaningful courses, workshops, and collaborations around urban ecology, foraging practices, herbalism, and much more that will emerge through this exploration.

One plant that taught me chemistry is Cyclea peltata, also called Indian moonseed. A thin, hardy climbing vine with tria...
24/04/2026

One plant that taught me chemistry is Cyclea peltata, also called Indian moonseed. A thin, hardy climbing vine with triangular leaves, found across moist and dry deciduous landscapes. But what fascinates me most is its ability to form a natural herbal jelly.

Take the leaves, crush them with a little water, extract the juice, and let it sit for a while – the liquid slowly turns into jelly. In many folk practices, this jelly is valued for its cooling properties. It is used as a shampoo to cleanse and cool the scalp, applied as a poultice on burning eyes during peak summers, and even consumed for stomach ulcers, believed to cool the internal heat and bring relief.

The leaf extract forms gel because it is rich in water-soluble polysaccharides and pectin, which create a three-dimensional gel structure when mixed with water.

Imagine if my science teachers had taken me foraging, plucked these leaves, brought them back to the lifeless lab, crushed them, and explained the process behind it—would I have aced science? Absolutely yes. Because what is learning if not something drawn from the ecosystems around us?

This vine appears commonly in summer across our dry landscapes. One lesson nature has taught me is this: if a plant, fruit, flower, or tree arrives in a certain season, it comes because that is the season in which we are meant to use it, eat it, or heal with it. We live a complementary life with all that surrounds us.

Next time you spot these triangular leaves climbing a tree or fence, pluck a few, crush them, and let the plant teach chemistry to you. And if you have young learners around you, try making the gel and have some fun with it.

Know more about this herb? Share with us in the comments. 

Head to the link in the bio to read more about this herb on Substack.

I have been mulling over starting a blog space for Forgotten Greens for the longest time.So here I am, finally sharing t...
19/04/2026

I have been mulling over starting a blog space for Forgotten Greens for the longest time.

So here I am, finally sharing the Forgotten Greens Substack. Subscribe, because it will not be just another plant information platform.

Subscribe for stories about food that grows wild and for behind-the-scenes glimpses of running a project that is trying to carve out a different world within the saturated world of social media. It is a platform where we can go beyond the character limitations of Instagram and dive deeper into the world of wild food and medicine. Stay if you are curious and willing to discover with me as I explore and share.

Head to the link to read the first post https://open.substack.com/pub/forgotteng/p/notes-from-rewilding?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=q4k0z

and hey, don’t forget to subscribe.

I have been mulling over starting a blog space for Forgotten Greens for the longest time.So here I am, finally sharing t...
19/04/2026

I have been mulling over starting a blog space for Forgotten Greens for the longest time.

So here I am, finally sharing the Forgotten Greens Substack. Subscribe, because it will not be just another plant information platform.

Subscribe for stories about food that grows wild and for behind-the-scenes glimpses of running a project that is trying to carve out a different world within the saturated world of social media. It is a platform where we can go beyond the character limitations of Instagram and dive deeper into the world of wild food and medicine. Stay if you are curious and willing to discover with me as I explore and share.

Head to the link to read the first post https://open.substack.com/pub/forgotteng/p/notes-from-rewilding?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=q4k0z

a journey of rewilding so far - and hey, don’t forget to subscribe.

Sometime last month, a plant popped up in our garden pots, something we hadn’t planted and couldn’t recognise. As I love...
17/04/2026

Sometime last month, a plant popped up in our garden pots, something we hadn’t planted and couldn’t recognise. As I love doing, I let it grow wild. Slowly, the leaves began to form, and I grew excited because I knew what it was, and that an abundance of snackable berries would soon appear when they were ready. Gradually, the lantern-like berries enclosed in papery casings began to form, and the plant grew in all its glory.

and I patiently waited, because I knew that only the ripe fruits are edible. The unripe fruits are known to be toxic, as they contain high levels of solanine alkaloids. Anyway, the day finally arrived when the lantern casing dried up, turned brown, and with just the touch of a hand began to fall away. We collected a good handful, removed the covers, and munched our hearts away!

And that is how our summer has gone so far: snacking on a wild edible volunteer plant that decided we needed a good dose of Vitamin C and chose to grow in abundance. Last week, my mother was visiting and she spotted the fruit. She shared how it is called njottanjodiyan in Malayalam, a real tongue twister! Then she told us how, as children, they used to burst the fruit casing on their forehead.

Now, Physalis angulata, also called Physalis minima, with several related varieties found across India, is a commonly consumed wild edible berry. One version of it is the fruity rasbhari sold in bundles during winters in many northern states of India. Though not native to the subcontinent, Physalis has naturalised here, and its tender leaves and ripened berries are consumed as a leafy vegetable and snack.

If you find a plant growing in your pots and cannot identify it, leave it be... you never know, it might be a juicy snack waiting to surprise you!

Know more about this wild edible berry, share with us in the comments 👇🏽

It’s summer, and that means summer vacations—what better time to get a copy of Map the Wild, India’s first board game on...
12/04/2026

It’s summer, and that means summer vacations—what better time to get a copy of Map the Wild, India’s first board game on wild edible and medicinal greens, and spend your lazy afternoons and refreshing evenings learning about the plants around you and ways to use them in your daily life?

Our board game features beautifully illustrated card sets that can also be used as a field guide if you head out for a refreshing evening walk.

Map the Wild is a light strategy board game set in a climate-altered world, where you face challenges by relying on wild edible and medicinal plants growing in our immediate neighbourhoods. It is open to all age groups.

Head to the link in bio to get your copy.

Co-created by
Artwork by .roy

In temperate landscapes such as Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as in subtropical highland regions l...
09/04/2026

In temperate landscapes such as Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as in subtropical highland regions like Ooty, Munnar, and Kodaikanal, where mountains define the horizon, long and harsh winters give way to crisp spring seasons. With the thaw, the soil begins to support a variety of herbaceous wild edibles, one of which is the dandelion.

Dandelion is a perennial plant that thrives in colder and drier climates, growing up to about 38 cm in height. It has only basal leaves, which are typically toothed or lobed. The English name “dandelion” is derived from the French dent de lion, meaning “lion’s tooth,” referring to the jagged edges of its leaves. Dandelions are known for having one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

In recent years, the plant has gained global attention, particularly in the Global North, where it has been rebranded from a common w**d to a “superfood.” A simple online search reveals numerous resources highlighting various ways to consume and use dandelion.

Dandelion is also known for its medicinal properties. It has long been used in herbal medicine to treat infections, act as a mild laxative, stimulate appetite, and aid digestion as a plant bitter. The milky latex of the plant has been used as a mosquito repellent and as a folk remedy for treating warts.

The leaves are often considered too bitter when consumed raw. One common method of preparation involves boiling and drying them for later use throughout the year. The flowers, on the other hand, are used to make tea and honey infusions.

Know more about this wild beauty? Share with us in the comments 👇🏽 
**ds

Over the last couple of weeks, as the heat and humidity have been making us squirm and sweat, and the sun shines brighte...
06/04/2026

Over the last couple of weeks, as the heat and humidity have been making us squirm and sweat, and the sun shines brighter on the horizon, I began noticing people foraging in a nearby patch of land. Groups of children, elderly women, and young men and women would gather there, plucking something from a tree and eating it. I had no clue what it was!

Then one day, our domestic worker, Geeta didi cleared my doubt. She took me to the patch of land and introduced me to this wild summer delicacy that everyone seemed to be enjoying—churna in Konkani and wild jujube in English. It’s also called raan meva in Marathi, which translates to “forest’s dry fruit.” It was exciting to learn about a wild edible berry growing freely in the neighbourhood—something so abundant and absolutely delicious!

Meet Ziziphus rugosa (wild jujube), which grows as a straggling shrub. Its leaves, flowers, and even its thorns look very similar to Ziziphus jujuba (Indian jujube). Native to India and other Southeast Asian landscapes, this berry is commonly found in forests and fallow lands where vegetation grows wild. The berries start out green, turn milky white when ripe, and eventually become black. It is the milky white stage that is most commonly eaten during the summer.

And that’s the beauty of summers—nature offers an abundance of wild, edible fruits growing all around us, but unfortunately, we often don’t know what they are. Our didi also mentioned that these white berries fall off with the first showers, so it’s best to enjoy them now.

What are some other summer berries you know of? Share them with us in the comments 👇🏽
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