#british native

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 21 February 2017

A native of British woodlands and so tolerant of shade Helleborus foetidus (stinking hellebore) is ideal for a dark corner beneath shrubs or, as here, alongside the base of a hedge. This evergreen perennial has palmate, divided dark green, from these arise the light green flowering stems with nodding, usually purple-edged, pale green flowers borne in large open clusters from late winter.

Plant of the Day

Thursday 7 July 2016

Rosa canina (dog rose) is a native to Britain found in hedgerows and the edge of woodlands, here on the island of Raasay, Scotland. This vigorous deciduous shrub has arching shoots with mid-green foliage and pale pink or white flowers that can be solitary or in small clusters. The flowers of early summer are followed by red fruits or hips in the autumn.

Plant of the Day Tuesday 5 July 2016

Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) is a biennial or short-lived perennial, with foliage produced in the first year and flower spikes reaching up to 2 m tall in the second year. The plant sets seed after flowering and then usually dies. It is considered to be native to much of west and central Europe, and is widely naturalised further east. It addition it was introduced to North America, and is listed as an ‘invasive and noxious weed’ by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 2 July 2016

Here a seedling Ilex aquifolium (common holly) had seeded in the rocks by the Fairy Pools on Skye, Scotland. This tree is an evergreen, slow-growing when young, with glossy green, undulate and usually spiny leaves. Small white flowers in spring are followed by bright red berries, on pollinated female plants.

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 28 June 2016

On the roadside of Skye, Scotland, a colony of Platanthera bifolia (lesser butterfly orchid) were flowering. This long lived tuberous perennial is found in hay meadows, open scrub, grassland, and in clearings of ancient woodlands. It can tolerate heavy grazing for a short time but requires stable management and seed production over many years for populations to increase. The plant relies on a symbiotic fungus for their early development which is very sensitive to fertilisers and fungicides used in agricultural practices.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 28 November 2015

Plant of the Day

Thursday 18 June 2015

The British native Sambucus nigra (common elder) framed by these barn doorways at Sissinghurst Garden, Kent, UK. This common hedgerow plant produces beautiful frothy white plates of tiny flowers and these will be followed by small black berries. Both the flowers and the berries have culinary uses and the plant is of value for transitioning the garden into the countryside. It is a tough grower needing moderately fertile but well-drained soils and will thrive in dry chalky areas.