#epilobium

Plant of the Day

Saturday 24 August 2024

While showing some horticultural friends the gardens of Skaill House, Orkney, I noticed in one of the borders the first white flowered Chamaenerion angustifolium 'Album' (white rosebay willowherb, epilobium) I’ve seen on the islands. The tall stems of this herbaceous perennial carry slender spires of pure-white flowers and the plant thrives in moisture retentive soil with a sunny location. If you’ve ever wondered who produces ‘Plant of the Day’ here I am in action photographed by my friend Sandra.

From the Greek epi- ‘upon’ and lobos ‘a pod’ because the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod. glabellum means 'hairless'.

A willowherb endemic to alpine areas on North and South Island, and Auckland Island. More common on South Island, which has more mountains. The minute pappate seeds are wind-dispersed.

This pretty little wild flower is bog pimpernel - Lysimachia tenella. It grows in marshy places. I found this one growing along side sundew and pale butterwort very near to one of my adder's tongue fern spots in Argyll.

Having found it once last summer, I have been keeping an eye out, to see if is coming up anywhere else. All through this spring, I kept seeing these plants:

in various places (not just bogs.) It is almost the same but not quite right. I had to wait till this May for one to flower so that I could identify it:

New Zealand willowherb - Epilobium brunnescens. Which first got off the boat in Edinburgh in 1904 and has been spreading across the countryside ever since. Interestingly, the third record for it outside of Edinburgh is from Ardrishaig - not far from here in 1911.

Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum Onagraceae