Plant Information:
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) In folklore, the bells are rung to summon the fairies, but if you hear them you will die! The bulbs of this plant are highly toxic which may explain the superstition that if you trample over a ring of bluebells, you will anger the fairies that gather there. This is a non-native bluebell, either a Spanish or hybrid bluebell.
Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) A member of the pea family; archaeologists have found evidence to suggest that ancient peoples once ate this scrambling plant.
Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) Also called ‘Sticklewort’, ‘Church Steeples’ or ‘Cocklebur’ and its use for medicinal purposes dates back to the Ancient Egyptians.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Cornflowers were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen at Luxor and were almost as blue as the day they were interred in 1550BC.
Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) ‘Lady’s Lace’ or ‘Mother Die’ are among the many names for this plant. Cow Parsley means an inferior version of real parsley and refers to its leaves.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) From ‘dens leonis’ (lion’s tooth) referring to the jagged-edged leaves. The flower opens an hour after sunrise and closes at dusk.
Field Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) The memorial flower because it pops up quickly after soil disturbance, sometimes in just 24 hours. When the fields of Waterloo were ploughed, millions of scarlet poppies grew as they did 100 years later in Flanders.
Goat’s Beard (Tragopogon pratensis) Also known as ‘Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon’ because its flowers are usually only open from four in the morning until midday.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) A tree loaded with superstition, the Hawthorn must not be felled for fear of bad luck. Also known as ‘May’, the blossom was often used in May Day celebrations and if you wear it in your hat, you will be protected from lightning strikes!
Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum) This plant has a long history as a culinary herb, once used widely for its clove/cinnamon like aromatic properties in wine and beer, flavouring sweet and savoury pies and hung in wardrobes as a herbal mothball.
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) ‘Bird’s Eye’, Robin Hood’ and in the north “Death Come Quickly’.
Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) Also known as ‘Woundwort’, Kidney Vetch is used to relieve swelling, heal wounds and to treat stomach and kidney problems.
Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) Once used as a vegetable substitute for rennet in the making of cheese, its flower smells strongly of honey. The name originates from an old custom of embedding it in straw mattresses.
Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) A green manure plant, Lacy Phacelia is adored by bees.
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) Buttercups get their bright colour from yellow pigments in the petals’ surface layer and their shiny gloss is due to air just beneath the surface, reflecting the light, like mirrors.
Pyramidial Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) This orchid has colonized two roundabouts in Suffolk and in 1993 there were 11,000 growing on the 2 sites!
Red Campion (Silene dioica) An important source of nectar for long-tongued insects like bumblebees. It is also known as ‘Cuckooflower’.
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Used as a substitute for conkers in a game called ‘Soldiers’ with the aim of knocking off a rival’s soldier’s head. The Saxons bound it to the forehead with red wool to cure headaches.
Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima) So-called because the leaves smell slightly of beef when rubbed together. Also called ‘Bloody Bones’ and ‘Roast-Beef Plant’.
Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) The leaves and roots smell of carrot. It is also called ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’ because of the red spot in the centre of the flower representing the spot of blood from the pricked finger of the queen, which dropped onto the white lace she was sewing.
Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) The same culinary herb as oregano, this plant is a magnet for bees throughout the summer months.
Giant Dead Nettle (Lamium orvala) Not to be confused with the stinging variety; this nettle is from a different family (Lamiaceae), that also includes many aromatics like basil, mint, rosemary and lavender.
Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) Widespread and common on heath and grassland, the leaves of this slender plant have a lemon, tangy flavour.
Sterile Brome (Bromus sterilis) Also known as ‘Barren Brome’, this common native grass is often seen invading cereal crops, in hedgerows and on wasteland.
Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) So called because the stamen resembles a moth’s antennae. The Latin word for cockroach is ‘blatta’; this plant is used as an effective cockroach repellant.
Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) Native to southern England, the fragrant Musk Mallow was used by the Ancient Greeks to decorate graves. From the same family as the Marsh Mallow, from which the root pulp was boiled, mixed with honey, cooled and strained to make marshmallows, a treat for the gods and royalty.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) From the daisy family, the flowers of the Yarrow are sometimes a blush pink but most often white. This powerful herb has historically been used to stop bleeding and goes by the name of ‘Woundwort’ or ‘Staunchweed’ and because of its pungent flavour, ‘Old Man’s Pepper’.
White Campion (Silene latifolia) ‘Grandma’s Nightcap’, ‘Grave Flower’, ‘Catchfly’ can be found on waste ground, in hedgerows, graveyards and road verges. Its fragrant flowers are loved by night feeding moths that are drawn to its bright white open blooms in the dark.
Crow Garlic (Allium vineale) No ramsons on this stretch of the Downs but the leaves and bulbs of this wild onion have a strong garlic flavour.
Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) The nectar pollen-rich flowers of Salad Burnet attract many pollinators including bees, butterflies and moths. The young leaves are added to salads and can be used as a substitute for mint in summer drinks.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Often confused with Hawthorn, the Blackthorn blossoms before its leaves appear rather than after. The fruit is the bitter Sloe and should be picked after the first frosts as the skins are softer and the berries juicier.
Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) Widespread in chalky places from July to September, this thistle-like plant is a favourite of the Marbled White and Painted Lady butterflies.
Kathryn Martin