Flora - with a view
"A weed is a plant in the wrong place, or too much of it in the right place."
All images and descriptions - Kerry O'Connor
 White Comfrey, Symphytum orientale.White Compfrey, Symphytum orientale (centre of photo) is a garden escapee that flowers about a month later and has whiter flowers than common comfrey. It likes river banks so is happy here at Stratford Bridge in bloom September 2020 Image: Kerry O'Connor |  Dog RoseRosa canina - on the track from Shepherd's Cottage to Old Sarum (seen in the distance) June 2020 Kerry O'Connor |  Greater KnapweedCenturea scabiosa - on Old looking towards New Sarum June 2020 Kerry O'Connor |
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 Pyramidal OrchidAnacamptis pyramidalis in the verge of the road to Little Durnford June 2020 Kerry O'Connor |  PoppiesPapaver rhoeas at Leisure Centre car park June 2020 Kerry O'Connor |  Wild TurnipWild Turnip, Brassica rapa, on Old looking down on New Sarum. It is grown for the root vegetable or seed oil. May 2020 |
 Bird's Foot trefoilBird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, on Old looking down on New Sarum. It is a member of the Pea family and the yellow and orange flowers give it the common name of Eggs and Bacon. May 2020 |  Salad BurnetSalad Burnet, Poterium sanguisorba, on Old looking down on New Sarum. It is a member of the Rose family and leaves and flowers are edible. May 2020 |  Rock roseRock rose, Helianthemum nummularium, on Old looking down on New Sarum. It is an evergreen shrub, not a rose and the five petal flowers close at night. May 2020 |
 Hound's-tongueHound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) is a member of the borage family that gets its names (common and Genus) from the roughness of the leaves. The beetroot red flowers usually face downward and never fully open which does nothing to help photography. It has an unpleasant smell and can be poisonous to grazing livestock. Seen here on the western slopes of Old Sarum with Dean Farm in the distance and Avon Farm in the far distance. Image: Kerry O'Connor May 2020 |  Rosy Garlic on the verge opposite TybaltAllium roseum (Rosy Garlic) growing in the verge here opposite Tybalt is an edible (flowers raw, leaves and bulb raw or cooked) garden escapee loved by butterflies but hated by squirrel and deer. Image: Kerry O'Connor May 2020 |  Bluebells over Old SarumWith the spire of Salisbury Cathedral on the skyline, this starts a new season of images April 2020 |
 TeaselDipsacus fullonum has been used for a blue dye and as a comb to clean and raise a nap on wool. July 2019 |  St John's WortHypericum can be used to treat depression but can interfere with many conventional drugs, making some reach toxic levels eg serotonin reuptake inhibitors anti depressants, whilst rendering others less effective eg the contraceptive pill. Old Sarum July 2019 |  Purple loosestrifeLythrum salicaria likes damp places. Its name comes from its leaves that are like willow (Salix) and turn red in autumn (Greek, bloody, lythron). It is nectar rich attracting longer tongued insects. On the banks of the Avon July 2019 |
 Rough HawkbitLeontodon hispidus by Old Sarum Cathedral maybe a weed to us but it is nectar rich for bees. July 2019 |  Golden Rod (Canadian)Solidago canadensis on Old Sarum. Poisonous but useful for dyes. July 2019 |  Common (yellow) ToadflaxLinaria vulgaris, also known as wild snapdragon, is not a true flax. Can be used for a yellow dye. The flowers were thought to resemble a toad or toad's mouth. Their lower lip has an orange line to guide bees in to land. Only larger bees with longer tongues will get in to reach the nectar. (Cathedral in the background) July 2019 |
 BetonyStachys officinalis, belongs to the mint (dead nettle) family and was used in churchyards and before that by the Romans to ward off evil spirits and gives a yellow / green dye. Gradidge Lane July 2019 |  SoapwortSaponaria officinalis has vespertine flowers ie they open in the evening and leaves with three prominent veins. It is poisonous but leaves and roots can be boiled to produce soap, which was used by woollen mills. July 2019 |  Wild CarrotDaucus carota on Old Sarum. July 2019 |
 Wild CarrotDaucus carota. The roots are white. The orange cultivars were selectively bred by the Dutch in the 17th Century as a tuber tribute to their ruling House of Orange (Nassau). When William (III) and Mary (II) came to England "gloriously" orange carrots followed. The initial N has moved from a Naranj to aN orange as has the snake from a Nadder from to aN adder over centuries of use. July 2019 |  Queen Anne's LaceAfter William came Anne (of the 2015 film the Favourite) who supposedly pricked her thumb lace-making. Wild carrot has a single red to purple central blooded flower from that prick amongst all the white and the flower is known as Queen Anne's Lace. July 2019 |  CollageCollage of the 3 previous wild carrot images. July 2019 |
 EyebrightEuphrasia officinalis, is semi-parasitic on grasses but without causing them apparent harm. July 2019 |  YarrowAchillea millefolium, is loved by some birds for lining nests, it may reduce parasites. Achilles used it for healing wounds. Deep roots means it's drought resistant, it needs to be this summer. The flowers vary from white through pale to deep pink and the leaves when crushed give an aromatic smell. July 2019 |  Scabious on Old SarumThe three scabious flowers shown all belong to the same family but different genera. The field scabious has four petals, the others five. Field is taller than and has a hairier stem than small. The Devil’s bit (top) roots look shortened as though bitten off, who else bites things underground? Old Sarum July 2019 |
 Field ScabiousKnautia arvensis. Old Sarum (cathedral spire on the skyline) July 2019 |  Dark MulleinVerbascum nigrun has purple hairs on the stamens. Edible biennial. Name from German for King’s candle. Eaten by the Mullein moth caterpillar. Old Sarum July 2019 |  Knapweed BroomrapeOrobanche has no leaves and no chlorophyll, it cannot photosynthesise and so is entirely parasitic on its host, Knapweed. Old Sarum July 2019 |
 Knapweed BroomrapeOrobanche Knapweed with its parasite Broomrape July 2019 |  Small ScabiousScabiosa columbaria Old Sarum July 2019 |  HarebellCampanula rotundifolia l flowers have stems so thin they seem to float above the grass. Unopened the five petals flower is dark blue, becoming lighter as it opens. Old Sarum July 2019 |
 Goat's BeardTragapogon pratensis Yellow flowers close around mid day hence another name of jack go to bed at noon. The globular seed head looks like but is much bigger than a dandelion. Old Sarum July 2019 |  Rosebay WillowherbEpilobium angustifolium will quickly colonise ground after a fire, so is called fireweed July 2019 |  Hemp AgrimonyEupatorium cannabinum is a perennial herb of the Daisy family, it is neither hemp nor agrimony, its leaves resemble hemp July 2019 |
 Lady's BedstrawGalium verum, has been used to stuff mattresses and colour Double Gloucester cheese July 2019 |  Willow & MeadowsweetMeadowsweet in foreground and Willow in background, both a source of salicylate used in the production of aspirin - more information https://www.stratfordsubcastle.org.uk/avon-valley-reserve-walk-july-2019 |  White CampionSilene latifolia, can cross with red to give pink. A clove like scent at night attracts moths. Silenus was a Greek woodland god. The roots can be used as soap. May 2019. |
 Pyramidal OrchidAnacamptis pyramidalis, in the triangular field north of Hudson's Field and with the cathedral in the distance. June 2019 |