Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Dalberg rd, SW2

I took this photo on Dalberg rd between Brixton and Dulwich rd. The very pleasant owner was very happy for me to take a photograph. There is another house a few doors down which is also growing sunflowers but they are not quite as high. The one in this photo looked around 8ft. It reminded me of class competitions at infant school to see who could grow the highest plant. What is commonly referred to as the flower on a fully grown plant is actually known as the flower head. The plants are famed for Heliotropism (where a plant turns to track the sun) but this is not actually true of fully grown flower heads, which will usually face east and remain doing so for their lifespan. The young buds and leafs will turn to face the sun. Great plants and easy to grow with lots of well known uses. They are native to America.

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis)

Spenser rd,  SE24

It’s nice to be looking round town and writing about bits of nature again after having been away for so long.  I saw the Ivy-Leaved Toadflax on a wall when I was dropping off my car at a garage. It’s in flower at the moment (as you can see) and will be until around November having started in around April. This is edible and is often used in salads in smart restaurants. I’m told the per kilo price is quite high. It predominantly grows in brick walls and is very common. A lot of the brick work in the area doesn’t seem to have it growing but interestingly this small area that was painted had quite a lot growing which makes me wonder if the paint has some positive effect. I quite like the taste, bitter and sharp, I think it is good for adding a bit of spice to a salad. Please be sure of Identification before you eat it.

Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Brockwell Park

 This thistle is in bloom at the moment, which always reminds me of Scotland who’s national emblem is the spear thistle which has larger flowers. There are over a dozen species of thistle in Britain and it’s a common group of plants well known for their spines which the plant has developed to discourage animals from feeding on it. Thistles are male and female and grow near one another to breed. They are notoriously hard to get rid off, so consider embracing their presence in your garden, when flowering they’re very popular with several species of rare butterfly and once they go to seed there’s a good chance of seeing goldfinch feeding on the seeds.

Meadow crane's-bill (Geranium pratense)

Shakespeare rd, SE24

 This a really lovely wild meadow and garden plant which is in bloom now and should remain so until the end of September. This plant is best distinguished at this time of year by it’s large violet blue flowers with crimson veins. As you can see from the Latin name it’s part of the Geranium family of which there are over 400 species. Crane’s bill is the translation of the Greek Geranium. It’s so called because of the seed dispersing area of the plant, which is a column that opens to reveal a seed, looking like a beak, Not all geraniums have this.  The only suggested herbalist use I’ve found for it is to use the leaves, placed on cuts to help bind the wound but I’m sure there are more. I don’t know the remedy I’ve mentioned to be certain and I’d always recommend seeking specialist advice before you try any herbalist remedies.

Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris)

Canal System N1

Dulwich Rd SE2

I’m writing briefly tonight on Common Mallow as I’ve had a seriously busy week. I always see this plant around Herne Hill on lawns and in the park but today I noticed it in abundance whilst walking between Haggerston and Angel along the Canal where the wide shot was taken. It took me some time to identify this plant, it’s been in flower for a couple of months now and will remain so for a couple more. The flowers are stunning and the plant is related to hibiscus and hollyhock. It is edible but be careful that it isn’t growing in too nitrogen rich soil and also that it’s out of ‘dog pee’ range which a lot of it is not. The round fruits it bears may contain little edible nuts. I’ve had a brief look for herbalist uses and like many things, diuretic properties were one of the first that came out. Today I saw it growing in tall wide clumps but often you may just see a few leaves and a flower in a lawn. I think the flowers are particularly attractive and I look forward to tasting the nuts. This is an easy and useful plant to identify.

Moonshine yarrow (Achillea)

The yellow flower in the photograph belongs to Moonshine Yarrow. The Latin genus above contains just under 100 flowering plants, many of which are used decoratively in Gardens like this one. The name comes from Greek mythology where it’s said Achilles soldiers used Yarrow to treat wounds. I find this fascinating as the blood clotting qualities of Yarrow are well documented by herbalists. Only a few months a go a herbalist in the Natural History Museum garden was telling me to put yarrow up my nose for a nose bleed. These properties give yarrow some of its other common names like blodwort and allheal. This is one property of many that Yarrow has been scientifically proven to have, it has antiseptic properties and is often used as a carminative and to treat colds and flu. Usual warning…be certain about identification to the untrained eye, there are some nasty plants this may be mistaken for especially as there are such a range of species flowering in a multitude of colours.

PS: Please would someone identify the moth for me?

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus)

Queen's Park - North Side

The above Latin name refers to the common blackberry. There are over four hundred species of blackberry. As you can see from the photo I took today amongst the railings at Queen’s Park, blackberry bushes flower in late spring/ early summer and are usually pink or white. This plants tolerance for poor quality soil is the main reason why it’s so common. We know and see them in thick tangled bushes with large thorns on the stems but certain agricultural species have been cultivated; thorn free. Dewberries look similar to blackberries and are part of the Rubus genus but they lack the woody fibers in the stem. Obviously they are very nutritious, containing lots of vitamins and fibre as well as anti-oxidants. The seeds are also high in fibre and nutrients.

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)

Teasel, - Lee Valley canal system.

This is another one of our common plants, which has lots of names. The scientific name above comes from the Greek ‘to Thirst’ because of the area which joins the leaf and the stem that collects water like a bowl. This is also why it was known as Venus’s basin by the Roman’s and Mary’s basin by the early Christians. Apart from being a really important source of food for birds and pollen for butterflies I have not found any uses herbalist uses for Teasel. It does get commonly used as an ornament (I’ve definitely seen my Mum dot the odd one around the house) and, more significantly a as a tool it was an is used by Fuller’s who would comb wool with it. Today it is still cultivated for use in the textiles industry.

Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

 I’ve seen quite a bit of this on grass around London, it likes sandy soil, which makes sense as I took the above photo on a football pitch in the Sir Joseph Hood Memorial park. This plant is about the size of a buttercup and the common name Trefoil comes from the Latin trifolium meaning three-leaved plant. It is said to have a few herbalist properties but I’ve not had time to research it thoroughly enough to confirm that. This is easy to find all over London in parks and Lawns.

Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus)

This photo was taken on the street set of Wimbledon Studios and is one of the most common members of the ragwort family. It is poisonous to humans and livestock and I don’t know of any herbalist uses for this plant all though I’m certain their will be some. I’m really interested in these types of plants that few people take any notice of. Just over 200 hundred years ago this plant would have been considered the height of sophistication as it was imported from the volcanic soils of Sicily by the Oxford Botanic Gardens. We now know that it each plant can contain around 10,000 seeds, which have spread incredibly effectively around the midlands and the south. A fact which might have deterred the 18^th Century botanist from importing it.

Common comfrey (Symphytum offcinale)

I’ve read that this has sometimes confused with Foxglove which is a dangerous mistake Comfrey has some pleasant and useful herbal uses and Foxglove is deadly poisonous. Comfrey comes from ‘con firma’, which means made firm and it’s so-called for its ability to help heal bruises, sprains, fractures and broken bones. As always don’t attempt to use or ingest the plant unless you know exactly what you’re doing as it may cause problems, liver toxicity amongst them. The flowers are white, or pale pink when open and the droop over in clumps often below the leaves. The plant likes damp conditions and is often found lining river banks. this picture was taken on the canal between Ware and London.   

Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)

Yellow Iris - Barnes Wetland Centre

The Yellow Iris is a wetland plant that thrives with sun and damp under foot, even in shallow water. It is a hardy plant and works well as a water treatment as it has the ability to take up heavy metal through the root. Yellow Iris is also known as Flag after the 5^th century king Clovis wore the flower as a heraldic symbol. The leaves are appropriately sharp edged and will cut if not handled with care. It has very large noticeable seedpods later in the year and throughout the autumn. The seeds float and thus enabling the plants efficient dispersal. It is used as herbalists but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are expert as one of its main uses is as an emetic, to induce vomiting.

Dog Rose (Rosa Canina)

Dog or Wild Rose at in the car park hedgerow at Barnes Wetland Centre.

  

This flowering plant is also known as the Wild Rose and is famously the symbol of England. Dog Rose is the most common of the wild roses and is in flower now until about the end of July. In late August the plant bares its fruit the rosehip that has many uses as wild food and medicine. In Roger Phillips Wild Food it’s claimed that pound for pound rosehip contains twenty times as much vitamin c as an orange. The fruit should not be picked until after the first frost and it is not really worth picking after the end of October. You should see these in hedgerows or on scrubland in London. Most of the flowers I’ve seen about are pale pink or white but they maybe seen in deep pink. If picking the fruit to make one of the many recipe’s there are about then watch out for the hooked thorns.  

Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens)

 

 

Dulwich Rd

This is a really common plant, flowering at this time of year through until early summer. I took this picture in the area outside the front of my flat. It usually wont grow larger than 90cm and it likes damp shady areas near buildings. Anyone who lives in London will have seen this plant, whether they recognize it or not. Until today, I didn’t know what it was but it is really interesting. It was bought here in the middle ages , predominantly to be used as a dye which is a strong red and is extracted from the roots.  Both flower and leaf are edible but always be 100 percent sure of identification before you consume anything. The leaves stay green throughout the year, hence the first part of the plants common name and the second part is related to henna denoting the dying properties.