WILDFLOWERS

ROSE FAMILY

Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria is a perennial that grows up to 60cm tall. The flowers are 5-8mm across and the stem is hairy. Yellow star-like flowers bloom in spikes from June to August. Burred seed heads develop which hook on to animals or humans to disperse the seeds. The plant is high in tannin and produces a yellow dye that can be used to stain textiles. Also known as 'Lemonade' or 'Bunch-flower'.

Dog Rose Rosa canina

Field Rose Rosa arvensis is a deciduous scrambling shrub found along hedgerows and woodland edges which blossoms in summer. The flowers are always white. It can be told apart from the Dog Rose by styles in the flower which are joined to form a long column.

Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa is an ornamental that originates from Asia and is not a native species. The Latin word 'rugosa' means 'wrinkled', referring to the wrinkled leaves. It uses suckers to form new plants from the roots creating dense thickets. This species was introduced to the forest when a hedgerow was built on Cabin Hill. Its fruits known as 'Hips' resemble cherry tomatoes about 20–30mm diameter. Flowers and fruits are often produced simultaneously.

Bramble Rubus agg. has delicious edible fruits that are known as 'Blackberries'. They are safe to eat. The fruits become a vital food source for all types of creatures. In Britain there are several hundred species of bramble that thrive in a range of habitats. Most are self-fertile, others are pollinated by insects visiting for nectar and pollen. Bramble leaves turn an attractive shade of reddish-pink in autumn.

Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis has a hairy stem and oval leaflets which are toothed, lower leaves are ternate or palmate. The small solitary flowers measure 8-15mm across and have white petals which are slightly notched with gaps in-between.

Tormentil Potentilla erecta  is a common creeping perennial normally found growing on acid grassland from early summer to mid-autumn. It has yellow four-petalled flowers and glossy deeply-toothed three-lobed leaves with silvery undersides.

Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans is a creeping perennial that grows to a height of 10-15cm. This limp-stemmed plant spreads by using long rooting runners. Its five-petalled notched yellow flowers measure 12-25mm across. The palmate leaves are normally divided into five toothed leaflets.

Silverweed Potentilla anserina is a trailing plant with silvery tooth-edged leaves. The five-petalled yellow flowers appear from May until August. New stems develop from thin red creepers.

Herb Bennet Geum urbanum is also known as Wood Avens. It is a perennial which grows in shady places and often seen along the edge of the forest footpaths. It usually grows to a height between 20cm and 60cm and flowers appear from May to August.

Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifera is one of the first trees to blossom in the spring. It produces small, white showy flowers.

Bird Cherry Prunus padus has white fragrant five-petalled flowers that normally appear during April, they provide an excellent source of pollen and nectar for insects. The black (or dark red) bitter berries that form after the flowers are enjoyed by birds and mammals, however they are not suitable for human consumption. The smooth greyish-brown bark has an acrid, unpleasant smell and because of this was once placed on front doors to fend off the plague.

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa blossom usually appears after Cherry blossom and before Hawthorn blossom. The three blossoms are very similar in appearance. The blue berries that grow on Blackthorn bushes are known as 'Sloes'.

Common Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna is the commonest hedgerow shrub. Its edible berries are known as 'Haws'. They can be used to make jams, jellies and wine. The seeds should not be eaten raw.

Rowan Sorbus are mainly small trees,10–20 metres tall. The small, orange or red pomes, measure 4–8mm in diameter. They are soft and juicy, which makes them an excellent food for birds which spread the seeds in their droppings.

Apple Malus After the first frost crab apples are ready for harvesting to make crab apple jelly.

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