Ribwort plantain, Plantago lanceolata. The deep veins visible on the leaves have earned the species its name ‘ribwort’. Ribwort plantain is probably the most constant and widespread component of natural and semi-natural grassland in Britain. Photo: www.wildlifeinsight.com
Rosebay willowherb, Chamerion angustifolium. This species is abundant in wet slightly acidic open fields but it has earned the nicknames ‘fireweed’ and ‘bombweed’ as a result of its tendancy to colonize quickly on burnt ground and bomb sites during World War II. The plant’s rise from a local rarity is closely linked to the expansion of the railway network making it […]
Russian comfrey, Symphytum x uplandicum. Comfrey is a particularly valuable source of fertility to the organic gardener and is used as a compost activator, liquid fertiliser, mulch or potting mixture. Comfreys have been used as traditional medicinal plants in Europe for centuries. Russian comfrey can be considered as a toxic plant and some comfrey products have been banned for human […]
Russian vine, Fallopia baldschuanica. Known by several common names including mile-a-minute and silver lace vine, it is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family. It is a fast-growing plant that is grown as cover but has the capacity to grow beyond its intended limits. It is another of the species that needs to be kept under control or it […]
Scilla, Scilla siberica. Small, pretty early spring-flowering bulbs with star shaped flowers most suited to deciduous woodlands.
Shield fern, Polystichum setiferum. The fern’s bright green fronds are 30-120 cm long, usually drooping downslope, with typically 4-10 fronds on a mature plant. WT
St John’s wort, Hypericum perforatum. This plant, named after John the Baptist, is famous for its medicinal qualities in the treatment of low moods and mild depression. It flowers around the 24th of June, the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Sales of the supplement are banned in France due to concerns about serious interactions with other drugs. WT
Common Valerian, Valeriana officinalis. It bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly species, especially hoverflies. It is consumed as food by the larvae of some butterflies and moths. Valerian has been used as a herb in traditional medicine since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates described its properties, and Galen later prescribed […]
Common vetch, Vicia sativa. A member of the pea family, Common vetch is able to make its own nitrates, a special nutrient essential for healthy plant growth.
White deadnettle, Lamium album. Another ‘nettle’ that is not actually a nettle but a member of the mint family. Like the red deadnettle it bears no sting. Photo: Stephen Middleton WT
