Cinquefoil, Potentilla. Typical cinquefoil looks similar to wild strawberry but has dry inedible fruit. Flowers are usually yellow but may be pinkish, white or even red. In heraldry the cinquefoil emblem was used to signify strength, power, honour and loyalty and was used in the architecture of many churches throughout the 15th century. WT
Common or yellow toadflax, Linaria vulgaris. A common plant of waste ground, grassland, roadside verges and hedgerows. Its yellow-and-orange flowers appear in June and persist well into November; they look like the flowers of snapdragons (familiar garden plants), and are often densely packed. These flowers give the plant its other common name of ‘butter and eggs’. WT
Cow parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris. Cow Parsley grows in sunny to semi-shaded locations in meadows and at the edges of hedgerows and woodland. It is sufficiently common and fast-growing to be considered a nuisance weed in gardens. It is linked to a number of healing qualities but beware not to confuse it with Poison hemlock.
Creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens. With a Latin name sounding somewhat like a Harry Potter spell, this bright yellow flowering plant is, like most buttercups, poisonous and due to its acrid taste, avoided by cattle. The basal leaves are divided into three broad leaflets. The plant grows to 50cm high and spreads by use of running stems. WT
Creeping thistle, Cirsium arvense. Other names include Lettuce from hell thistle and Cursed thistle. It forms extensive colonies via an underground root system. Seeds have a feathery pappus which helps with wind dispersal. Seeds are important for Goldfinch and Linnet and used as a food by over 20 species of butterfly including Painted Lady. It’s an invasive species, present in the […]
Cuckoo pint, Arum maculatum. A common woodland plant species of the Araceae family. Also known as lords and ladies, it has other less attractive names such as snakeshead and devils and angels that hint that it may be something to avoid. It is one of the most common causes of accidental plant poisoning, based on attendance at hospital A & […]
Cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium. Wild Cyclamen is native in Europe and the Mediterranean and has escaped from gardens and naturalised in many areas across southern Britain. It prefers dappled shade or an undisturbed woodland setting where it will quickly spread, but it will grow in full sun. Rosy pink flowers from August to December. Dark green ivy-like leaves mottled with pale silvery-green. […]
Enchanter’s nightshade, Circaea lutetiana. It has small pinky white flowers between June and August. it’s a ‘hairy’ plant with hairs seen on the leaves (both sides) and leaf stalks (petioles). Despite its name, enchanter’s nightshade is unrelated to other nightshades. It actually belongs to the willowherb family. WT. Photo: Stephen Middleton
Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium. Feverfew is a traditional medicinal herb commonly used to prevent migraine headaches, and is also occasionally grown for ornament. The plant grows into a small bush up to around 46 cm (18 in) high with citrus-scented leaves, and is covered by flowers reminiscent of daisies. It is also sometimes referred to as bachelor’s buttons.
Forget-me-not, Myosotis sylvatica. References go back in German legend to the Creation when the plant asked God to “Forget me not.” It was adopted by Henry IV during his exile and has been a symbol of faithfulness, in particular with lovers, for centuries. Newfoundland still uses the plant to remember Canada’s war dead and it is an interchangeable symbol with Freemasonry. WT
