Tom the Botanist

The countryside is waking up, the lanes and woods are decorated with lesser celandine, wood anemones, violets, dog’s mercury and primroses.

For most of March I have been racing to get out before the sun goes down at around 6:30. But now that the clocks have changed, every evening presents an opportunity to get out exploring and botanising. It is worth noting, that we have had very little rain this month, and that we could really do with a wet April to bring us back in order.

Talking of which, I am eager to discover what April has in store… But before that, here are some plants that have brightened my March, along with some of my favourite finds this month.

Favorite Finds

• Grey field-speedwell Veronica polita at St. Peter’s Church in Martley, where it grew with common field-speedwell V. persica.
• Rough horsetail Equisetum hyemale, which we found with the NWFG at Chaddesley Woods.
• Shepherd’s cress Teesdalia nudicaulis, which is having a bumper year on Hartlebury Common.
• Toothwort Lathraea squamaria and Yellow star-of-Bethlehem Gagea lutea which Cesca Beamish and I relocated from an old record, growing along the Corn Brook.
• Field mouse-ear Cerastium arvense at Wilden Top Meadow.
• Hairy whitlowgrass Erophila majuscula, is a nationally scarce plant that grows at the old car park on Hartlebury Common.

And finally, field pansy Viola arvensis, which just makes me happy when I see it! Here it was growing along Leapgate Lane on a sandy verge.

Annotated Photos

Below are photos of each notable species seen this month, including location and date.

Whilst in the office I’ve been walking down Hopehouse Lane to St. Peter’s Church in Martley and photographed a series of plants along the way: