Tag: flora
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A Sea of Cotton on Newon Moor
One of the summer spectacles of acid bogs and wet heaths is the Common cottongrass, Eriophorum angustifolium. This plant, with its silky white seed-heads, creates a striking scene, whitening whole patches of bog. Beyond this visual charm, Cottongrass is rather unremarkable and underutilised. Efforts to produce usable thread from the seed-plumes have failed due to…
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A Splash of Bistort by the River Dee
A timeless scene in the upper reaches of the River Dee, just before the Quoich Water merges with its flow. In the foreground, a splendid display of Bistort, also known as Pudding grass, offers a glimpse into local tradition. This plant, with its bitter leaves, forms the base of “dock pudding,” a dish prepared during…
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Dubh-Sgeir Mhor — The Black Rock
Breathe in that salty air! This view is across the narrow channel separating Eilean a’Chaoll from the Talmine mainland. The rugged foreshore displays vibrant yellow lichen and delicate pink thrift clinging to the rocks. Beyond, the Atlantic Ocean extends towards the distant Eilean nan Gaill, or Rabbit Islands. But in between, there lies the foreboding…
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Dandelions: Underappreciated but crucial for bees and insects
Ah, springtime in Britain—a vibrant tapestry of flowers, from the delicate snowdrops to the cheerful daffodils to the stunning bluebells. But amidst this floral symphony, there’s one unsung hero—the humble dandelion. Have you noticed how they transform roadside verges into seas of yellow, only to later sprinkle the landscape with their delicate ‘clock’ seedheads? It’s…
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Stinking Nanny’s Surprise: The Pungent Power of Ramsons
Ramsons, those delicate flowers of the forest floor, hold a secret. Typically, they signal the presence of an ancient woodland, flourishing in the quietude of undisturbed soil. But here lies a peculiar sight: these ramsons are thriving amidst the confines of a railway cutting. An anomaly, indeed. As I ventured deeper into Newton Woods, a…
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Blackthorn’s Starry Flowers Precede the Bluebell Spectacle
The bluebell meadows in Newton Wood are on the verge of bursting forth in a hue of cerulean blue. However, it is not their time quite yet. The initial shoots can be seen, but presently it is the blackthorn that commands the spotlight of spring. Masses of blossom, soft and disordered, the twisted thorny shrubs…
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The uncertain future of Ayton’s Weeping Ash
In the annals of Scandinavian mythology, the ash went by the name ‘Yggdrasil,’ the tree of life, ‘the greatest and best of all trees. Its branches spread all over the world.’ Now, I’m no tree whisperer, and botany isn’t exactly my strong suit. I’m hazarding a guess, but this seems to be the ‘Fraxinus excelsior,’…
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The Scented Secrets of ‘Mousse de Chêne’
What a delightful day! Bitter, raw, cold enough to freeze your marrow. The wind, a so-called “lazy wind,” doesn’t bother taking the scenic route around you; it simply chooses the direct route, right through your very being. Upon Coate Moor, amidst a gap in the trees, a view up Kildale. The young trees hereabouts, mostly…
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A Nature Whodunit: The Case of the Wayward Eucalyptus
Attention green-fingered readers. Can anyone identify this tree? It’s growing in a pretty exposed spot on Cliff Rigg. According to the ‘Seek’ app on my trusty phone, it’s a member of the myrtle family, and opinion is that it might be part of the Eucalyptus genus. If that’s true, this tree has ventured quite a…
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The Ironstone Depression and Winter’s Sustenance
In a deep depression caused by subsidence from the ironstone mining, a hawthorn tree is burdened with scarlet berries. Roseberry’s sandstone crag furnishes a striking backdrop. This tree will supply valuable sustenance for birds in the upcoming winter. Folk tales are rife with accounts of solitary Hawthorn trees flourishing above pots of buried gold. But…