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Our latest foraging walk at the beautiful site of the Sustainability centre was filled with many plant delights. At this time of year, the butterflies are bursting with colour above nectar filled plants and nature's exuberance is bursting with enthusiasm, the late John Muir always seems to find the perfect words for such an occasion : 'The plants are as busy as the animals, every cell in a swirl of enjoyment, humming like a hive, singing the old new song of creation... Insect swarms are dancing in the sunbeams, burrowing in the ground, diving, swimming, a cloud of witnesses telling nature's joy' John Muir 1838 - 1914 Meet the plants: ( hover on the plant to discover its name) Please note that if you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! We were first greeted by the upright vibrant blueish violet flowers of the self-heal plant (Prunella vulgaris) which is a low growing herb that provides ground cover hugging the earth and providing nectar. It is an edible plant that acts as astringent for wounds and for internal bleeding. Cleavers or sticky weed clambered amongst the strong woody nettles, both plants full of nutritious value especially earlier in the year. I demonstrated how nettles could be turned into natural string and how the bedstraws (Rubiaceae family) to which cleavers belongs to were used for bedding by our ancestors. We spotted more ground hugging plants which were coming to the end of their flowering season including ground ivy and speedwell. Speedwell is a wonderful plant known as one of the wayfarer herbs guiding the lone traveller along country lanes cheering their journey and offering good luck. The phrase 'speed you well' can be used as a blessing when people set of on their journey. This edible plant can help relief bronchitis, whooping cough and catarrh. Ground ivy up until the sixteenth century was used in brewing to clear the fermenting liquid and add a sharp flavour. This beverage was known as gill-ale and unlike most ales was reputed to clear the head effectively often within 24 hours. Jonathon Swift (1767) is quoted as remarking on this drink. This plant can help soothe the stomach including griping pains, coughs and chest disorders, it also will help clear mucous membranes and as an inhalant can help colds, coughs and respiratory complaints. The upright Rosebay willowherb dominated the grassy areas beneath it. This willowherb is the only species that is generally safe to use for food and medicinal uses. As a herb it is used dried for whooping cough and asthma. As a food plant the young shoots can be steamed and peeled and its pith is used to thicken soups. The leaves can be used as a garnish or dried for a tea. Peeping out from the woodland paths were herb robert plants which are native geraniums growing in shady areas and often on more acid soils. It branches out with stately foliage, each bright green leaf is lined with red carefully drawn by nature's fine artist. The fresh leaves can be used as a compress for wounds and as a sedative and astringent, as well as gargle for sore throats and mouth. A lotion can be made from it for irritated eyes. The plant can be dried and used internally to lower blood sugar for diabetics, help diarrhoea, peptic ulcers and treat an internal haemorrhage. Agrimony has upright bright yellow flowers which brighten up field margins, road verges and hedgerows. A plant that is well worth harvesting, it lifts the spirits making an invigorating tea for many complaints from aching joints to sore throats. It is a good general summer tonic.
Vervain contains ‘verbenaline’ which is a chemical renowned for its ability to reduce fevers and pain. An infusion of this plant can induce sweating and used with yarrow is an effective herb for coughs and colds. More often than not the plant has been used as an external application for inflammations and sores. Internally it also can be taken as a strengthening tonic. Dock is known as the cure for the nettle sting and this extends to any burn, scald or blister as the juice of this plant has many healing properties. Ironstone quarry workers are said to have rubbed freshly cut dock on their forearm sores. Science is now calling dock a placebo but I have found dock incredibly effective when treating insect bites! It's root is rich in iron.
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Left to right - Dark Mullien - Striped Lychis moth As I gaze at a single plant a unique habitat unfolds before me. My heart melts as I watch the shield bug as a nurturing mother guarding her newly hatched offspring of wingless nymphs, young woodlice explore the velvety leaves released from eggs carried in a tiny pouch of this delightful crustacean. The most exciting find is the caterpillar of the striped lychnis moth which is a nationally scarce priority species of the Downs where I work with a preference to this single plant which I am focusing upon - the dark mullein. This is why nature exploration is endless as we can explore a single plant for a lifetime and then look outward to the key biomes of the world from tundra and boreal forest to rainforests and grasslands then move our focus to the specialised habitat of the chalk grassland and to a single species. Left to right - Bramble flower - Agrimony - Wild carrot Our July story continues with an abundance of flowering bramble which cuts and stings and yet provides the perfect feeding station for our winged beauties as noted by John Muir: 'Insect swarms are dancing in the sunbeams, burrowing in the ground, diving, swimming, a cloud of witnesses telling Nature's joy.' John Muir spent his life celebrating nature and urging people to protect it, his attitude to all species surely needs to emulated: 'I always befriended animals and have said many a good word for them. Even to the least-loved mosquitoes I gave many a meal, and told them to go in peace.' As I continue along the path I spot the distinctive spikes of the yellow flowers of the agrimony marking this time of year amongst the large white flower heads of the wild carrot with its hidden secret, just one small central dark red floret that produces nectar!  I enter a wetter habitat of the noble meadowsweet with her clusters of creamy white flowers against the striking purple flowers of marsh woundwort and clusters of gold flowers of the St John's wort. I marvel at the joy of the tiny mauve flowers upon the hairy lobed leaves of vervain pictured below, a most useful herb as a relaxant and nerve tonic- nature's unfolding delights truly are marvellous.  Left to right- Cherry blossom- Whitebeam- Hawthorn Seasonal delights 'May day, delightful day, bright colours play the vale along...' T.W.Rolleston (ascribed to Fionn Mac Cumhaill) Every May I still am awed by the unfurling delights of nature. Suddenly the the rich verdure comes alive with a different delight revealing itself wherever you step. This year the white blackthorn blossom punctuated by the silver and gold pussy willow has been stunning and now as I write this the blossom from the undisputed Queen of May - the hawthorn is beginning to now take centre stage joined by the beautiful cherry blossom glistening along the country lane or hidden in the dense woods. The whitebeam announces its presence with its effervescent silvery white leaves giving the tree a look of a candelabrum. It grows on dry chalky soils resisting drought effectively. Left to right- Bluebells- Red campion- Wild garlic As I enter the woods the familiar blue haze of bluebells makes a splendid statement and in wetter or shadier woods the wild garlic fills the wood with its invigorating scent. The woodland paths are lined with bright pink campions and patches of bugle stand to attention. Nearer to the woodland floor are woodland violets and wild strawberries. Left to right- Bugle - Wood violets- Wild strawberry A closer look in the grass reveals the plants named after storks and cranes due to their beak like seed pods. I find the hedgerow, round-leaved, dovesfoot, and shining cranesbill which is the only one with glossy rounded leaves. Patches of pink- purple flowers floating above twice- pinnate leaves draw the eye as the common storksbill greets me. Left to right- Dovesfoot cranesbill- Common storksbill Finally in the damp sward we find Lady's smock its spring blooms which give rise to associations with milkmaids, their smocks and to the Virgin Mary and nearby the germander speedwell referred to as bird’s eye mainly due to its distinctive white eye against its bright blue petals. Left to right- Lady's smock- Germander speedwell
 APRIL FORAGING TIPSApril is a month when our native plants are beginning to come alive, a perfect time to forage provided you know 100% what the plant is and you can check with an herbalist about allergies or reactions you may have. Do not ever trample plants and only pick when they are abundant! Celandines (Ranunculus ficaria) are part of the buttercup family. I find celandine rootlets delicious, gently fried they taste like pine nuts and can be added to a wild salad or stir fry. The waxy heart shaped leaves are distinctive followed by the bright yellow flowers. Ideally collect before flowering and do not eat raw. Primroses (Primula vulgaris) are named after their own family and by April they are coming to the end of their season for it is the young leaves and flowers that are the tastiest added to a salad. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)- The kidney shaped leaves cannot be mistaken when crushed as they have a pungent smell typical of the mint family. The leaves are rather bitter raw but can be added to salads and to flavour food. I prefer them as a soothing tea for the stomach. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are part of our largest plant family known as the daisy family. It is a welcome bitter addition to salads as its leaves are full of vitamins and minerals and are a natural diuretic which naturally replaces the potassium in the body. Pick fresh leaves or dig up its roots to make coffee. The roots need to be baked in the oven for about ten minutes on a low heat though be careful not to burn them! Chickweed (Stellaria media) is part of the pink family and is a refreshing tasty salad leaf full of nutrients. Not to be mistaken with upright mouse ear chickweed ( Cerastium fontanum) which grows more upright and is hairy hence the name ‘mouse ear’. Common chickweed is brittle and sprawling with only a few hairs at the base of the leaves. Herb bennet (Geum urbanum) - The roots can be dug up and washed to eat raw with a taste of cloves and in moderation its leaves can be used in salads and to flavour food. Early tree leaves - can also be eaten raw such as hazel (Corylus avellana) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and a little later the beech Fagus sylvatica which is very tasty and lime (Tilia cordata) which is my favourite tree leaf to eat. These are just some of my April favourites, most of which are commonly available, how abundant is nature’s harvest!  This Easter in Southern England whether you were in a city or town or rural expanse was filled with the joy and delights of the unchanged elements of nature that call us to look up to the sky filled with golden, silver and startlingly white blossoms of this time of year. As we walk on concrete streets or green-filled pastures bright golden dandelions speak of buried treasure and perfectly formed white stars appear on upright mouse ear plants and the sprawling foliage of its close relative the chickweed pictured below.  Bright yellow primroses ( pictured below) decorate street-lined escarpments which grow beneath golden pollen-filled pussy willow catkins and white cherry plum blossoms which are rapidly being replaced by the deceptively delicate looking flowers of blackthorn. The blackcap, robin and tits sing on breathtaking clouds of pollen produced from the vibrant white flowers that cover the trees like drifts of snow burdening branches with beauty. Kestrels hover, the red kite soars and crows cackle from woven nests.  A yellow green tinge from maple tree flowers, the unfurling of hazel and hawthorn buds decorated beneath with the first white anemones (pictured below) star-like stitchworts and clambering cleavers. The dark outline of snake-like branches and gigantic bollings of the oak remain imposingly stark against the backdrop of a riot of colour and melodious sound. The hum of insects and the first buzz of bees approves the enriching pollen-filled verdure of an unburdening landscape of pure bliss. Everything we possibly need is above, beneath and all around us, whether we are in a city or in the countryside, beauty surrounds us, take the time to truly look, hear, feel and immerse yourself in nature.   Delightful Signs of SpringSpring has arrived and it could not be clearer despite the damp and windy weather. The spring blossom begins in early March with cherry plum ( Prunus cerasifera) pictured above. One day nothing then suddenly a tree is filled with flower. Introduced from the near East in the late 1800s it is what is termed a neophyte ( a plant introduced after the 1500s) in botany although I would say a welcome addition to our flora. It has delicious fruit and follows on from the hazel (Corylus avellana) catkins pictured below left which start in February in Southern England. The blackthorn pictured above right is easily mistaken for cherry plum and I have found blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) to flower around two weeks after the cherry plum here. About the same time as blackthorn despite the strong winds and heavy rain the avenues of gold and silver catkins of the goat willow (Salix caprea) begin to adorn the green ways where I live. The gold is the male catkin and the silver the female which both grow on the same tree. There is something deeply satisfying about the tree blossom still reflecting the unfolding seasons from cherry plum to blackthorn to pussy willow. The banks of daffodils and primroses bright as sunshine and the beautiful winged people taking flight on warmer days. Pictured below: Left to right gold and silver willow catkins.  I look forward to the coming of the new season which is the perfect time to begin to refresh your eye in seeing the shapes and patterns in nature as the new growth just starts to unfurl. While the growing season is still young it is helpful to refresh your knowledge of plant families and their characteristics. Venture outside with a hand lens, leaf /flower press and a good identification book. To start with you may use a simple guide with pictures and easy diagrams. The book I use in the picture above is a well -worn version of Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland by Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alastair Fitter which has all the species you will come across. It's the descriptions of the morphology, the plant parts and measurements which are most important. Apps may well help with ID but they will not train the eye in the same way as the time-tested methods. In February going into March the green verdure unfolds especially in the south-facing sheltered cul-de-sac of the early spring woodland though the advice below could apply throughout the year as new species come through. The insignificant blending of green to the trained eye awakens the sight of unfurling potential, the excitement of a new life revealing itself for yet another season. For me botany and love of plants first, then forage later. Enable your eye to see the different shapes early in the season to guide you through the year. The picture above on the left shows wood avens, speedwell, celandine, sweet woodruff and nettle, can you spot them? The three-lobed older leaf confirms its wood avens and you can also look for the younger pinnate leaves along the stem of wood avens. The tiny stalk of sweet woodruff has characteristics of cleavers as both have leaves arranged in whorls around the stem so always take care if foraging. The second picture on the right is of Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea). This pungent plant has creeping runners and kidney-shaped, blunt toothed, long stalked leaves. Remember always check the many features when identifying plants such as leaf, stalk, smell and texture. Always look up the Latin names for positive identification.  The picture above is Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) with its leaves which are long-stalked, heart-shaped, dark green with light and dark patches. This can be uprooted and its rootlets fried up which to me taste like pine nuts. Never harvest unless you are 100 percent sure it is the correct plant. When harvesting roots make sure the plant is attached so that mistakes cannot be made! The picture above left is Lord-and-Ladies (Allium maculatum). Warning, more people go to A&E in the UK from this plant than any other. Traditionally our best native plant for the production of starch. Do not pick or eat!
Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) has spear-like, slightly toothed leaves with 3-5 prominent ribs beneath. You can pull the leaf apart and think 'guitar strings' as you reveal its white fibres. Left to Right - Daisy - Sow thistle - Yarrow INTRODUCING URBAN PLANT FRIENDS.Delicate blooms of tenacious power, soft lush growth produced wherever it can flower.
Over rubble and concrete, plastic and glass, nature regenerates, cares not if you've asked. Green fresh growth encapsulates beauty, every tiny flower tells a story. Showing no fear it grows where it can, covering up the waste produced by man. ' J.Huet As I walk to the local shop I stop to admire the beauty of a dandelion peeping out from the pavement. The ray florets spreading out around a golden centre capturing the sun and inviting winged delights to pollinate them. Other native asters (members of the daisy family Asteraceae the largest plant family in the UK) also peeping out of cracks in the pavement included the common sow-thistle who's luxuriant growth dominated the grey landscape and although considered a garden nuisance the poet Patrick Kavanagh claims it took him to a place beyond desire. I discovered other asters like our common daisy spreading their petals and hugging the floor whilst groundsels drooped under the weight of yellow buds and the little white stars shone up from the green foliage of chickweed. Clambering over walls the deceptively delicate lilac and yellow flowers of the ivy leaved toadflax grew amongst the duller foliage of the plant called pellitory of the wall. Bittercresses and shepherds purse grew through the tinniest of spaces with hedge mustard and eastern rocket beside them. Germander speedwell finished the pavement design with sky blue flowers on the small patches of soil exposed to plant street trees. Luscious abundant foliage of the green alkanet, red valerian and jack by the hedge painted the pavement green and in the grass verges clovers, yarrows, nettle, and dock created a green oasis under blossoming early cherries and plums. On the way back a single yellow flower of sorrel delighted my keen eye, common mouse ear stood proud and the red dead nettle lifted my spirits. I marvelled at over twenty common species decorating my urban neighbourhood from dainty and spiky to upright and sprawling to tiny and majestic to dull and shiny. As John Muir has written 'my eyes never closed on the plant glory I had seen.' CELEBRATING ENGLISH WOODSLeft to right- Holly wood- Oak wood- Chestnut wood I enter an ancient woodland, there is no need to look for evidence of its age amongst ancient indicators of plant and landscape features for I feel it all around me in the giant bollings of oaks, the dominating foliage of sweet chestnut and in the exquisite old holly trees characteristic of England as Strawberry trees are of Ireland. As I have had a break from working and strolling in such woods I am amazed at the effect of these old woods. I find myself breathing deeper, standing taller and as every cell enlivens I note this cannot be recreated in a classroom or on a screen as it is too alive with presence. As always John Muir has the perfect words to describe this aliveness: 'Were trees mere mechanical sculptures what noble objects they would be! How much more throbbing, thrilling, overflowing, full of life in every fibre and cell, grand glowing silver rods- the very Gods of the plant kingdom, living their sublime centaury in sight of heaven, watched and loved and admired from generation to generation.' Left to Right- Ebernoe Common- Kingley Vale- West Dean Woods A visit to West Sussex reveals some exceptional woods. In the Sussex Weald there are two woodlands of notable wealth. Ebernoe Common and The Mens (German for common) which are remnants of an extensive woodland which once would have been at least 23,000 acres and created fuel for the iron industry since at least the Roman times producing around 500 tons of iron per year from 46,000 tons of coppiced wood. Since Anglo-Saxon times the Weald was one of the largest and wildest woods in England and is still one of the most densely wooded parts in England today. This demonstrates how woodlands in more industrial areas tend to survive. John Evelyn (Sylva- Trees and the Propagation of Timber 1664) blamed industry for the destruction of our woodlands and Andrew Yarranton stated in his writings of 1677 that trees were being planted in the Forest of Wyre for the production of iron! However Daniel Defoe (most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe) remarked that the woods in the weald were lost to agriculture long before the iron industry. Evidence supports Defoe’s theory far more than the former writers as woods today are far more prolific in areas that were used for industry. Areas of the Weald, Lake district, Forest of Dean and the Wyre Forest are amongst the most wooded areas of England and all have a history of Industrial use. The Mens has the richest lichen flora in the South East and one of the richest fungal floras in Britain. It is also notable for its diverse plant flora and fauna, again one of the best in Britain. Rare beetles thrive there as well as woodland butterflies. As we travel towards Chichester we come across West Dean Woods notable for its old coppice and profusion of wild daffodils in March, a notable ancient woodland indicator. In the newer woods one can see evidence of the medieval method of ploughing known as ridge and furrow. On the other side of Chichester on the back roads to Funtington is a very special area indeed. Situated in the Hamlet of west Stoke is Kingley Vale, the largest and most impressive Yew wood in Europe if not the world! Some of the Yew trees are at least 2000 years of age creating several groves of pure yew trees. The surrounding area is a delightful chalk downland with an array of striking wildflowers. The Yew trees are what we term as heritage or veteran trees meaning they have reached a stage in their lives known as ‘old age’, this is a specific and important stage in a tree’s life. Trees germinate from seeds and start life as a sapling before maturing to a stage known as ‘middle aged’. In middle age they have reached their maximum height and spread. A tree in middle age has a large income from its leaves which creates the energy a tree needs to lay down a ring of wood each year. However once a tree starts to die back its income is reduced (the leaves) and it can no longer meet its commitments ( growing a ring of wood each year) indicating it is in its final stage in life ‘old age’. When a tree is in this stage it is more supportive for wildlife than at any other time. Trees in old age often have burrs and bosses, crooks and crannies, elbows and knees, holes and crevices. Supporting hole-nesting birds, wild bees, bats and a myriad of invertebrates that make use of the above features often fashioned over hundreds of years. The time when a tree is in old age varies from species to species. Birch for instance is old at hundred years , ash and elm around 200 years and oak over 300 years. Yew is an exception as trees rarely live beyond 500 years if left to their own devices except yew which only just reaches old age at this time. The stage of old age is often the longest stage in a tree’s life. Yew has caused much confusion amongst experts as it is notoriously difficult to date. This is partly due to the fact that it has long periods of dormancy where its growth completely stops for hundreds of years. This means in that time it does not grow a ring of wood, the counting of which is often used to date a tree and it even confuses modern carbon dating. However piecing together historical records and using carbon dating has enabled experts to conclude that some of our oldest yew trees in Britain are around three to four thousand years old. The oldest Yew in Britain is said to be the Fortingall yew in Perthshire, Scotland estimated to be 5000 years old. Left to Right - Hollybank Woods - The New Forest, Hampshire- Windsor Forest
We now leave the county of West Sussex and go literally just over the border into Hampshire where we find remnants of the once vast wood known as the Forest of Bere. Hollybank Woods is situated in the village of Emsworth and is mainly a mixed broadleaved woodland with planted conifer stands in places. In the wetter areas it hosts many species of flower including hundreds of early purple orchids. The Forest of Bere once covered a vast area starting around the area of Emsworth and stretching down to another famous forest, the New Forest. In Saxon times it was known as the Forest of Baer( Baer meaning swine pasture) and was a series of commons creating an open landscape of trees, heathland, farmland , wood pasture and coppice. In Norman times it became a Royal Forest ( Forest of Bere) which is a hunting ground owned by the King and not necessarily woodland. In the forest the King has rights to all the game and this can include private land which is still part of the ‘legal’ Forest boundaries. The ‘legal’ Forest boundaries may double the size of the actual Forest owned by the King. Recently this woodland has been put under a coppice regime as volunteers cut back the trees in rotation. The main reason why many of our ancient woodlands do not support the the diverse flora and fauna that they once did is simply neglect and lack of management. Further remnants of the Forest of Bere are found in Wickham and possibly Waterlooville and Bedhampton. Finally we come to the largest remaining tract of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and Forest in South East England, the New Forest. The New Forest stretches across South West Hampshire and South East Wiltshire towards the East of Dorset. It is a unique survivor of the common land system, the least modified landscape in the whole of lowland Britain, the supreme place for lichen in Europe ( due to lack of acid rain) and home to 2/3 to 3/4 of the saproxylic* invertebrate population of Britain. *Saproxylic invertebrates are those animals without a vertebral column depending on dead or decaying wood. Sapros =dead xylos= wood. It was created in 1079 by King William the first and still 90% of the Forest is owned by the crown. Commoners and wealthy land owners alike often disliked the Forest system which meant certain rights were taken away. William’s sons, Prince Richard and William the second (William Rufus) both died in the wood creating the rumour their deaths were a punishment for the creation of the Royal Forest. Commoner’s rights were confirmed in 1698 and also in 1877 when the Navy tried to encroach on them. The common land system was an important system in rural England and enabled the land to be well –managed and its resources put to good use. Often the rich landowners would own the large trees and the land itself but in exchange for its maintenance the commoners were given certain rights and customs.* The New Forest is a living historical landscape, demonstrating the importance of preserving the Ancient Countryside for now and the future. *Commoner’s rights include: Right of Estovers (cutting of peat for fuel); Right of Turbary ( wood for fuel) ;Right of common of Marl ( digging of clay) Common of Mast ( Pannage= beech mast and acorns for pigs) and Common of pasture. Customs included the cutting of Bracken at the end of August for animal litter; Bee hives in July-September and the cutting of gorse and holly for winter browse for ponies and deer. All the woods we have explored thus have had a long history of woodland management demonstrating continued management is essential for these woodlands to survive and thrive. Coppicing and pollarding extend the life of individual trees and almost guarantee a healthier ecology in woods performed under sensitive management. Hazel, lime and ash trees rarely live much beyond 200 years of age yet once coppiced can live almost indefinitely with examples of stools ( the stumps and roots that remain after coppicing) that are 1000 years old. Pollarded trees are also known to live over a 1000 years such as the great oaks of Windsor Great Park. However early woodland management has also meant that there are no examples of ‘Wild Wood’ left in Britain today. How did these original woods look before they were managed and how they were formed is an important study to further understand our woodlands and their ecology today.
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