Hairy bittercress ( Cardamine hirsuta) Common Name: Hairy bittercress Latin : Cardamine hirsuta Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
History and/or use: Tasty peppery addition for salads rich in vitamin C. Hairy bittercress ( Cardamine hirsuta) is a very common weed which looks like a mini watercress and has a succulent peppery taste that is fresh and clean to the palate. It is a wild mustard rich in vitamin C and mentioned in Saxon herb lore and yet when investigated the knowledge of this small plant seems to be very minimal. A plant with these qualities and listed as one of the nine key herbs in Saxon lore surely is worthy of much scrutiny. Qualities of Bittercress. Bittercress although it grows, flowers and seeds in a very short time, is very productive provided bare soil is available for it to set seed. It demonstrates the ability to endure by ever-changing and adapting to new habitats that present themselves. Its longevity borne out not in a long life but in its ability to survive as a species. As humans the whole act of destruction and sacrifice is hard to contemplate but plays a huge part in Nature's cycles to quote John Muir once again: 'But we quickly learn that destruction is creation. Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying....' However it must equally be noted without change this plant would not persevere for the soil must be disturbed for it to regenerate whereas long-lived species that require stability have a different survival niche. 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! Bittercress in Saxon lore is said to drive out venom and remove pain and certainly this plant is nutritious and can provide many health benefits. It is all too easy to put the science first but time and time again it is the folklore informing the science and the science simply confirming what the plant was already known to do. Maybe our ancestors used the qualities of this plant in ways we are yet to re-discover! If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course.
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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.' If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection you can sign for our free newsletter and also become a member with exclusive access to our online courses. Wishing you all well. Speedwell veronica speciesWB stage 12Heath speedwell ( Veronica officinalis) Field speedwell ( V.persica)
Germander speedwell (V.chamaedrys) Wood speedwell ( V.montana). Common Name: Germander Speedwell Latin : Veronica chamaedrys Family: Veronicaceae History and/or use:. Treatment for bronchitis, coughs and catarrh. Wildlife Value: Good nectar plant. Qualities of speedwell Clear blue are the skies; My petals are blue; As beautiful, too, As bluest of eyes. The heavens are high: By the field-path I grow Where wayfarers go, And “Good speed,” say I; “See, here is a prize Of wonderful worth: A weed of the earth, As blue as the skies!” This familiar plant of waysides and grass verges produces bright blue flowers from April to June. This wonderful plant is known as one of the wayfarer herbs guiding the lone traveller along country lanes cheering their journey and offering good luck. However this dainty bright weed has a tenacious habit and bears a warning of protection. Its flowers are watchful likened to eyes but what are they watching? 'Fresh beauty opens one's eyes wherever it is really seen, but the very abundance and completeness of the common beauty that besets our steps prevents its being absorbed and appreciated. It is a good thing, to creep like worms into dark holes and caverns underground, not only to learn something of what is going on in those out-of-the-way places, but to see better what the sun sees on our return to common everyday beauty.' John Muir In traditions all over the globe we are asked to respect nature and this plant is said to be protected by birds and offers good luck but if we sever our connection to nature and no longer see its beauty in the dark places as well as the light where creation begins we fall into forgetfulness of the earth and all its beauty. These traditional warnings therefore are reminders to honour nature at all times and to not fall out of sync with her sweet caress. Many poems and stories refer to the wonderful blue eye-like flowers of this plant. It is a weed of cultivation as well as an ancient herb and popular tea. As a tea it can help relief bronchitis, whooping cough and catarrh. Although the heath speedwell’s Latin name ‘officinalis’ denotes it as the official plant used by the apothecary, all of the above species named can be used. It is the germander speedwell which is most commonly referred to as bird’s eye mainly due to its distinctive white eye against its bright blue petals. Traditionally as already mentioned it is said that birds protect it, so pick with care! In Ireland sprays of speedwell were pinned to traveller’s clothing to protect them from accidents and the phrase ‘speed-you-well’ was used to bless their parting. This plant seems to invoke tenderness as its Latin name Veronica may be named after the saint who wiped Christ’s face as he carried the cross. It is a key nectar plant well known for as producing nectar for the solitary bees who like the lone traveller follow it along the wayfarer's paths. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Wild garlic Allium ursinumQualities of Wild Garlic Common Name:Ramsons/Wild Garlic Latin: Allium ursinum Family: Alliaceae Wildlife Value: Green veined Butterflies, long horn beetle and hoverflies amongst others. Wild Garlic or Ramsons lives underground for much of the year and then its aromatic leaves begin to grow up in March to eventually produce flowers in May. Carpets of green foliage and bunches of starry white flowers create magnificent displays in British woodlands preferring wetter and shadier parts of the wood than the bluebell which also puts on a display in May. These plants are typical shade-evaders making use of the Forest landscape before the leaves are produced to maximise the light levels. The wild garlic attracts many insects including hoverflies, beetles and butterflies. 'Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.' John Muir The lore and uses of wild garlic is immense as both an ancient plant used in spells and folk traditions as well as in medical herbalism. Probably the most striking fact at the time of writing this is the faith people put in the plant in 1918 during an influenza pandemic, literally carrying a sprig of this plant for protection in their pockets. It is all too easy to put such acts in the realms of superstition when in fact the absorption of this plant can actually help cure infections. In World War Two garlic (usually cultivated) was applied to sphagnum moss and used as an antiseptic! 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! In the realms of plants as discussed before it is also possible to connect with the qualities of a plant and ramsons is full of healing vital energy providing many nutrients with healing tendencies. In Ireland this plant has been used traditionally for tooth ache, inflamed fingers, mumps and swellings. 'nine diseases shiver before the garlic'- Irish proverb In the West of England they talk of eating leeks in March and ramsons in May so that all the year after the physicians may play! The plants properties are considered to also help purify the blood, cure boils and heal sore eyes as well as help many infections as well as sore throats and colds, the list seems endless. In the main the plant was administered by eaten it raw or boiling it in milk to produce a liquid which produced a burning sensation when applied, this made it popular as we seem to believe more in something if a reaction is induced! We now know that the most effective way to use this plant is to to crush, chew and digest the leaves as then it will release allicin that will act on micro-organisms. Wild garlic eaten by cows makes their milk undrinkable and maybe this is the origin of its name of ramsons as rams is an older word for 'rank.' The latin name of 'ursinum' comes from the latin word for bear which some may claim means it is only fit to eat by a bear or maybe it is referring to the shape of its leaves resembling the ears of a bear? However this plant is very popular as food flavouring dishes and sauces, it is best to use its leaves as the bulbs can make you feel ill and always be aware that you will kill large quantities of the plant if you trample all over it! If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Goose Grass Gallium aparine Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum Cleavers (Gallium aparine)Qualities of Goose Grass
An abundant straggling plant clambering through the undergrowth and climbing through the hedgerows. Its seeds cling to animal fur to aid distribution. Its luxuriant keen growth in spring brings a cleansing, moving refreshing energy of determination and direction. The family it belongs to are known as the bedstraws for their lush green foliage traditionally provided bedding ( see Lady's bedstraw). The bedstraws have four-angled stems and their leaves are arranged in whorls. Common Name: Cleavers Latin : Galium aparine Family: Rubiaceae History and/or use: Good spring tonic and nutritious vegetable boiled or eaten raw when very young. Wildlife Value: Food plant for insects. Goose Grass or Cleavers is a common plant that can be eaten as a green vegetable. Its seeds can be roasted to make a hot beverage. Medicinally the plant is an astringent and diuretic. It is used to help heal inward and outward wounds as well as being used to cleanse them. Internally it is used to treat psoriasis and eczema and support the lymphatic system. The plant is best used fresh as it loses its medicinal qualities in the drying process. Please note the plant can be a skin irritant. 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! The plant clings or cleaves to fur/materials to aid its distribution, giving it the name of cleavers. Shepherds have used it to strain hair out of sheep’s milk, and it has been fed to goslings, giving rise to the name Goose Grass. There are many related species including hedge, heath and lady’s bedstraw which are all part of the bedstraw family ( Rubiaceae) so called as they are plants traditionally used for bedding. Medicinally many species of bedstraw are used for staunching wounds especially woodruff, hedge, heath and lady’s bedstraw. The last two species are known for being styptics and therefore are good for treating nosebleeds. Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum) is so named because the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus upon it as all the other fodder was eaten by the donkeys. This story may be rooted in the folk tradition that the plant is said to help women to have a safe and easy childbirth. Lady’s bedstraw is also known to treat urinary diseases, epilepsy and gout and to help tired feet when placed in the bath. Its yellow flowers were used to curdle milk given rise to the folk names of ‘cheese rennet’ and ‘cheese running’. Both the leaves and stem of this plant create a yellow dye and the roots create a red dye. Crosswort ( Cruciata laevipes) is another bedstraw especially reputed for healing wounds. It grows in open woodlands and has yellow-green hairy leaves and numerous tiny yellow flowers. I usually dry the whole plant, steep it in oil for at least two weeks on a sunny windowsill, drain and add beeswax to produce an ointment. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. |
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Poetry of flowersJoin me to explore the flora of the British Isles on this blog. My intention is to attempt to capture the unique quality and beauty of each species of flower, tree or shrub. For every species featured I will be growing many more wildflowers to celebrate the joy of their existence, their intrinsic conservation value and bewildering array of uses. For nearly 30 years I have noted, studied and explored wildflowers in the field much to the patience of the walker beside me. To share this passion is a heartfelt plea to respect, preserve and care for all British Wildflowers no matter how common they seem. Archives
February 2024
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