The Rosamund Diaries

Description With glossy, dark-green and heart-shaped leaves with long stalks and shiny, yellow star-like flowers with eight to twelve petals, lesser Celandine is a cheerful harbinger of spring found throughout the United Kingdom. It can be found in woodlands, hedgerows riverbanks, and meadows from February to May. It is a member of the buttercup family, not to be confused with Greater Celandine, which is poppy family. Lesser celandine is not a geophyte (a plant with a bulb –

Latin name:   Viscum album (can translate as white goo!) Common name: Churchman’s Greeting, Kiss-and-go, Masslin, Misle and Mislin-Bush. Habitat: Native to the UK, lives in the canopies of broadleaf trees and apple trees. Mistletoe is relatively common but declining as more and more established orchards are cut down. With climate change it is thought to be on the move from its traditional counties on the English Welsh border and in the South of England.  The Tree Council is

Latin name:   Clematis vitalba Height: Low-growing, scrambling plant Conservation status: Common Origin: Native to southern UK Habitat: Hedgerows and low scrub, preferring chalky soil Appearance: Old Man’s Beard, part of the buttercup family, has compound leaves with three to five toothed leaflets. The white flowers, about 2 cm wide, appear to have petals but are actually sepals with large stamens. Its silky, feathery seed clusters, or achenes, give the plant its distinct

Scientific name:   Corylus avellana Habitat:   Hazel is widespread in Northern regions of Europe and Western Asia. It thrives in hedgerows the dappled woodland shade, often present in ancient woodlands as part of the understorey alongside oaks and field maples. Description:  Hazel typically produces multiple stems at ground level, so technically is categorised as a shrub rather than a tree with a base area of up to 2m diameter and a dense low level understory. It is a short-l

This time of year, the hedgerows are heavy with wild berries such as hawthorn, sloes, and these beautiful clusters of shiny elderberries. The elder tree can grow to around 15 metres tall and may live for up to 60 years. It is widespread across the UK, thriving in woodland, scrub, wasteland, and along hedgerows. Elders are often found near rabbit warrens or badger setts, where the animals help to spread the seeds in their droppings. Elder trees are characterised by their short

Our Plant of The Month is Pyramidal Orchid.

Latin name :  Isatis tinctoria  Ecology and habitat Woad thrives in temperate climates preferring well-drained soils. It is relatively...

Latin name: Primula vulgaris Habitat : Primroses thrive in shady, moist environments, making ancient woodlands, hedgerows, and...

Latin name: Galanthus nivalis Habitat and distribution:   Native to Europe and the Middle East, snowdrops have a firm foothold in the...

Latin Name: Prunus spinosa Height: up to 4m Conservation status: Common Origin:  native to UK and Europe Blackthorn is a deciduous...

Latin name:  Ilex aquifolium Height: up to 15m Conservation status : Common Origin:  Native Holly is one of our most familiar evergreen...

Scientific Name:   Euonymus europaeus Habitat: Spindle is a native tree to the UK and much of Europe. It is found most commonly on the...

Family : Crassulaceae Species :   Sedum   Common Names: Sedastrum, Sedum, Stonecrops There are over 300 different species of these...

Scientific Name:   Achillea millefolium Habitat: Yarrow is a tough plant of many grasslands, from lawns to verges and meadows. Yarrow...

Scientific Name: Urtica Dioica Nettles grow up to 5 feet tall and have opposing green leaves, which are coarsely toothed, oval, pointed...

Scientific Name: Senecio jacobaea Habitat : bare ground or thin vegetation allows the development of seedlings. Flowering time : July...

Latin name : Rhinanthus minor Distribution : widespread, common, grassland Flowering time : May-June Description Yellow rattle is an...

Common name: Cowslip Scientific name: Primula veris Family: Primroses Origin: native Flowering season: April to May Habitat: dry chalky...