This is the third year in a row in which my BSBI New Year Plant Hunt number of species has been kept low (35 wild species in flower) by large amounts of rain reducing many of the plants I am hunting for to mush. This contrasts with some of the preceding years in which an unusually mild Autumn and early Winter has lead to species counts in the 40s. The object of the hunt is to find how many wild plants are in flower in the days surrounding the new year.
It was minus 6 overnight and freezing temperatures continued as I started my hunt just after 9 am. The first few plants that I found were covered in frost.
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| Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea) |
As I scoured the area around Tesco Express, I found myself envying Oscar who was curled up in the warmth of the shop.
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| Oscar in Tesco Express |
On the way up to the town found the usual little weeds and then a summer flower - Hypochaeris radicata (Cat's-ear).
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| Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris radicata) |
The walls around Holy Cross church yielded some finds such as Parietaria judaica (Pellitory-of-the-wall), which has tiny fuzzy little flowers.
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| Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria judaica) |
Trees were playing their part too. Near Bell Farm Road and on the Bellbrook Industrial Estate, Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Alder (
Alnus glutinosa) catkins had lengthened and could be included in the count.
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| Alnus glutinosa (Hazel) |
One of my favourite finds was a large patch of Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) with a scattering of flowers.
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| Viola odorata (Sweet Violet) |
I worked my way through the Industrial Estate and then headed back through the town. I finished by checking out the Winter Heliotropes (Petasites fragrans) alongside Manor Park, not far from the Ringles Cross.
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| Petasites fragrans (Winter Heliotrope) |
By the time I finished, the sun had come up but it was cold enough to make me glad that I was heading home.
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| Nearly home. |
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