New Year Plant Hunt 2020 - Uckfield (2020)

This is my sixth year doing the Botanical Society of the British and Ireland's New Year Plant Hunt. After last year's high score, the number of wild or naturalised plants in flower has settled down to a more usual level. The scores for the last few years are:

• 2015 - 21 species of which 2 were naturalised garden plants that had 'jumped the fence'
• 2016 - 34 species of which 4 were naturalised
• 2017 - 23 species of which 2 were naturalised
• 2018 - 28 species of which 3 were naturalised
• 2019 - 45 species of which 4 were naturalised
• 2020 - 36 species of which 4 were naturalised

The first flowering plants I found were the simple weeds of grass and gardens: Petty Spurge, Daisies, Dandelions etc.

Winter Heliotrope - Just South of the Ringles

A few days previously, I had driven along the London Road and was really excited to find a strip filled with pinkish, fluffy flowers. It is Winter Heliotrope.

Sweet Violet

I visited the little courtyard in front of what used to be Parade Radio. I've often found Sweet Violets (Viola odorata) and several were blooming.  I made my way through the churchyard and along Belmont Lane. Towards the end of the lane, I found a hazel whose catkins had lengthened and could therefore be added to my list.

Gorse, Bellbrook Industrial Estate

In the Industrial Estate I found the ever reliable Gorse (Ulex europaeus) in bloom.

Common Chickweed, Bellbrook Industrial Estate

I was amused by a cheeky Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) growing in artificial turf. Nature always finds a way.

Wild carrot, Bellbrook Industrial Estate

There were some unexpected and rather nice wild flowers outside Barney's Play. I hope the visiting children enjoy seeing them. The "Nervous Botanist" kindly identified the first as Wild Carrot with pretty, lacy flowers. I have always associated Wild Carrot with the more alkali soils around Leatherhead so I was surprised to find it there.

Field Penny-cress, Bellbrook Industrial Estate

The other was a Field Penny-cress (Thlaspi arvense), with strange "penny" seed heads. When I held a piece up to the light, I could see four seeds inside each "penny". Joshua Styles kindly confirmed. Looking at the map in The Flora of Sussex, this appears to be a new species for our "Square".

A quick break in the Station pub!

After a quick break in the Station pub, I checked the Hawthorn hedge alongside the allotments. There was none blooming.

Scentless Mayweed, Manor Park

I made my way back home through Lime Tree Avenue and Manor Park.  The most unexpected find was a Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum).  My last find was a Dog Violet (Viola riviniana) alongside our garden path.

The Science Bit

Location: Uckfield (North), East Sussex.  Start point: TQ478219

41 Wild Plants Flowering on 1 January 2020

Scientific name	Common name
Achillea millefolium	Yarrow
Bellis perennis	Daisy
Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd's Purse
Cardamine hirsuta	Hairy Bittercress
Cerastium fontanum	Common Mouseear
Conyza sumatrensis	Guernsey fleabane
Corylus avellana	Hazel
Crepis capillaris	Smooth Hawk's-beard
Daucus carota	Wild Carrot
Erigeron canadensis	Canadian Fleabane
Euphorbia peplus	Petty Spurge
Fumaria bastardii	Tall Ramping Fumitory
Hedera helix	Ivy
Lamium album	White Dead-nettle
Lamium purpureum	Red Dead-nettle
Parietaria judaica	Pellitory-of-the-wall
Petasites pyrenaicus	Winter Heliotrope
Poa annua	Annual Meadow Grass
Polypogon viridis	Water Bent
Ranunculus acris	Meadow buttercup
Senecio jacobaea	Common Ragwort
Senecio vulgaris	Groundsel
Sonchus oleraceus	Smooth Sow-thistle
Stellaria media	Common Chickweed
Taraxacum officinale	Dandelion
Thlaspi arvense	Field Penny-cress
Tripleurospermum inodorum	Scentless Mayweed
Ulex europaeus	Gorse
Urtica dioica	Common nettle
Veronica persica	Common Field Speedwell
Viola odorata	Sweet Violet
Viola riviniana	Dog Violet

4 Naturalised Plants flowering on 1 January 2020

Scientific name	Common name
Bergenia cordifolia	Elephants ears
Campanula poscharskyana	Trailing Bellflower
Centranthus ruber	Red Valerian
Corydalis lutea	Yellow Corydalis