New Year Plant Hunt 2023 - Uckfield North

2022 weather was a real rollercoaster with a drought, then incessant rain and, just before Christmas, hard frosts and snow and the Met Office has concluded it was the hottest year on record. So when I did the 2023 BSBI New Year Plant hunt I expected to find very few species in flower compared to previous years. Sure enough, this year, I found 22 species in bloom, much fewer than the 36 to 46 I found in each of the previous 3 years. 

Number of species vs Year.

For most of the species that I did find, there were far fewer plants in flower - for example, I usually expect to see Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in flower in several places during my hunt, whereas this time I found just one.

Daisy (Bellis perennis) - Manor Park

My first find was at the front of next door-but-one's garden - a Daisy (Bellis perennis) battered, but enough to get me going.

Ivy (Hedera helix) - Manor Park

As I made my way through the estate, I found a variety of little weeds in bloom as well as Ivy (Hedera helix). 

Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) - London Road

The Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) on London Road had obligingly come into bloom in time for the hunt.

Wendy Tagg with Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea) - High Street

The old walls at the top of the town are usually quite productive. However there were no flowers on the usually reliable Trailing Bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) and there were just two little flowers on the Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea).

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) - Bellbrook industrial estate

On the Bellbrook industrial estate the Gorse (Ulex europaeus) near the river Uck gave a nice splash of yellow.  

Alder (Alnus glutinosa) - Bellbrook industrial estate

Once again, I found red Alder (Alnus glutinosa) catkins lengthened and showing pollen. Trying to get a photo of them was a challenge as they danced in the breeze way above my head.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria Muralis) - Bellbrook industrial estate

There very few herbaceous plants in bloom but I found a Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus Repens) in the sheltered spot behind the Barny's Playbarn sign and an Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria Muralis) tucked behind a wall.

Hazel (Corylus avellana) dancing over the River Uck

I meandered down to the river, where it is bridged by the High Street and found fully lengthened catkins catching the sunlight over the river. 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - Southview Drive

After noting the Hazel (Corylus avellana), I headed home via Lime Tree Avenue, where I found some Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) with sorry-looking flowers. A quick inspection of the base of a South-facing wall in Southview drive yielded a Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and some Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Species found in bloom - wildflowers

Species found in Bloom - Naturalised

These are the garden plants that have 'jumped the garden fence'.

New Year Plant Hunt 2022 - Uckfield North

 Last year I started my post about the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt by saying "I was in two minds about doing the BSBI's New Year Plant Hunt this year. Covid-19 levels are running high and there is a new, more infectious strain around." I could have started this year's post with the same two sentences. However both Mum and I have had our vaccinations and boosters and we understand more about transmission so being amongst people outside is less worrying than a year ago. On the botanical side, I wondered what effect the relentless rain had had on the flowers I was hoping to find.

Winter Heliotrope, London Road side of Manor Park

I rushed to London Road (a bit South of the Ringles) to note the Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) that grows on the London Road side of Manor Park.  On the way, I saw many of the usual weeds such as Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), Daisy (Bellis perennis) etc. 

Pellitory-of-the-wall, corner of Regency Close

I headed directly down the High Street, recording species as I went. At the corner of Regency Close, I found Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria judaica), a plant for which the word non-descript could have been invented.

Pellitory-of-the-wall closeup

I had to use a hand lens to reveal the tiny flowers. A quick nose round Holy Cross's churchyard gave me a Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea).

Bush Vetch, Belmont Road

Belmont Road is a lovely old lane leading from the Church to the Oast House and allotments. It was a real pleasure to see the Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) blooming for the third time since I started doing the New Year Plant Hunt in 2015.

Dandelion, Uckfield Fire Station

I checked the hedge round the allotments but, in spite of the Hawthorn having buds, there wasn't a single flower. However there was a cheeky Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) near the Fire Station. 

Lesser Celandine

As I headed along the path towards the Meads, I spotted a Lesser Celandine, my first since 2018. 

Hazel, star-shaped female flower top left, male catkins just lengthening

At first, I thought that the Hazel (Corylus avellana) in the strip between path and bypass was going to let me down but I went and had a closer look.  Just a few of the male catkins were lengthening and one tiny female flower enabled me to add Hazel to my list. The fact I was knee-deep in brambles peering into a bush also attracted some friendly curiosity. We chatted about which flowers I had found and shared a smile when a Robin decided to check us out.

Gorse, Bellbrook Business Park

They say "When gorse is out of bloom, kissing is out of season." and sure enough, I found Gorse (Ulex europaeus) blooming on Bellbrook Business Park. 

Annual Mercury, Bellbrook Business Park

Just round the corner, I found a number of Annual Mercury (Mercurialis annua) plants not far from when I found it in 2017.

Fools Parsley, Bellbrook Business Park,

A little further along, there were some Alder trees with lengthening, pollen-laden catkins. While I noted these down I noticed a miserable-looking plant at their feet. I couldn't make anything of it at the time and had to take a piece home for proper identification.  After much peering at books and keys, I ended up with Fools Parsley (Aethusa cynapium). Tim Rich of the Sussex Botanical Recording Society and Moira O'Donnell of the BSBI 2022 #NewYearPlantHunt team kindly confirmed this.  

At this point the clouds began to roll over and, conscious that my three hours was nearly up, I made for home and set about untangling my results.

2022 - 45 species of which 5 were naturalised garden plants that had 'jumped the fence'

2021 - 46 species of which 6 were naturalised 

2020 - 36 species of which 4 were naturalised

2019 - 45 species of which 4 were naturalised

2018 - 28 species of which 3 were naturalised

2017 - 23 species of which 2 were naturalised

2016 - 34 species of which 4 were naturalised

2015 - 21 species of which 2 were naturalised 

Species found in bloom - Wildflowers

Species found in bloom- naturalised