Roses, Legumes, Brassicas, and More…

Silverweed

Potentilla anserina.

The plant produces yellow flowers that resemble small buttercups. The flowers have five petals and bloom in late spring to early summer. 

Creeping Cinquefoil

Potentilla reptans.

Creeping cinquefoil is a low-growing, creeping perennial plant with bright yellow flowers.

Flowers: 7-11mm

Wild Strawberry

Fragaria vesca.

Wild strawberry is a small perennial plant that grows in various habitats, including meadows, woodlands, and even rocky areas. It forms low, spreading mats of green foliage and produces small, flavorful strawberries that are bursting with sweetness. 

Tormentil

Potentilla erecta.

Tormentil is a low-growing, creeping perennial plant with yellow flowers that bloom from May to September. It is found in acid grassland, heathland, and moorland.

Bramble

Rubus fruticosus.

The bramble is a prickly shrub that can grow up to two meters tall. It has long, arching stems with thorns, and its leaves are divided into three or five serrated leaflets. The bramble produces berries in summer.

Wood Averns

Geum urbanum.

Wood Averns grow to about 50cm tall. The flowers are 8-15mm in diameter, yellow, with five petals.

Gorse

Ulex europaeus.

Gorse is an important habitat for wildlife, providing shelter for birds, small mammals, and invertebrates, but can be a problematic invasive species.

White Clover

Trifolium repens.

White or pink flowers are shaped like ball leaves divided into three leaflets.

Bird’s-foot-trefoil

Lotus corniculatus.

Bird’s-foot-trefoil is a perennial legume. The flowers are bright yellow and bloom in the spring and summer. The seed pods are brown to purple and resemble a bird’s foot.

Garlic Mustard

Alliaria petiolata.

Garlic Mustard is an invasive herbaceous plant native to Europe. It has heart-shaped leaves with a garlicky aroma when crushed. Garlic Mustard produces small clusters of white flowers and spreads rapidly, outcompeting native plants. It poses a threat to biodiversity in woodland areas and is challenging to control.

Hedge Mustard

Sisymbrium officinale.

Hedge mustard is a biennial or perennial herbaceous plant. It has deeply lobed leaves and produces small clusters of yellow flowers. Hedge mustard is commonly found in hedgerows, roadsides, and disturbed areas. It has a long history of culinary and medicinal uses.

Charlock

Sinapis arvensis.

Found where wildflower seeds were sown, so not sure it is a true native of the park.

Have you seen it anywhere else? Please let us know.

Treacle-mustard

Erysimum cheiranthoides.

Treacle-mustard is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant. It is characterised by yellow flowers and narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Treacle mustard is typically found in fields, disturbed areas, and along roadsides. It is considered a weed in some regions but has medicinal uses in traditional herbal medicine.

Shepherd’s-purse

Capsella bursa-pastoris.

Shepherd’s purse is a small annual or biennial herbaceous plant that has basal rosettes of deeply lobed leaves that resemble a shepherd’s purse, hence its common name.  Shepherd’s purse produces small, white flowers that have four petals arranged in a cross shape.

Common Whitlowgrass

Erophila verna.

Flowers in spring.  Each stem has about 10 long-stalked flowers with 4 white petals, which are deeply divided so that it can appear that there are 8 petals.

Cuckooflower

Cardamine pratensis.

Lady’s Smock, or Cuckooflower, is a herbaceous perennial plant. The plant produces delicate, four-petaled flowers that are usually pink or pale lilac in colour, occasionally white.

Hairy Bitter-cress

Cardamine hirsuta.

Found on damp disturbed ground. Flowers from February to November.

Water-cress

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum.

Water-cress flowers are small, white, and four-petaled. They are borne in clusters on stalks that rise above the leaves. The flowers have a peppery, mustardy scent and are attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Violet

Viola.

Viola is a genus with over 680 species of flowering plants. There are not many wild in the park.

Common Mallow

Malva sylvestris.

Mallow Family.

Common mallow (Malva sylvestris) is a herbaceous plant that grows up to 1.5 meters tall. It has hairy stems and leaves, and its flowers are pink or purple with darker stripes. 

Petty Spurge

Euphorbia peplus.

Spurge Family

Flower: Greenish.

Leaves: Oval.

Upright annual, found in many places.

Herb Robert

Geranium robertianum.

Geranium Family

Herb Robert is a small plant with divided leaves and pink or purple flowers. It grows in woodlands and meadows, preferring shady areas. It blooms in spring and early summer, attracting bees and butterflies. Herb Robert has a strong scent.

Perforate St John’s-wort

Hypericum perforatum.

One of many varieties of St John’s-wort, most likely perforatum due to the small black dots seen on the leaves, and some petals.

Flowers Jun to September.

Trailing St John’s-wort

Hypericum humifusum.

Similar to the Perforate St John’s-wort, but rather than tall flower stems, it is trailing in nature. Also has the distinctive black dots. Flowers Jun to September.

Enchanter’s-nightshade 

Circaea lutetiana.

Willowherb Family.

Enchanter’s-nightshade is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows in sun-dappled woodland.  It has slender stems with opposite leaves and small, pinkish-white flowers with two strongly notched petals. Its fruit is an oval, one-seeded dry fruit covered in bristles with little hooks, which help it to disperse by attaching itself to passing animals and birds. 

Dog’s Mercury

Mercurialis perennis

Dog’s Mercury is a bushy plant growing up to 30cm tall with bright green, serrated leaves that are densely packed around the erect stems.

Unpleasant smell!