ISSUE 1
A beautiful introduction to a beautiful subject.
pring
lackthorn 2cm 1cm A shrub or hedge that can grow
up to seven metres in height. Small white flowers appear on the stalks before leaves in March and April. The dark brown bark is smooth, and twigs form straight side shoots, which develop into thorns. Blackthorn is a deciduous shrub which sheds its leaves in the winter. Flowering time: March Habitat: Woodland and hedgerows
6cm
3cm
Sweet-scented pink or white flowers. A bramble like structure to the stems with red thorns and red bulbous fruit which appear after the petals have shed. The Dog Rose is a deciduous shrub which sheds its leaves in the winter. Flowering time: June-July Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows and on scrub-land
15cm
rocus 10cm
This cup shaped, solitary flower tapers off into a narrow tubular shape. The colours vary. However, lilac, Mauve, yellow and white are most common. Typically with three stamen and is composed of six petals. Crocus species vary hugely but the most common appear in spring (from bulbs). However, some also bloom in autumn and winter. Flowering time: March-April (predominantly) Habitat: Woodland, alpine meadows, rocky mountainsides
igella 5cm
3cm Most commonly a soft powder blue
(also white and pink) the five petalled flower is surrounded by a ring of lacy foliage so fine it emulates a green haze. Hence the colloquial name ‘Love in a Mist’. Nigella is annual. This means the plant lives for only one flowering season, goes to seed and then dies. Flowering time: June-September Habitat: Meadow, hedgerow and gardens
ummer
10cm
easel
4cm Can be seen throughout the
year as the brown dried heads persist long into winter. Tall reed like stems with large spiky seed heads characterise teasel. In summer they are green with a halo of small purple flowers around the head. Although teasel is deciduous it persists as a dead head through winter. Flowering time: July-August Habitat: Damp grassland, field edges and disturbed ground
oneysuckle 6cm
4cm Easily recognisable for their
colourful, trumpet shaped flowers, honeysuckle can be a climbing vine or shrub depending on the specific variety. They can be evergreen and bear its leaves throughout winter but mostly tend to be deciduous and shed leaves in the winter. In all its forms honeysuckle is incredibly fragrant, hence the name! Flowering time: March-July Habitat: Almost anywhere but mostly found in gardens
20cm
uddleia 10cm
A sweet honey like scent and long hanging, cone like collections of tiny purple flowers make Buddleia easily recognisable, especially in its urban habitats. It is particularly attractive to butterflies and is sometimes called the Butterfly Bush. Buddleia is semi evergreen, which means that some of its leaves are lost over winter. Flowering time: June-July Habitat: Waist-land, gardens and towns
ellow 10cm
ris
8cm
Grows from a bulb with four to twelve blooms to a bulb. Long sword shaped leaves are a blue green and the flowers range in colour from pale yellow to almost orange. As it is a bulb the yellow iris is perennial (lives for multiple years and blooms each year). Flowering time: May-July Habitat: Marshland, rivers and cultivated in gardens
utumn
2m
ommon ern Also known as bracken the plant sends up long triangular fronds that are divided and subdivided into smaller leaves. Ferns often grow excessively in thickets. Green through spring 0.6m and summer and turn bright burnt umber in autumn. It is one of the oldest living species, approximately 50 million years old. This dying back in the Winter months means that the common fern is deciduous. Flowering time: Not applicable Habitat: Moorland, woodland and hillsides
6cm
ea uckthorn
4cm Largely confined to coastal areas
where the salt spray stops other plants out competing it. It's a medium sized shrub with silvery green oval leaves and thorny stems. In Autumn sea buckthorn bears bright orange fruit which are very high in vitamins sea (when processed) and are used in many medicines. Bears both its fruit and leaves throughout most of winter and is therefore evergreen. Bears fruit: October-January Habitat: Coast-land, sand dunes and scrub
15cm
10cm
irginia reeper A vine growing plant much like ivy. Mostly cultivated in gardens, a very expedient grower up walls and other vertical surfaces. Unlike ivy the leaves are divided into five sections and turn red in the colder months. Virginia Creeper is deciduous as it sheds its leaves in winter after they turn. Bears Fruit: September-November Habitat: Mostly found in gardens or close to towns
ramble 3cm 2cm Also known as the Blackberry
bush the bramble is a tangled prickly shrub which is mainly comprised of red thorned vines. Small pink and white flowers appear in spring and are replaced by blackberries in later summer and autumn. Leaves are shed in the winter leaving just the thorny vines; deciduous. Bears Fruit: August-September Habitat: Almost anywhere but mostly hedgerows and scrub-land
inter
inter eliotrope 6cm
Forms in small clumps with 4cm heart shaped leaves. The flowering stem is thick, pinkish and hairy and several flowers extend from one stem. The flowers are a mix of white and dark pink with very small but plentiful petals. More common in the south of England. Sheds its flowers and leaves out of season (not in winter) so is still deciduous. It is also perennial as it re grows each winter. Flowering time: November-February Habitat: Stream sides, woodland and wetlands
orse 3cm A dark green shrub almost
completely comprised of shape
2cm spines. It can grow very large
and, in season, is dotted with bright yellow flowers. Both the flowers and seed pods are very similar to a pea plant in structure, one of its closest relatives. Gorse keeps its spines all through the winter an is therefore evergreen.
Flowering time: July-November Habitat: Open moors and coastal grassland
inter asmine 3cm 2cm Mostly made up of climbing or
twining vines, usually with small pine like leaves. The flowers grown directly from the vines and can range from bright yellow to white or pink. The many different types of winter jasmine can be evergreen or deciduous. Flowering time: December-March Habitat: Gardens or hedgerows
vy 10cm
A common climbing vine with very woody stems. The flowers form in green spherical clusters which are hard to discern from the rest of the plant. The leaves divide into three sections on 5cm younger stems and merge into a singular leaf as they mature. Ivy maintains its leaves throughout the year, so is evergreen. Flowering time: September-November Habitat: Woodland and hedgerows
simple starting point for those who appreciate greenery. Each issue will walk you through a sample of plants from each season. Issue one covers some of the most recognisable and found plants, so you can start to apply your new found knowledge straight away.