Blogs on our fascinating, frustrating and ever-changing urban plants put together as I work on a new book detailing the urban flora of Newcastle and nearby North Tyneside.
An update on ongoing survey carried out to map and record the diverse and fascinating Urban Flora of Newcastle.
Since October last year, I’ve been busy recording for what I am loosely calling an Urban Flora of Newcastle – an in-depth account of the wild and naturalised plants growing within the city limits. With some 52 tetrads visited so far, some more than once, I think it is going rather well. Indeed, to date, a total of 598 species have been found growing in a seemingly wild state. A startling number of plants, and a lot to get your head around!
While I am far from done – I’ll need to visit 103 tetrads in multiple seasons – the process of surveying is already yielding some interesting results, and a few difficulties too. An update on some of these can be found below.
Stumbling blocks
What exactly is urban?
What exactly constitutes an urban habitat? Is it is the presence of concrete, tarmac, or perhaps buildings? Is it the proportion of a tetrad or square occupied by man-made habitats vs natural ones? Who knows, but this is a question I have wrestled with quite a bit so far. It is for this reason that I have removed 43 tetrads from the present survey, particularly on the peripheries of the city but also including areas such as Gosforth Nature Reserve where the flora is altogether more natural. Some outliers remain, but only where greenspace is choked by urbanisation.
Trees
Trees pose a fairly unique problem with the origins of many mature specimens being questionable at best. For this reason, I have chosen to only include trees where there is clear evidence of natural spread. Saplings and suckers are far easier to assess. That said, mature trees in relic habitats have been included. Especially within the city’s wooded denes.
Suspicious shrubs
Shrubs pose a similar problem to trees and it is becoming clear that within the city, we have a tendency to plant a whole range of weird and wonderful bushes. For this reason, I taking an even more radical approach by ignoring any which look remotely suspicious. Still, despite this, there has been an awful lot to see as many species readily spread from planting schemes.
Garden weeds
Plants in gardens are always going to be contentious but with plenty of disturbed ground and pavement cracks, gardens are a good habitat for a whole host of species. Few people plant Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirtsuta) for example. Occasionally, garden plants can also be seen spreading into lawns, walls, and nearby gardens. These are fair game.
I wrote a little about urban cotoneasters in Newcastle here. What is quickly becoming clear with this difficult group is that there are plenty more out there to be discovered beside the usual Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horozontalis). After the first record for VC67 a few weeks back, Swedish Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster x suecicus) has turned up at more sites still. What else is out there to be discovered?
Redwood-Sorrel
An odd find in Jesmond Dene recently was an expansive patch of Redwood-Sorrel (Oxalis oregana) on a wooded bank. This species hasn’t been recorded before in North East and likely stems from a historic introduction or perhaps a garden throw-out. It is native, as you might expect, to North America.
Atlantic Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is a common sight just about everywhere in the city. It wasn’t until recently, however, that I realised that many of these plants were not English Ivy at all. With its wider terminal lobe, green veining, and distinctive smell, Atlantic Ivy (Hedera hibernica) is no doubt hideously under-recorded. It is certainly common in several of the tetrads visited so far.
Redwood-sorrel (Oxalis oregana), Jesmond DeneSwedish Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster x suecicus), Ouseburn
Newcastle’s changing flora
Shifting Fleabanes
Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis) is a common sight in the city – in gardens, pavements, and ruderal patches. Its cousin, Guernsey Fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis) is historically much rarer but surprisingly, is cropping up at more sites than expected often in great numbers.
Narrow-leaved Ragwort
Narrow-leaved Ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) is another species on the increase. Only a few years back, it was only really present at a few spots along the Tyne but is now appearing by roadsides (and within gardens) elsewhere in the city. Recently, I also encountered what could be a hybrid between this and the commoner Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) but alas, I will need to watch it throughout the summer. I live in hope!
Shrubs taking hold
Many of the shrubs beloved in urban planting schemes have an uncanny knack for escaping into the wild. Wilson’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida) is a prime example, but similar trends are being seen albeit rarely in Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum), Hybrid Coralberry (Symphoricarpos × chenaultii) and Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus). The latter of which seems to like brownfield land here in Heaton.
Water Bent
Following its lightning spread across Southern parts of the UK, Water Bent (Polypogon viridis) reached Newcastle only recently. This year alone, I have found in within gutters, roadsides, and even gardens in several squares around Heaton and Byker. I suspect it is far more widespread than the maps would have you believe…
Recently, I’ve been taking a closer look at wild and naturalised cotoneasters in Newcastle. Here’s what I’ve found so far, from an amateur’s perspective.
Cotoneasters are a tricky bunch. Over 70 species have been recorded growing in a naturalised state in the UK, with new ones popping up all the time. Of these, many look remarkably similar, with even the ‘standard’ urban cotoneasters such as Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) having several lookalikes. Perhaps this is the reason I have willfully ignored them until now.
Despite the difficulty associated with identifying them, cotoneasters are an interesting bunch – thuggish invaders or successful urban colonists, depending on who you speak to. Aided and abetted by birds, these tenacious shrubs seem to appear everywhere from gravel driveways and walls to woodland, scrub, and hedgerows. A factor that makes them an interesting group to look at. Keen to learn about those growing on my doorstep, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do over recent months.
Please note that while I am getting better at documenting my finds, I was lacking many of the photos required for this post. I have included images from the fabulous resource that is Saxifraga to illustrate key species.
Urban Cotoneasters
So far, I have recorded 11 species of cotoneaster growing in a wild state on walks close to home. Some of these are well-known locally, with others being scarce or poorly recorded. Some initial notes on these are shared below…
Tree Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster frigidus)
C. frigidus seems to be one of the more conspicuous cotoneasters in the city. It is fairly widespread as a planted ornamental, commonly along bridleways and roadsides. It can also be seen planted in parks, including an impressive specimen in the coalfield area of Jesmond Dene.
Given how often it is planted, it is perhaps little surprise that this species readily escapes and it some places, it can be difficult to tell exactly what is wild and what isn’t. Still, I have recorded it growing wild at several sites.
Besides its large and impressive size, the large, willow-like leaves on this species sport veins which are faint and hardly impressed. The latter is a useful aid when telling it apart from two other species mentioned below.
This is a contender for Newcastle’s commonest cotoneaster. Now I know what to look for, I am seeing it everywhere from rocky riversides and wasteground to hedgerows and more natural habitats. C. salicifolius is widely planted locally in amenity beds and it isn’t uncommon to observe several smart-looking cultivars. It appears to spread wildly with a little help from our feathered friends.
This species is generally smaller than C. frigidus and often is more of a shrub than a tree. Unlike the former, it is also evergreen and its smaller leaves boast strongly impressed veins.
A hybrid between C. frigidus and C. salicifolius this cotoneaster is scantly recorded in a wild state locally. It is popular in cultivation and can be seen in a planted state in several places around the city. That said, it grows wild too and records on three occasions relate to seemingly wild specimens growing in close proximity to both parent species. I imagine there are a lot more out there to be found.
C. x watereri is intermediate between its parents in having large leaves which as moderately impressed and often turn reddish in winter. The leaves also remain hairy beneath which does not seem to be the case in C. salicifolius. It is a fairly large, erect plant – often closer to C. frigidus than C. salicifolius in my very limited experience.
Franchet’s Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster franchetii)
One of the cotoneasters with fuzzy white undersides to their leaves and I confess the one to which I assigned all such plants without much thought previously. C. franchetii is extremely common in amenity planting, used everywhere from roundabouts to city car parks, and unsurprisingly, is one of the more widely recorded species in the North East. That said, two of the three specimens I have stumbled across recently haven’t been C. franchetii at all (more on that soon)!
So far, I have found this species a couple of times growing as both a pavement plant and in scrubby patches. The white underside to the leaves and white fuzz on the new twigs give it a distinctive look and at least put you in the right ballpark. The leaves are also small (25-37mm) as opposed to the species below.
Pottering along one of the local bridleways in late 2022, I stopped to record what I assumed was C. franchetii growing in a shady patch beneath some tall trees. I did notice it had ‘large’ leaves but thought little of it other than snatching a sample to key out later. It wasn’t until I stumbled across the fab Alien Plants of Belgium website that I realised that these ‘large’ leaves likely meant a completely different ID entirely and a new county record.
C. sternianus looks a lot like C. franchetti but sports noticeably longer leaves – 37-49mm as opposed to the 25-37mm of the latter. Mine came in at an average of 42mm. It can also possess an additional fourth nutlet (seed) inside the fruit; though the berries I collected all had three.
I have since found this species masquerading as C. franchetti again at Walker and feel fairly confident with the ID. Still, I’ll make a point of returning to see both in flower. This species is known fairly widely in the UK, so perhaps I shouldn’t be too surprised.
Hollyberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster bullatus)
Along with C. salicifolius and C. franchetii, this is one of the more widely recorded cotoneasters. It is commonly planted and tends to pop up in semi-shady areas such as woodland, parkland, scrub, and hedgerows. It may be that C. bullatus is over-recorded locally, including by myself, as further reading reveals it a lookalike species, Cotoneaster rehderi, is more abundant in other areas of the country. Still, some recent records are definitely this one – the leaves were too small for rehderi.
A large, attractive cotoneaster, this species has bullate (blistered) leaves owing to the strongly impressed veins on the upper leaf surface. It also has a more spreading habit than its cousin which will no doubt help when looking closer at this group in 2023.
Not previously recorded in our region, C. lacteus has been recorded widely but infrequently in other parts of the country. It is a rather lovely-looking plant and as such, is regularly planted as part of amenity schemes. With the aid of birds, it is known to occasionally appear in a wild state, particularly in hedgerows and ruderal patches.
During a walk with the Northumberland Botany Group in late 2022, we gathered samples from a self-sown cotoneaster growing beside a busy public bridleway at Walker. These were later revealed to be nice species – the first recorded locally.
C. lacteus is a tall plant (to 8m) and sports fairly large oval leaves with strongly impressed veins. These are broadest towards the tip and remain on the plant year-round. While fruiting, it boasts prominent bunches of shiny red berries which as round in shape.
One of the most widely recorded naturalised cotoneasters in the UK, C. simonsii is very popular in planting schemes. It is known to readily self-seed into the wild where it prefers dry habitats including walls, railway sidings, and brownfield. It has also been recorded from woodland.
Isolated specimens of this species appear fairly frequently in Newcastle, in a whole manner of habitats. It is interesting to note, however, that it is seldom present in any great number.
C. simonsii is a stiffly erect, bushy species growing to around 3m. Its leaves are deciduous (supposedly), shiny, and fairly small (1.5-2.5cm). They are also appressed hairy with greenish undersides.
The omnipresent urban cotoneaster and by far the commonest low-growing species found in the city. Planted frequently in gardens and bird-sown on walls, in pavements, and across rough, stony areas, C. horizontalis gets everywhere. To date, I have found it in around twenty monads within the city.
This species is best identified by the ‘herringbone’ pattern of its branches which form distinctive, fan-like sprays. It is important to note that there are several other low-growing, small-leaved species which can cause confusion. The leaves of C. horizontalis are small (to 9mm), leathery and acute at the apex.
For the past few years, a small cotoneaster growing as a bird-sown specimen in a hedge here in Heaton has been annoying me no end. It looked, at least at first, like C. horozontalis but appeared scruffier in habit and had larger leaves. Well, last weekend I finally plucked up the courage to take a look. I’m glad I did!
With slightly larger and clearly rounded, mucronate leaves, my specimen here in Heaton was undoubtedly C. hjelmqvistii instead. A species known from only one other site in Newcastle but likely flying under the radar owing to its similarity to the former species.
C. microphyllus is another species I encountered for the first time in 2022. Anecdotally, it seems to be one of the more numerous small-leaved cotoneasters locally. So far, I have observed it growing in stonework and in rough grassland on the banks of the Tyne.
Another species commonly planted in amenity schemes, this is a mound-forming shrub that grows to around 1m. It is evergreen with particularly small leaves that are both dark green and shiny above, and grey-green below. The undersides are also hairy, at least initially.
Cotoneaster x suecicus (Cotoneaster conspicuus x dammeri)
And so we come to our latest urban find. Cotoneaster x suecicus, including its cultivar ‘Coral Beauty’ are extremely popular plants in cultivation. It is perhaps little wonder then that it has escaped to colonise a small patch of stonework beside the Ouseburn in Newcastle. Even if it hasn’t been recorded locally before now, there will no doubt be more of it out there.
This is another species with small, evergreen leaves which are noticeably smaller than its parent, C. dammeri. Its leaves are shiny with clearly visible veins which are scarcely impressed. The plant shown below also demonstrated the shrubby, arching habit which helps set it apart from other similar cotoneasters.
With over 70 cotoneaster species recorded wild in the UK, the chances are that there are far more out there for me to find in Newcastle. A few of these have been recorded locally in the past and others have been spotted elsewhere in the North East. They may or may not turn up but now that I’ve gone down this particular rabbit hole, the hunt will continue.
Get started identifying the wild and naturalised snowdrops you’re most likely to spot in a brand-new crib sheet suitable for beginners.
Thank you all so much for continuing to read and download recent entries in this series of beginner’s plant cribs. It means a lot.
With a few more abundant groups out of the way, now seemed like a good time to move away from familiar urban plants and tackle something a little more challenging: Snowdrops.
Now, I know what you might be thinking – snowdrops all look the same. Small, white, and blooming usually (but not always) in late winter, I tend to agree. Or did, that is. Since I started looking at my local snowdrops here in Newcastle, it has become quite clear that they are far more diverse than meets the eye. Inspired by a few local finds, I wanted to explore the species you’re most likely to see wild, naturalised, and yes, planted, here in the North East. True to form, I have included some other species and varieties too but only because they’re bound to turn up eventually.
Identifying Snowdrops
Well-naturalised in woodlands, hedgerows, large gardens, and other shady areas, snowdrops bring joy to many in late winter. Looking past the obvious similarities, they can be an interesting bunch to explore, and even with a tentative glance, it is possible to find several species with relative ease. Especially if humans have been involved in spreading them. In this crib, we’ll look at:
Get started identifying ragworts and groundsels with a brand-new crib sheet suitable for beginners.
Find keys boring? You’re not alone. While those of us who spend our days obsessively searching for plants quite like them, for most people, they don’t cut the mustard. Indeed, they can be particularly offputting to beginners.
It is for this reason that I wanted to start a new series on this blog – Common’s Cribs, a full series of which will eventually appear here. Hopefully colourful and straightforward, these simple guides include only the species people are likely to encounter during their daily lives, hopefully making the process of identifying a plant easier.
Identifying Ragworts
Yellow, conspicuous, and with an unnecessarily negative reputation, ragworts (and their cousins, the groundsels) are an obvious bunch in our towns and cities. Growing in pavement cracks, as well as weedy areas, they can all look fairly yellow and similar at first but look closer and the differences become clearer.
This weekend provided a nice opportunity for our new local botany group to visit Walker Riverside. Here’s what we encountered.
Botany (and wildlife recording in general) can often be a solitary affair. For many of us, I suspect, myself included, that suits us just fine. At least most of the time. Sometimes, however, it is nice to do things as a group. Not least only for the company but also for the support and increased brainpower that comes with combining noggins!
It is for the reasons listed above that a few friends and I wanted to get the ball rolling on a new informal group for botanists North of the Tyne. Both to make things a little more social and support one another and to ensure that we’re working with local experts to capture important plant records. I am pleased to say that this weekend, this came to fruition with our merry band meeting for the first time at Walker Riverside in Newcastle.
As you’ll see from the photos below, we had a jolly good day and learned a lot. A big thank you to those who came along! Now, what about the plants?
A lesson in Speedwell IDScrutinising some Black SpleenwortOh no, a St. John’s WortObligatory group shotSt. Peter’s MarinaPhotographing Clustered Bellflower
Walker is a very diverse site I have written about several times. What never fails to surprise here is the tendency for it to throw up new and unusual discoveries, several of which were made during our visit. Atlantic Ivy (Hedera hibernica) was a particularly interesting one and nice to compare with some nearby Common Ivy (Hedera helix) and Persian Ivy (Hedera colchica). Megs Rogers, VCR for South Northumberland, also came up trumps with a candidate for Small Gorse (Ulex minor) and last month’s county first Balkan Spurge (Euphorbia oblongata) was also admired. The latter ID may well change now someone more knowledgeable than I has taken a look…
As a group, we also noted several other interesting plants between St. Peter’s Basin and Walker Riverside Park. Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata) was still in bloom, as was Cut-leaved Dead-nettle (Lamium hybridum) and Green Field-speedwell (Veronica agrestis). Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) was a nice find on the cycleway, and rare locally, and it was nice to note Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acer) still clinging on. A few other finds are mentioned alongside some excellent photography in Ho-Yin Wong’s tweet below.
Revisited Walker today with the new botany recording group led by @CommonByNature
Some finds include: Rubus tricolor/Chinese Bramble; Catoneaster salicifolius/Willow-leaved Cotoneaster; Erigeron sumatrensis/Gurnsey Fleabane; and some E. acer/Blue Fleabane still flowering. pic.twitter.com/t1XCNMpWWd
A quick round up of this week’s outings in Newcastle with visits to multiple urban sites across the city.
City Centre
A trip into the very heart of Newcastle last weekend proved far more exciting than anticipated with over 140 species recorded. Starting out at St. Andrew’s Church and a highlight here was Wood Sedge (Carex sylvatica) – not a species commonly encountered in the city – while Guernsey Fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis) was a good local record. The nearby historic city walls held Black Horehound (Ballota nigra) and a potter along the roadsides fringing Westgate Road an interesting mix of Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), Hedge Bedstraw (Galium mollugo) and Weld (Reseda luteola).
Stopping at a very active development site close to St. James’ Park, I was delighted to stumble across a thriving brownfield mix of Ribbed (Melilotus officinalis) and White Melilot (Melilotus albus), Viper’s-bugloss (Echium vulgare) and Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis) typical of disturbed ground.
A quick poke about the pond margins at Leazes Park proved interesting with a new plant for me in Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), an introduction from North America, plenty of Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus) and what is likely Fool’s-watercress (Helosciadium nodiflorum). Nearby on Claremont Road, some recent disturbance had allowed Hoary Mustard (Hirschfeldia incana) and Red Goosefoot (Oxybasis rubra) to flourish.
A late afternoon wander up the road from home on Friday revealed not one but two new locations for Water Bent (Polypogon viridis), a new arrival here and a ‘Heaton tick’ in Guernsey Fleabane.
At Henderson Hall, it was nice to stumble across a mature Hop (Humulus lupulus) clambering through the path side shrubs – a nice addition to the ongoing urban flora. Here too, Black Horehound was numerous and interesting escapes were noted in Silver Ragwort (Jacobaea maritima), Pirri-Pirri-Bur (Acaena novae-zelandiae) and Italian Toadflax (Cymbalaria pallida).
Walking home via Coach Lane, a quick gander at what remains of the roadside pond here produced Water-plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) and the nearby grassland held plenty of Hoary Ragwort (Jacobaea erucifolia). By the roadside, some detective work suggested that a strange Mallow self-seeding in places could be the ornamental hybrid, Malva x clementii.
An unidentified Stonecrop in Heaton cemeterySilver Ragwort (Jacobaea maritima)Water Bent (Polypogon viridis)Tentative Malva x clementiiCanadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis)
Newburn Industrial Estate
A rare trip out with company this weekend as Saturday saw a slightly damp trip to Newburn alongside keen local botanist, Ho-Yin Wong. Exploring the vast expanse of brownfield here, it was difficult not to feel somewhat glum knowing it is due to be built on in the near future but nevertheless, much remained to be seen. Starting out in the industrial estate, not one but two patches of Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acris) were noted alongside Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) and Hop. The latter is usually a hard species to come by in Newcastle!
Opting first to explore the enormous area of damp grassland here, interesting sightings included Hoary Ragwort, False Fox-sedge (Carex otrubae) and Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca). Italian Rye-grass (Lolium multiflorum) was a new species for the Urban Flora and it was nice to note Large Bitter-cress (Cardamine amara) by one of the pools. Nearby, the shelterbelt surprised us with planted Juniper (Juniperus communis) and some more natural False-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum).
Pottering back along the riverside, it came as a surprise to spot not one but two species of naturalised bellflower: Nettle-leaved (Campanula trachelium) and Peach-leaved (Campanula persicifolia). The Dune Helleborines (Epipactis dunensis) were still visible here too while further up, a poke about the industrial estate ponds yielded Lesser Bulrush (Typha angustifolia).
A short round-up of a glorious Saturday morning spent botanising one of my favourite local sites.
It is no secret that I am a big fan of the messy, post-industrial yet incredibly diverse riverside park at Walker. Visiting for a few years now, I’ve already amassed a fairly respectable plant list for the site yet somehow, each visit continues to turn up something new. Things were no different on a visit this weekend with local botanist, Ho-Yin Wong.
Heading first for the marina at St. Peter’s Basin and it wasn’t long before colossal fleabane caught my eye growing in no-mans-land by the side of the road. Up here, Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis) tends to be the common species, so much so that I often walk past them without checking. That’ll teach me, this one turned out to be Gurnsey Fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis) identified by its hairy phyllaries.
Reaching the basin itself, it was pleasing to see that the various areas of pavement and wasteground here had not been ‘tidied’ as so many places around here often are. Lots more Guernsey Fleabane was found, alongside two more invaders: Russian Vine (Fallopia baldschuanica) and Narrow-leaved Ragwort (Senecio inaequidens).
Rummaging around further, Canadian Fleabane (with glabrous phillaries) was eventually observed, alongside Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) with its conspicuous black bracts. As for the highlight among the native species, it was nice to catch Small-flowered Crane’s-bill (Geranium pusillum) still in bloom.
Russian-vine (Fallopia baldschuanica)More Guernsey Fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis)Narrow-leaved Ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) seems to be spreading in Newcastle
Making our way down to the track that runs along the North bank of the Tyne, the usual riverside flora remained conspicuous. Here, Black Horehound (Balotta nigra) remained in flower and several self-sown Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) were seen. Much more interesting, however, were two new additions to the ‘Walker list’ in Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) and better still, White-stemmed Bramble (Rubus cockburnianus). The latter a Chinese endemic long known from the riverside here yet annoyingly, one which I have struggled to find, until now.
Moving on to the site of the old tar works and a real hotchpotch of interesting plants appeared in quick succession. Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata) remained in bloom, as did Wild Thyme (Thymus drucei), though sadly, the same could not be said for the Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) which grows here too. The Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) dumped on site last summer also appear to be thriving, much to my surprise, and it was interesting to note Grey Alder (Alnus incana). Slightly further on we also encountered Hoary Ragwort (Jacobaea erucifolia).
Back down by the riverside and it was exciting to record both Hoary Mustard (Hirschfeldia incana) and Flattened Meadow Grass (Poa compressa) – both scarce species locally. As a matter of fact, it was thanks to the aforementioned grass that we chanced upon what would turn out to be the highlight of the day – a great clump of Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acris). More on that one in an upcoming post.
Soon it was head off, though not before a quick excursion along the wooded cycleway further up the bank. Here, Chinese Bramble (Rubus tricolor) was a bit of a curiosity as was what I think is Box-leaved Honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata). Having watched it with frustration for two years now, I was also happy to make some headway with the ‘unusual’ spurge that grows here. Looking closer, it appears this might be Balkan Spurge (Euphorbia oblongata), identification made easier by the presence of fruit on this occasion.
Chinese Bramble (Rubus tricolor)Box-leaved Honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata)A tentative Balkan Spurge (Euphorbia oblongata)
A short introduction to a personal passion project mapping the diverse and fascinating flora of Newcastle
As many of you will know, I have a bit of fondness for Britain’s urban flora. I’m not sure why precisely, but for me, there’s something fascinating about how our plants adapt to artificial ecosystems and how species from all around the world find themselves living side-by-side in our cities. For a good few years now, I’ve been recording urban plants here in Heaton, Newcastle, and truthfully, it never gets boring.
More recently, I have been spreading out from my usual haunts at Heaton and Walker to see what else is lurking out there in the city. The result? A mind-boggling number of plants and an intriguing mix of the common, everyday, scarce and exotic. From Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus), an exotic shrub not recorded growing wild in the city before, to coastal Buck’s-horn Plantain (Plantago coronopus) growing by a salted roadside, there’s been a lot to see. So much, in fact, that in only a few weeks, I have notched up 437 plant species within a few miles of home. All of which goes without mentioning other delights such as Atlantic Ivy (Hedera hibernica) hiding in plain sight in my local cemetery, and new and unusual escapes: Niger (Guizotia abyssinica), Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) and Shrub Ragwort (Brachyglottis x jubar).
Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) growing by a roadside in JesmondNiger (Guizotia abyssinica) I do believeLaurustinus (Viburnum tinus) growing on Brownfield at HeatonAtlantic Ivy (Hedera hibernica) in a local cemetery
A Very Urban Flora
Of course, while pottering around looking at plants for the past few weeks, I have made an effort to record all of the species seen in each 1km square visited. These records will be shared with BSBI, of course, but thinking more on the matter, I’ve decided to go one step further and put pen to paper to create something a little more tangible. The obvious answer? An ‘Urban Flora’ for Newcastle.
Now, after some research online, it appears this isn’t something carried out frequently in the UK, nor is it entirely new. Sure, there’s the fab ‘The Urban Flora of Belfast‘ published in the 1990s but this isn’t all that relevant here. Although other studies might exist, creating a flora covering Newcastle seems a worthwhile exercise nevertheless. Britain (and my part of it) is only set to grow more urban in the future and amateur studies such as this provide a useful reference point against which to measure future change. More so, they’re also good fun!
Matt exploring some brownfield land at Heaton. We did manage one new plant….
Getting to work
So, now that I have broken the news and ensured that I can’t back out, what am I going to do?
Going forward, I’ll be visiting each 1km square within the Newcastle city boundary multiple times in multiple seasons, hopefully capturing an accurate picture of the plants growing there throughout the year. This process, I hope, will provide a semi-accurate picture of plant abundance and diversity across what is a fairly typical city. With the exception of street trees (which will form an appendix), I’ll not be recording anything planted, merely any plant spreading of its own accord in the wild.
Of course, there may be a few exceptions to the aforementioned rule. For sanity’s sake, sprawling groups such as Rubus, Taraxacum and Rosa will be omitted, except for conspicuous species. Chinese Bramble (Rubus tricolor) is a good example here. As ever, recorder bias may also play a part in the final result but I hope to counteract this by attempting to learn some of the more difficult groups (gulp, cotoneasters) or at the very least, consulting with some helpful experts.
Garden Pansy (V. x wittrockiana) growing as a pavement plantHimalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa) in Jesmond DeneGreaer Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) peristing on a roadsideA roadside Borage (Borago officinalis) near Gosforth
This being an urban flora, it wouldn’t make much sense to survey and include Newcastle’s more scenic areas – we are blessed with a good few here and many of these resemble more rural environments. As you’ll see from the rough map below, areas of farmland to the North and West will be excluded, as will nature reserves managed to appear ‘natural’. Sorry Havannah, Big Waters and Gosforth. Resembling more of a rural pasture, the Town Moor will also be excluded. That said, greener but typically urban habitats such as parks, roadsides, roundabouts, playing fields, and the like are all fair game. Hopefully, this will help keep things decidedly urban in nature.
For simplicities sake, I’ll be using a system of 1km squares to survey the city
Even for a relatively small area such as Newcastle, carrying out a project like this will (and rightfully should) take up quite a bit of time. I have given myself three years to achieve good coverage, but it may take longer. After that, I hope that I may be able to get the final product published somewhere, though, of course, that depends on a multitude of factors including money, supportive organisations, and the end product not being entirely rubbish!
Well, that’s that. My aim over the next few years is to create something sound, accurate and of both local and hopefully wider interest. Let work on the Urban Flora of Newcastle commence…
