Tag: Plant of the Week

Plant of the Week: Blue Fleabane

Entry number #5 in our Plant of the Week series follows the discovery of a local rarity, Blue Fleabane, at three sites in Newcastle this week.

Blue Fleabane, Erigeron acris

Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acris) is a small but beautiful member of the Daisy family, Asteraceae. An annual or biennial species, it flowers from July until September and is widely associated with coastal habitats where it favours well-drained dune habitats. A lover of calcareous conditions, it can also be encountered in dry grassland, on verges and occasionally, as an urban weed.

Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acris) growing in a disused planter in Heaton, Newcastle

Befitting a love of well-draining, often quite desolate conditions, I have encountered this species at three sites locally of late. At the first of these, multiple plants were found growing in long-abandoned planters in my local industrial estate, notably in close proximity to Fern-grass (Catapodium rigidum) and other colonisers typical of such habitats. My second encounter came at Walker Riverside where several plants were found growing in pavement cracks by the Tyne. Finally, two more clumps of fleabane were spotted at Newburn Industrial Estate this morning.

Blue Fleabane is a scarce species in the North East, more numerous in County Durham (VC66) than in more Northerly vice-counties. Here, it is found frequently along the coast but also inland where it inhabits quarries and other dry habitats. In South Northumberland (VC67), it can be seen at several sites near Newcastle with an outlying population at Druridge Bay. It is rarer still in North Northumberland (VC68) where it can be seen at select coastal sites, including Lindisfarne.

What does it look like?

Blue Fleabane is similar in appearance to other small-flowered fleabanes in sporting small, inconspicuous flowers borne in panicles. The individual flowers appear flat-topped with ray florets only slightly longer than the disk florets. These lilac outer rays emerge from a yellow centre and from a distance, making the flower appear somewhat blue in colour. It is this feature which gives it the name, Blue Fleabane.

The general impression of this plant is one of a very short (less than 60cm) and densely hairy plant. The square stems are hairy, as are the phyllaries located behind the flowerhead – a useful feature in separating it from other plants in this family. Similarly, the clasping stem leaves are also hairy on both sides. The margins of these leaves are often untoothed or only slightly toothed, further separating this plant from other fleabanes.

Blue Fleabane is said to relieve tooth-ache and arthritic pains, though the truth of this remains to be determined…

Similar species

Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis) is a common non-native plant across much of the UK, including in the North East. This species tends to be far larger (but not always) and usually sports much more numerous flowers than Blue Fleabane. These are usually smaller too and lack attractive blue colouration.

Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acris) growing as a pavement plant at Walker

Plant of the week: Italian Toadflax

Entry number #4 in our Plant of the Week series follows an unexpected find in my local cemetery.

In what is quickly becoming a trend in this little series, this week’s plant is not one native to the UK. No, much like our previous Forked Catchfly, this one has its roots in the Mediterranean and is found naturally in Italy. A far cry from a dreary urban cemetery in Newcastle…

Italian Toadflax, Cymbalaria pallida

Italian Toadflax (Cymbalaria pallida) is a small but striking member of the Figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. This delicate little flower was introduced into cultivation in Britain by 1882 and was known to be growing in the wild by 1924. The first report of a naturalised population comes from Bardsea, Westmorland prior to 1977.

Italian Toadflax growing among the headstones in Jesmond Old Cemetery

The natural habitat of Italian Toadflax is rocky outcrops, shingles, scree and mountainsides. In the UK, it has readily adapted to inhabit man-made structures such as buildings, walls and other rocky places. At Jesmond Old Cemetery, where I encountered it, it was found growing in the cracked foundations of various old graves, as well as among the pavement.

In the North East, records of this plant are scarce but widespread. Here, it has been recorded in several towns and villages across Northumberland and County Durham, likely where it has escaped from cultivation. Only in one area does it appear common and widespread – Teesside where it has been recorded in several squares south of Middlesborough. Nationally, the picture is much the same with infrequent but widespread records and particular aggregations around urban centres.

What does it look like?

Italian Toadflax is superficially similar to the much more abundant Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), a species many of us encounter on a daily basis. The leaves of the two species are similar in shape being dark green and lobed, although those of Italian Toadflax are hairy. In contrast, those of Ivy-leave Toadflax are glossy and hairless.

The flowers of Italian Toadflax are fairly impressive and while they do resemble those of its common cousin, they are far larger and more prominent. Indeed, this is one of the first things noticed about the plant in the field. Look closer and you’ll see that these flowers are an attractive shade of violet with an extensive yellow patch on the flower lip.

It is worth noting that a white form of this species, Cymbalaria pallida ‘Alba’, also exists. As you would expect, the flowers of this cultivar are white as opposed to purple. This has only been recorded a handful of times as a garden escape.

Italian Toadflax has noticable bigger flowers
Looking closely, you can just make out the hairy leaves

Plant of the week: Forked Catchfly

Entry number #3 in our Plant of the Week series follows an exciting and unexpected find in Newcastle last week.

Unlike our last entry, this week’s plant is not one native to the UK. Nor is it one I suspect many people will have heard of – I certainly hadn’t. As you’ll see, Forked Catchfly is not a species one would typically expect to find growing in a patch of messy grassland within Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Forked Catchfly, Silene dichotoma

Forked Catchfly (Silene dichotoma) is a rather lovely member of the pink family native to parts of Eastern Europe. It occurs from Italy in the West eastward as far as Russia. It can also be widely encountered outside of its natural range in Western Europe, Africa and parts of America where it’s seeds often arrive alongside exports of grain and clover seed.

Forked Catchfly, spotted at Gosforth Nature Reserve in Northumberland

The natural habitat of Forked Catchfly is said to be disturbed grasslands and open forests. It also readily exploits man-made habitats including roadsides, wasteland and agricultural margins where soil disturbance is common. At Gosforth Nature Reserve, where I encountered it last week, it was found growing on a patch of formerly disturbed dry grassland. Had the seeds been in the soil already or had they escaped from nearby farmland? Who knows…

This sighting represents the first recorded of Forked Catchfly for Northumberland. Elsewhere, it has been recorded widely but infrequently across the UK, with the greatest concentration of records in the South of England. This species would appear to have been much more common pre 1930s, possibly suggesting a decline with increased biosecurity.

Like some other catchfly species, the flowers of Silene dichotoma open fully at dusk or on overcast days

What does it look like?

Forked Catchfly is a rather ragged-looking, unkempt plant. In fact, it is this messy appearance which strikes you first, helping seperate it from its native cousins. An erect and very hairy plant, it has many flowers sporting deeply lobed white petals. These can sometimes take on a curled form, as shown in the picture below.

The flowers of this species are encased within an inflated calyx of sepals marked with ten distinctive black veins.

The leaves of this species are lanceolate and up to 8cm long. These decrease in size as you move up the stem towards the flowers and like the rest of the plant, are rather hairy.

Silene dichotoma appears to be a rather messy, unkempt plant
The leaves of Forked Catchfly at Gosforth Nature Reserve, Northumberland

Fern of the Week: Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort

For our first plant profile, we’ll cover an unobtrusive yet beautiful little fern found in only a select few corners of North East England: Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort.

This is an extremely rare plant that thanks to an unexpected trip to Hareshaw Linn in Northumberland, I recently had the chance to see for the first time.

Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort

Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis

Many of us are familiar with with Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), the delicate, trailing fern adorning garden walls and other structures throughout our towns and cities. What you may not know, however, is that the UK is home to several subspecies of this lovely little fern, one of which is the Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis).

This unassuming fern grows on calcareous rocks such as limestone in shaded, humid settings. Often under rock overhangs, on steep valley sides or beside waterfalls, such as at Hareshaw Linn. Unlike it’s more familiar cousins, it is seldom found on mortared walls and is unlikely to crop up in towns.

A genuinely rare subspecies in the UK, Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort is found at only a scattering of sites. A notable concentration can be found in south Wales, with a further cluster of records near Chester. Elsewhere, it is found sporadically in small populations at isolated sites.

This fern is widespread in Southern Europe, particularly in Spain, France and Italy, so may well be under-recorded in the UK.

The specific epithet trichomanes refers to a Greek word for fern

Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort, spotted at Hareshaw Linn in Northumberland

Identification

Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort is a small, tufted plant that often appears to grow flat against the surface of rock. Its narrow, green fronds are usually 5-30mm long and contain at their centre a dark, glossy mid-rib – a useful feature for seperating this group from Green Spleenwort (Asplenium viride). The pinnae or leaflets usually number in at 20-30 pairs and are arranged oppositely along the frond. All of this, however, appeals to other Maidenhair Spleenworts too, so what sets this subspecies apart?

The main difference between Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort and other subspecies is the margin of pinnae. As its name suggests, those of this fern are distinctly lobed, almost scalloped. In contrast, those of other subspecies may be asymmetrical or rectangular but only slightly toothed. It may only be an anecdotal observation, but I think the lobes give the leaflets of this fern an arrow-like shape…

Given it’s similarities to other Maidenhair Spleenworts, it is little wonder this fern is poorly recorded. Sure, it may be rare, but it must be present unnoticed at further sites. Will you find it?

Distribution

In the North East, Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort is restricted to just a few locations: one in South Northumberland (VC67) and three in County Durham (VC66).

In Northumberland, the most notable colony is found at Hareshaw Linn SSSI, where the species thrives on the humid rock faces surrounding the site’s waterfall. In County Durham, it has been recorded at two sites near Barnard Castle and on crags along the River Tees near Bowlees.

A close-up of the lobed leaflets

Plant of the Week: Lindisfarne Helleborine

Entry numer #1 in our new Plant of the Week series

It is not every day you encounter an endemic species, nevermind one found exclusively at a single site. That said, that’s exactly what happened this week. To celebrate a fantastic trip to Lindisfarne, the first plant in our new Plant of the Week series is of course, the Lindisfarne Helleborine.

Lindisfarne Helleborine, Epipactis sancta

The Lindisfarne Helleborine is found exclusively on Holy Island, a small island lying just off the coast of Northumberland. Found on the western part of the island, it grows in dune slacks and on dunes themselves alongside Creeping Willow and other plants typical of this habitat.

Originally known as Epipactis dunensis, a species found elsewhere in the UK, the Lindisfarne Helleborine has been on quite the taxonomic journey. Early on it was reclassified as a variety of Narrow-lipped Helleborine, and later as Epipactis pietzi var. sancta. In 2002, researchers settled on a new name, Epipactis sancta, and classified the species as a British endemic.

This plant’s status as a full-fledged species seems to have been short-lived, with new research again demoting it to a subspecies. Either way, it is still a very interesting plant and a joy to behold when spotted.

Part of this plants name, sancta, means ‘sacred’ in reference to it growing on Holy Island.

Epipactis sancta, photographed on a visit to Lindisfarne in July 2022

What does it look like?

Lindisfarne Helleborine is a subdued beauty. Reaching a maximum of 30cm tall, almost all parts of the plant are green. Typically orchid-like, its flowers are green too excluding the lip which is white on the outside on chocolate-brown on the interior. It is easy to overlook where it grows in the company of myriad other green plants.

Given it’s similarities to Epipactis dunensis, identifying this orchid is challenging. Indeed, if all three plants were seen together, I doubt most botanists would be able to tell the difference. Thankfully, this is the only of the group growing on Lindisfarne. As a result, if you spot a green helleborine on the island, it is safe to say you’ve found one!

A close up of the green-white flowers of Epipactis sancta