False Alkanet

Flower: False Alkanet produces bright sky-blue to violet-blue flowers, typically 8–12 mm in diameter, with a white eye at the centre. Flowers are five-petalled and flat-faced, borne in loose, coiled cymes (scorpioid inflorescences) typical of Boraginaceae. Blooming usually occurs in late spring to early sum... Fruit: The fruit consists of four nutlets, as is typical of the family, each covered with hooked or barbed tubercles that aid in animal dispersal. The nutlets are oblong and rough, turning dark brown or black when mature. These fruiting bodies are quite distinctive and useful in identifying the plant in la... Leaves: Leaves are alternate, lanceolate to ovate, and covered in stiff, rough bristly hairs, giving the plant a very coarse feel — hence the genus name Cynoglottis, meaning “dog’s tongue” (like Cynoglossum). Basal leaves form a rosette, while stem leaves are stalkless and often clasp the stem. The foliage ...

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Mountain Ash

Flower: The Mountain Ash, known for its stunning scarlet berries and delicate, creamy-white flowers, is a captivating sight in the British countryside. These elegant blossoms, often appearing in late spring to early summer, adorn the tree's branches with their soft, graceful petals. Their pristine beauty an... Fruit: The fruit of the Mountain Ash, distinguished by its vibrant red hue, is a distinctive feature of this iconic British tree. These glossy scarlet berries, often observed in abundance during the autumn season, create a striking contrast against the tree's green foliage. Their plump and inviting appeara... Leaves: The leaves of the Mountain Ash, commonly found in the United Kingdom, are characterized by their pinnate arrangement and finely serrated edges. Each leaflet is a lustrous dark green, imparting a rich, verdant canopy to the tree during the growing season. In the autumn, these leaves undergo a spectac...

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Bog Asphodel

Flower: Deep yellow spike of flowers, often tinged orange. Flowers are star-like with 6 petals and orange anthers. Fruit: Egg-shaped and bright orange. Leaves: Long and slender, grass-like.

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Scottish Asphodel

Flower: Small, greenish-white or yellowish-white flowers in a short but dense terminal spike. 6 petals (3 are actually sepals). 6 stamens. Fruit: A roundish, 3-parted, greyish capsule, up to 3mm long. The seeds are tiny. Leaves: Flattened, hairless, iris-like leaves. Most leaves are basal leaves. They are stalkless and toothless. Up to 3 alternate stem leaves. The leaves are 3 to 7-veined. The erect stems are flat and hairless. Perennial.

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Mountain Avens

Flower: Solitary flowers which are stalked (3 to 10cm in length). Usually 8 petals (sometimes 7 to 10). At the centre of the flower are many golden yellow stamens. Flowers are each 4cm in diameter. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: The fruit is a nutlet, attached is a long feathery plume. Leaves: A low-growing, prostrate, mat-forming undershrub with dark green, oak-like leaves. The undersides of the leaves are downy white. The upper surfaces are smooth and hairless. The stems are woody. Grows on limestone soils in rocky, mountainous places.

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Trailing Azalea

Flower: Trailing Azalea produces small, pale pink to white, star-shaped flowers arranged singly or in small clusters. The flowers have five pointed petals with a delicate, often speckled appearance, blooming in late spring to summer. Fruit: The fruit is a dry capsule, usually containing several small seeds. When mature, it splits open to release the seeds. Leaves: The leaves are small, evergreen, leathery, and scale-like, arranged oppositely or in whorls along trailing, creeping stems. They are dark green to reddish-brown, adapted to cold alpine and arctic environments.

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Yellow Azalea

Flower: Funnel-shaped, bright yellow flowers, up to 5cm across. Flowers appear together in dense clusters of 5 to 25. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: A dry, woody seed capsule, containing several minute seeds. Leaves: A bushy deciduous shrub whose leaves are oblong and turn red, purple or orange in autumn. Commonly seen as a garden plant in the British Isles but sometimes seen bird-sown in woods and on moorland. The leaves measure up to 10cm long and 4cm wide.

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Bastard Balm

Flower: Whorls of white flowers with the lower lip being mainly pink. Flowers each measure up to 4cm in size. Pollinated by bees and moths. Fruit: The fruits are nutlets. Leaves: The crinkled, hairy leaves vary in shape and colour, measuring from 5 to 9cm in length. They are generally oval and pointed. Perennial.

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Common Barberry

Flower: Berberis vulgaris produces bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers with six petals, grouped in drooping racemes of 10–20 blossoms. These appear in April to June, each flower measuring around 5–7 mm across. The blooms are nectar-rich and attract bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators. The yellow flowers a... Fruit: The plant produces clusters of small, elongated red berries about 1 cm long, ripening from late summer into autumn (August–October). These berries are edible when fully ripe, though very sour and astringent. They were traditionally used for jams, jellies, and even as a souring agent in some Middle E... Leaves: Leaves are small (2–5 cm), oval to oblong, with toothed margins, and are arranged in whorls or clusters along the stems. They are green in summer, often turning red or purple in autumn. Each leaf cluster arises near a three-pronged thorn, a typical feature of barberries. The leaves are deciduous, fa...

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Alpine Bartsia

Flower: Alpine Bartsia produces striking dark purple to violet flowers, about 15–20 mm long, arranged in dense terminal spikes. Each flower is two-lipped, with a hooded upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip, typical of the figwort family (Orobanchaceae). The flowers appear from June to August, providing a b... Fruit: After flowering, the plant develops small, oblong capsules, each containing numerous tiny seeds. These capsules remain enclosed by the persistent calyx. Seeds are dispersed by wind and gravity, often falling near the parent plant — contributing to its patchy and restricted distribution in upland hab... Leaves: Leaves are opposite, dark green to purplish, and coarsely toothed, with a slightly glossy surface. They are ovate to lance-shaped and often have a reddish tinge, especially in upland light conditions. The lower leaves are stalked, while upper ones are often sessile (without stalks) and can sometimes...

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Bearberry

Flower: White tinged pink, bell-shaped, up to 8mm. Fruit: Red berries. Leaves: Evergreen. Leathery and dark green, paler underneath. Oval and untoothed.

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Arctic Bearberry

Flower: Small white, bell-shaped flowers. Flowers are stalked. 5 green sepals and 5 fused petals.. 10 stamens. Pollinated by bees. Fruit: The fruit is a globular black berry, up to 12mm in diameter. Fruits are green initially, later turning red and then finally black. Leaves: Small oval, pointed leaves with finely toothed margins.

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Northern Bedstraw

Flower: Numerous small white flowers in branched, dense leafy clusters. Each flower is about 3mm in diameter. Flowers are pointed at the tip. The 4 stamens are creamy white. 2 styles. Pollinated by flies and beetles. Fruit: A brown, 2-sectioned fruit with hooked hairs. Leaves: The leaves are stalkless, dark green and with rough edges. They appear in whorls of 4 up the stem. Each opposite pair of leaves are of differing lengths. This is the only white bedstraw in Great Britain with 3-veined leaves. Each leaf measures up to 2 inches (5cm) long and 0.25 inches wide. The erec...

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Peach-leaved Bellflower

Flower: Large, mid-blue (sometimes white), bell-shaped or star-shaped flowers. The 5 petals are slightly pointed. Similar to Clustered Bellflower but Clustered Bellflower has unstalked flowers which are deeper in colour and clustered together at the top of the plant. Fruit: Peach-leaved Bellflowers are renowned for their ornamental qualities and charming bell-shaped flowers. However, it's essential to note that these plants do not produce true fruits in the traditional sense. Instead, their reproductive structures consist of capsules that contain tiny seeds. As the flo... Leaves: The leaves of Peach-leaved Bellflowers exhibit a distinctive and aesthetically pleasing appearance. They are lance-shaped with finely serrated edges, showcasing a deep green hue that adds to the overall allure of the plant. These leaves are arranged in an alternate fashion along the stems, creating ...

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Trailing Bellflower

Flower: The Trailing Bellflower is adorned with charming violet or blue-hued flowers, forming a bell-like structure with five delicate petals. These star-shaped blossoms create a visual symphony during the late spring to early summer months. The heart-shaped, bright green foliage serves as an elegant backdr... Fruit: The Trailing Bellflower does not produce conventional fruits; instead, it reproduces through seeds. After the flowering season, the plant forms seed capsules. These capsules contain small seeds, contributing to the plant's reproductive cycle. The seeds are typically dispersed when the capsules dry a... Leaves: The leaves of the Trailing Bellflower are heart-shaped, displaying a vibrant shade of green. This foliage serves as an attractive backdrop to the plant's elegant violet or blue-hued flowers. The leaves are relatively small and have a smooth texture, contributing to the overall visual appeal of the p...

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