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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Common Ash

Flower: Common Ash trees produce small, purplish-black flowers in early spring, usually between March and May, before the leaves emerge. These flowers grow in dense clusters and are wind-pollinated. Male and female flowers often occur on separate trees, although some trees may bear both. While not showy, th... Fruit: The fruit of the Common Ash is a winged seed known as a “key” or “samara.” These slender, one-winged seeds develop in hanging clusters through late spring and summer, ripening by autumn. Once mature, they are dispersed by the wind and may remain on the tree through winter, providing food for birds a... Leaves: Ash leaves are pinnately compound, usually consisting of 7–13 toothed leaflets arranged in opposite pairs along a central stalk. The leaves are a bright to mid-green and can grow quite large, contributing to the tree’s light, airy canopy. In autumn, they turn a clear yellow before falling. The bark ...

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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: Mountain Avens is known for its striking white flowers, each with eight large, rounded petals (though the number can vary), which surround a golden central cluster of stamens. Blooming from May to July, the flowers are about 2–4 cm across and resemble a simplified wild rose. They grow singly on shor... Fruit: After flowering, the plant produces distinctive feathery seed heads—spiral-shaped styles that persist and catch the wind, helping with seed dispersal. These silky plumes give the plant a decorative look well into late summer and autumn. The seeds themselves are small achenes. Leaves: The leaves are small, leathery, and dark green on the upper surface, with a distinctive white felt-like underside. They are oblong and strongly toothed, forming a dense mat that hugs the ground. The foliage is evergreen and helps the plant withstand harsh alpine and limestone conditions.

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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: Bearberry produces delicate, urn-shaped flowers that bloom from April to June. These small, pale pink to white flowers hang in short clusters and are typical of the heather family (Ericaceae). Their waxy, bell-like form closely resembles miniature versions of blueberry or lingonberry flowers. They a... Fruit: By late summer to early autumn, Bearberry develops bright red, glossy berries about the size of peas. These fruits persist into winter and are edible, though mealy and bland in taste. They are an important winter food source for birds and mammals, particularly bears—hence the common name. Though saf... Leaves: The evergreen leaves are leathery, dark green, and oval with smooth edges and a slightly notched tip. They are alternately arranged and have a shiny upper surface with a lighter, paler underside. The leaves remain throughout the year, giving Bearberry a consistently neat, low-growing appearance. The...

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Arctic Bearberry

Flower: Arctic Bearberry produces small, bell-shaped flowers in late spring to early summer, usually from May to June. The blooms are white to pale pink, sometimes flushed with red, and have five fused petals forming a narrow, nodding urn shape. Though modest in size (typically under 5 mm), the flowers are ... Fruit: The fruit is a glossy black berry, around 5–8 mm in diameter, ripening in late summer. Unlike the red berries of its relative Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Common Bearberry), A. alpinus produces black berries, which are edible but rather bland or slightly mealy in taste. The berries are an important food... Leaves: Leaves are small, leathery, and oval-shaped, with a glossy green upper surface and paler underside. They are finely toothed, unlike the smooth-edged leaves of Common Bearberry. Deciduous in most areas, the leaves may turn reddish in autumn before falling, particularly in colder climates.

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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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