False Acacia

Flower: False Acacia, also known as Black Locust, produces hanging clusters of fragrant white flowers in late spring to early summer (typically May to June). The pea-like flowers are around 2 cm long, with a yellow blotch on the upper petal, and resemble those of other members of the pea family (Fabaceae). ... Fruit: The fruit of False Acacia appears after flowering and takes the form of flat, brown pods about 5–10 cm long. These papery pods contain several hard, bean-like seeds and remain on the tree well into winter. Though visually similar to edible legumes, the seeds are toxic to humans and many animals if i... Leaves: The leaves of False Acacia are pinnate and alternate along the branches. Each leaf typically contains 7–21 oval leaflets with smooth edges, arranged in opposite pairs along a central stalk. The leaflets are soft green above and slightly paler underneath. In autumn, the foliage turns a striking yello...

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Winter Aconite

Flower: Winter Aconite produces bright, cheerful buttery-yellow flowers that bloom very early in the year, often pushing through late winter snow from February to March. Each flower has a cup-like shape surrounded by a distinctive collar of green, leaf-like bracts. Their vivid yellow petals make them one of... Fruit: After flowering, Winter Aconite forms small seed capsules that mature in late spring. These capsules release shiny, black seeds, which the plant relies on for natural spreading. In the wild, ants often help disperse the seeds by carrying them away, a process known as myrmecochory. Leaves: The leaves of Winter Aconite appear simultaneously or just after flowering. They are deeply divided, lobed, and bright green, often growing in a rosette around the base of each flower stem. The foliage dies back quickly in late spring as the plant enters dormancy.

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Grey Alder

Flower: Grey Alder produces unisexual catkins—the male catkins are long, pendulous, and yellowish-green, appearing before or with the leaves in early spring, while the female catkins are smaller, upright, and initially green, later turning brown as they mature. The flowers lack petals and rely on wind polli... Fruit: The female catkins mature into small, woody, cone-like structures called strobiles, about 2–3 cm long, which open to release tiny winged seeds in late autumn or winter. These “cones” persist on the tree through winter. Leaves: The leaves are oval to lance-shaped, with a rounded or slightly heart-shaped base, and have a finely serrated margin. They are a pale green above and lighter below, often with fine hairs on the underside.

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Italian Alder

Flower: Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) produces small, inconspicuous flowers that are typically arranged in pendulous catkins. These catkins can be either male or female. Male catkins are slender and yellowish-green, and they release pollen into the air. Female catkins are shorter and more cylindrical, with ... Fruit: Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) produces elongated and cylindrical catkins, which are an important part of its reproductive structures. These catkins are typically pendulous, hanging from the branches, and they come in two main types: male and female. Male catkins are usually longer and more slender, ... Leaves: The leaves of the Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) are characterized by their heart-shaped form and serrated edges. These deciduous leaves are typically medium to dark green in color and have a glossy appearance on their upper surface. They are arranged alternately along the branches and can grow to be...

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Sweet Alyssum

Flower: Sweet Alyssum is a charming and petite flowering plant with delicate blooms. The flowers, shaped like small clusters, come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, purple, and lavender. Each flower consists of four petals, creating a dainty and intricate appearance. The fragrance of these blo... Fruit: Sweet Alyssum is not typically grown for its fruit, as it is primarily cultivated for its attractive and fragrant flowers. The plant produces small, inconspicuous fruits that are not commonly a focal point in gardening discussions. The main ornamental appeal of Sweet Alyssum lies in its profusion of... Leaves: Sweet Alyssum features small, lance-shaped leaves that contribute to its overall compact and neat appearance. The leaves are typically green in colour and form a dense carpet of foliage beneath the delicate clusters of flowers. These leaves are relatively small in size, adding to the fine texture of...

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Balkan Anemone

Flower: The Balkan Anemone is admired for its daisy-like blooms, which appear in early spring. Flowers typically range in shades of blue, violet, pink, or white, with 8–10 petal-like tepals surrounding a bright yellow centre. Measuring around 3–5 cm across, these cheerful flowers open in sunlight and close ... Fruit: After flowering, Balkan Anemone produces small, dry, achene fruits, each containing a single seed. These are clustered together in rounded heads and may be dispersed by wind or passing animals. However, seed propagation is slow, and the plant more commonly spreads via tuberous roots. Leaves: The leaves are deeply cut and fern-like, with a fresh green hue. They grow in a whorl below the flower, adding attractive texture to the plant. Each leaf is divided into three lobed segments, and the foliage often persists until early summer before dying back as the plant enters dormancy.

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Asarabacca

Flower: The flowers of Asarum europaeum are small, inconspicuous, and nodding, typically hidden beneath the leaves. They appear in spring (April–May) and are bell-shaped with three fleshy, dark purplish-brown sepals that are fused at the base and flare outward slightly. These sepals form the visible "flower... Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry capsule containing numerous tiny seeds, each with a fleshy appendage (elaiosome) that attracts ants, which disperse the seeds through a process known as myrmecochory. The capsules split open when mature in early summer. The fruits are typically hidden at the base of the pla... Leaves: Asarabacca has striking shiny, evergreen, kidney- or heart-shaped leaves, typically 5–10 cm wide, with entire, smooth margins. The foliage forms a low, dense carpet, making the plant ideal for shaded ground cover in woodland gardens. The leaves grow in pairs or loose rosettes and remain glossy green...

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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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Aspen

Flower: Aspen produces its flowers in the form of drooping catkins before the leaves emerge in early spring, typically around March or April. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees (dioecious). The male catkins are silvery and later shed yellow pollen, while the female catkins are greenish and less ... Fruit: The fruit appears in early summer on female trees as long, slender capsules. Each capsule splits open to release tiny seeds attached to tufts of silky hairs, which help them disperse widely by wind. These seeds are short-lived and require damp conditions for germination. Leaves: Aspen leaves are rounded with a slightly toothed edge and a flattened stalk, which causes them to tremble and flutter in the slightest breeze — a distinctive feature of the species. They emerge a fresh green in spring, darken in summer, and turn a golden-yellow in autumn. Young sucker growth often d...

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Balm of Gilead

Flower: Balm of Gilead (Populus × jackii) is a hybrid poplar that produces long, drooping catkins in early spring—typically March to April—before the leaves emerge. As with other poplars, the species is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers appear on separate trees. The male catkins are more visually s... Fruit: Female trees produce clusters of small, capsule-like fruits in late spring or early summer. These capsules split open to release tiny seeds attached to silky white hairs that help them disperse by wind. The fluffy seeds can often be seen floating through the air in early summer, sometimes accumulati... Leaves: The leaves of Populus × jackii are broad, heart-shaped to ovate with finely toothed margins and a pointed tip. They are deep green and glossy above, with a paler, matte underside. Leaf stalks are relatively long and flattened, causing the leaves to flutter easily in the wind—a typical trait of popla...

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Small Balsam

Flower: Small Balsam features delicate pale yellow blossoms with a distinctive spurred shape. These flowers, native to the UK, thrive in damp woodland areas, showcasing their charming allure along riverbanks and streamsides. 5 stamens. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: The fruit of Small Balsam, native to the UK, is a small, elongated capsule that bursts open when touched, dispersing its seeds. This capsule is typically green in color and contains numerous seeds, contributing to the plant's prolific spread in woodland habitats across the country. Leaves: The leaves of Small Balsam, native to the UK, are ovate to lanceolate in shape, with serrated edges. They are typically a vibrant green colour and have a slightly glossy appearance. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem and often have a reddish tint on the undersides.

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Arrow Bamboo

Flower: Arrow Bamboo flowers are extremely rare and typically appear only once every several decades. When they do, the plant may produce small, grass-like panicles with inconspicuous, wind-pollinated flowers. Like many bamboos, flowering is often followed by the plant's death, a phenomenon called monocarpi... Fruit: When fruit does occur (rarely), it resembles a small grain, similar to other grass seeds, but it is not commonly seen due to the plant’s infrequent flowering. In cultivation, fruiting is essentially absent, and propagation is done via rhizomes or stem cuttings. Leaves: Leaves are broad, lanceolate (spear-shaped), typically 10–25 cm long and up to 5 cm wide—larger than those of many other bamboo species. They are dark green, glossy, and have parallel veins with a prominent midrib. The leaves grow alternately along the culm branches and give the plant a lush, dense ...

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Chinese Barberry

Flower: Chinese Barberry produces attractive yellow flowers in spring, typically from April to May. The flowers are small (around 6–10 mm across) and borne in drooping clusters (racemes) of 6 to 25 blooms. Each flower has six petals and a central cluster of stamens that may move in response to touch — a tra... Fruit: Following flowering, the plant forms oblong to ovoid berries that ripen to a dark blue-black by late summer or early autumn. The fruit is around 1 cm long and covered in a distinctive white bloom (a powdery coating). While mildly astringent and not commonly eaten, the berries are not considered toxi... Leaves: The leaves of Berberis julianae are leathery, evergreen, and dark green with a glossy surface. They are oblong to narrowly elliptic, usually 4–9 cm long, with sharply toothed (spiny) margins. The leaves are borne in tufts along rigid stems, which are themselves armed with three-pronged spines at eac...

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Gagnepain's Barberry

Flower: Gagnepain’s Barberry (Berberis gagnepainii) produces small, bright yellow flowers arranged in short, arching clusters (racemes) that appear in late spring, typically May to June. Each flower is around 5–7 mm across with six petals and numerous stamens. The rich colour and nectar attract pollinators,... Fruit: The fruits are oval to ellipsoid berries, about 1 cm long, ripening from green to dark purple or bluish-black by late summer. They contain a few seeds and have a sour, acidic taste. The berries persist into autumn and are eaten by birds, which help disperse the seeds. Leaves: Leaves are glossy, dark green, and leathery with a holly-like appearance. Each leaf has sharply toothed or spiny margins and is typically up to 6 cm long. The leaves are arranged alternately and often grouped in small clusters along the branches. The shrub is evergreen, retaining foliage year-round.

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