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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Garden Arabis

Flower: Garden Arabis produces an attractive flush of pure white, four-petalled flowers, typically blooming from early to mid-spring (March to May). Each flower measures around 1–1.5 cm across and grows in small, loose clusters at the tips of the stems. The flowers have a delicate appearance but are surpris... Fruit: After flowering, Arabis caucasica forms long, narrow seed pods known as siliques – characteristic of the Brassicaceae family. These seed pods are slender, up to 4 cm long, and hang downwards, gradually drying out to release small seeds. The fruiting stage typically occurs from late spring into early... Leaves: The leaves form a low-growing rosette at the base, with smaller, more spaced-out leaves climbing up the stems. Basal leaves are oblong to spoon-shaped and often slightly toothed, while upper stem leaves are narrower and may clasp the stem slightly. The foliage is covered in fine hairs, giving the pl...

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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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Wild Asparagus

Flower: Asparagus prostratus produces small, bell-shaped flowers that are yellowish-green, around 4–6 mm in length. Each flower has six tepals and hangs singly or in pairs on short stalks from the leaf axils. Blooming occurs in late spring to early summer. While inconspicuous, the flowers are delicate and n... Fruit: After flowering, the plant produces small, spherical red berries, each about 5–8 mm across. These fruits are visually striking against the wiry stems but are mildly toxic to humans and not consumed. They contain a few black seeds and are eaten by birds, which help disperse them. Leaves: What appear to be “leaves” are actually phylloclades — modified flattened stems that look like slender, pointed needles. True leaves are tiny and scale-like. The phylloclades are arranged in tufts along the thin, wiry stems and are typically green, spine-tipped, and less than 2 cm long. Stems often ...

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Scottish Asphodel

Flower: Scottish Asphodel produces small, star-like, pale yellowish-white flowers in dense, upright spikes typically about 2–5 cm tall. Flowering occurs from June to August. Each flower has six pointed tepals, usually around 3–5 mm long, and is tipped with tiny yellowish anthers. The flower spikes arise on ... Fruit: The plant produces tiny capsules, each containing a few minute seeds. The capsules are oval and measure about 2–3 mm in length. Once mature (late summer), they split open to release the seeds, which are dispersed by wind or water, often settling into wet peaty soils or mossy hollows. The fruits are ... Leaves: Leaves are narrow, grass-like, and linear, forming a basal rosette. They are typically 5–10 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, and have smooth margins with a faint midrib. The leaves are bright green to slightly bluish-green, and their tufted appearance helps identify the plant among mosses and sedges in its dam...

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Goldilocks Aster

Flower: Goldilocks Aster produces bright yellow, button-like flower heads composed entirely of tubular disc florets, with no ray florets. These compact heads appear in dense terminal clusters and bloom from July to September. Despite lacking the typical "daisy" look, the rich golden colour and late flowerin... Fruit: The plant forms small, dry achenes topped with a short pappus of fine hairs, allowing for limited wind dispersal. These seeds are lightweight and generally remain close to the parent plant unless aided by animals or strong breezes. Seed production is modest, and in the wild, the plant often spreads ... Leaves: Leaves are narrow, linear to lanceolate, and resemble those of grasses or rosemary, giving the plant a neat, upright appearance. They are arranged alternately along the stem and are smooth-edged with a tough, leathery texture. Their evergreen-like quality helps the plant retain moisture and survive ...

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Water Avens

Flower: The flowers of Water Avens are characterized by their nodding, reddish-purple petals. These blooms add a touch of elegance to the plant and typically appear in late spring to mid-summer. Fruit: The fruit of Water Avens consists of small, dry achenes. These one-seeded fruits develop after the flowering period and contribute to the plant's reproductive cycle. Leaves: The basal leaves of Water Avens are pinnate and possess a slightly hairy texture. These toothed leaves contribute to the overall appearance of the plant, forming a lush and green foliage.

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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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Bastard Balm

Flower: Bastard Balm bears showy, two-lipped flowers that are typically pale pink or white with a prominent magenta or deep pink patch on the lower lip. Blooming between May and July, each flower is around 2.5–3.5 cm long and appears in the upper leaf axils. The flowers resemble those of dead-nettles or oth... Fruit: After flowering, Bastard Balm develops small, brown nutlets, typical of the mint family (Lamiaceae). These four-parted fruits are found at the base of the calyx and are relatively inconspicuous. Each nutlet contains one seed, and dispersal is generally passive—falling near the parent plant unless ca... Leaves: The leaves of Bastard Balm are ovate to heart-shaped, with toothed margins and a softly hairy surface. They are mid-green and can grow up to 10 cm long. Arranged in opposite pairs along square stems (a characteristic trait of mint family members), the leaves have a noticeably lemon-balm-like scent w...

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Baneberry

Flower: Baneberry produces small, delicate white flowers in dense, elongated clusters (racemes) that bloom in late spring to early summer, typically from May to July. Each flower has no petals, only numerous long, fluffy-looking stamens which give the flower heads a feathery or frothy appearance. Though ind... Fruit: The plant’s most notable feature is its shiny, black berries (sometimes purplish-black), which appear in late summer. These berries are round, about 1 cm in diameter, and are highly poisonous to humans and many animals. Each fruit contains several seeds, and the fruits stand out vividly against the ... Leaves: Baneberry has large, deeply divided compound leaves, usually with three lobed leaflets, each with sharply toothed margins. The foliage is a rich green and somewhat resembles that of elder or meadow-rue, helping camouflage the plant among woodland vegetation. The leaves are arranged alternately along...

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Warty Barberry

Flower: Warty barberry produces clusters of small, bright yellow flowers in late spring to early summer. The blossoms, arranged in elongated racemes, exhibit delicate petals and are complemented by holly-like, evergreen foliage. The distinctive flowers, tinged with a hint of yellow-orange, add a touch of vi... Fruit: Following the flowering period in late spring to early summer, Berberis verruculosa, also known as Warty barberry or Oregon grape, develops small, grape-like berries that undergo a color transformation from green to purplish-black. These distinctive fruits are a notable feature of the shrub, adding ... Leaves: The leaves of Warty barberry are characterized by their holly-like appearance and evergreen nature. These glossy, dark green leaves are pinnately compound, consisting of multiple leaflets arranged along a central vein. The leaflets are spiny-toothed, contributing to the shrub's overall deterrent eff...

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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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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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