Two-spined Acaena

Flower: The flowers of Acaena ovalifolia are small, greenish to reddish, and grouped in dense, rounded heads atop slender stalks. They are not especially showy and lack petals, but they are functional and bloom in summer. Each flower head can eventually produce barbed fruits, typical of the genus. Fruit: The plant produces dry, burr-like achenes with two prominent, barbed spines per fruit—hence the name “two-spined.” These hooks allow the fruit to cling to animals or clothing for dispersal. While not as aggressively barbed as some Acaena species, it’s still a hitchhiker and should be handled careful... Leaves: The foliage consists of pinnate leaves with rounded, oval leaflets—reflected in the species name ovalifolia. The leaves are usually dark green, with a slightly leathery texture, forming a low mat or spreading ground cover. The leaf arrangement is neat and regularly spaced.

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Alkanet

Flower: Alkanet produces striking, vivid blue to violet flowers, each around 8–12 mm in diameter, with five rounded petals and a white central throat. These flowers grow in coiled spikes (scorpioid cymes), gradually unrolling as they bloom from May to August. Their intense colour and nectar-rich tubes make ... Fruit: After flowering, Alkanet forms four small nutlets per flower, which are rough and dark brown when mature. These nutlets are slightly wrinkled and dispersed passively — falling close to the parent plant. Although not particularly ornamental, the fruit plays a key role in the plant’s annual regenerati... Leaves: The leaves are lance-shaped to narrowly oval, and covered with coarse, bristly hairs. They grow alternately along the stem and have a rough, scratchy texture — an identifying feature. The basal leaves are stalked, while upper ones clasp the stem. The entire plant tends to be hairy and somewhat untid...

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Allseed

Flower: Allseed produces tiny, star-like white flowers, just 1–2 mm across, with four petals and four sepals, both about the same length. The petals are often shorter or missing entirely, making the sepals more prominent. Flowers are borne in delicate, branching sprays (cymes) and appear from June to August... Fruit: The fruit is a very small, dry capsule that splits into four segments, each releasing a single seed. These minute seeds are dispersed close to the parent plant, typically falling onto bare, damp soil. The seeds germinate quickly under the right conditions, allowing the plant to complete its life cyc... Leaves: Leaves are tiny (1–4 mm long), opposite, and narrowly oval, with no stalks (sessile) and smooth edges. They form neat pairs along the hair-thin, wiry stems, which typically grow 2–10 cm tall. The plant has a very delicate, thread-like appearance and can easily be overlooked among mosses and other lo...

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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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Globe Artichoke

Flower: The flower of a Globe Artichoke has a large, round, thistle-like head that can grow up to 6 inches in diameter. The outer leaves of the flower are dark green in color and are tightly layered around the base of the flower. The inner leaves are more purple in hue and are edible. The flower has a large... Fruit: The flower of the Globe Artichoke plant develops into an edible thistle-like head, which is the vegetable. The actual fruit of the plant is a small, dry, brown, spiny capsule containing numerous seeds. Leaves: The leaves of the Globe Artichoke are large, thick, and spiny. They are pale to dark green in color and can grow up to 8 inches in length. Each leaf is deeply lobed with a sharp point at the end and a thick, fleshy base. The leaves are covered in small prickles, which are edible but can be quite sha...

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Garden Asparagus

Flower: Garden Asparagus produces small, bell-shaped flowers, pale greenish-white to yellowish in colour, typically appearing in early summer (May to June). The flowers are dioecious—individual plants are either male or female. Male flowers are more numerous and showier, while females are fewer but produce ... Fruit: Only female plants bear fruit: round, red berries, about 6–10 mm across, ripening by late summer. These berries are toxic to humans, containing sapogenins that can cause gastrointestinal upset. Birds, however, often eat them and disperse the seeds. Leaves: The “leaves” are actually needle-like cladodes—modified stems that function like leaves. These cladodes are slender, green, and feathery, typically arranged in tufts along the wiry, erect stems. True leaves are reduced to tiny scales at the base of each cladode cluster. Mature plants can reach up to...

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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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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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Sea Aster

Flower: The Sea Aster graces the coastal landscapes of the United Kingdom with its stunning flowers, showcasing a kaleidoscope of hues, including soft pinks, purples, and lavenders. Blooming from late summer through early autumn, these vibrant flowers contribute to the picturesque beauty of shorelines. The ... Fruit: The Sea Aster produces small, inconspicuous fruits that follow the blooming period. These fruits, often referred to as achenes, possess a subtle yet essential role in the plant's reproductive cycle. Enclosed within the dried flower head, the achenes are dispersed through various mechanisms, aiding i... Leaves: The Sea Aster boasts leaves that exhibit a diversity of shapes, ranging from lanceolate to elliptical, contributing to its overall visual allure. These resilient leaves, with their distinctive green hues, form a dense foliage that plays a vital role in stabilizing coastal soils and preventing erosio...

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Mrs Wilson's Barberry

Flower: Clusters of yellow flowers. Possibly could be confused with Darwin's Barberry (Berberis darwinii) but that has orange flowers. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: Small red berries. The berries appear from August to November. Leaves: Mrs Wilson's Barberry is a very spiny shrub with arching branches. The leaves are narrow and pear-shaped. They are silvery green at first but by autumn the leaves have matured into a shade of red or deep crimson. Within the British Isles, it is fairly unusual to see this shrub growing wild.

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Sea Barley

Flower: Sea Barley produces dense, bristly flower spikes resembling miniature barley ears, with long awns (bristle-like appendages) extending from the glumes. The flowers are wind-pollinated, typically appearing from May to July, and arranged in short, flattened spikes that break apart easily at maturity. Fruit: The fruit is a single-seeded grain (caryopsis) typical of grasses, enclosed within the husk formed by the glumes. The fruit detaches with its surrounding bristles, aiding dispersal by animals or wind. Leaves: Leaves are narrow, grey-green, and rough to the touch, with prominent sheaths. Like other barley species, the ligule is short and membranous, and the plant often grows low and tufted in habit, forming dense clumps in coastal areas.

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Yellow Bartsia

Flower: Yellow Bartsia bears bright yellow, tubular flowers about 10–15 mm long, each with a two-lipped corolla. The upper lip is two-lobed and hooded, while the lower lip has three spreading lobes, often with reddish markings at the throat. The flowers are arranged in spikes or loose clusters and appear fr... Fruit: The fruit is a small ovoid capsule, enclosed by a sticky calyx, which contains numerous tiny seeds. These seeds are lightweight and numerous, allowing for easy dispersal by wind, animals, or even humans via their sticky outer layer. The capsules are visible later in summer and autumn, replacing the ... Leaves: Leaves are lance-shaped, opposite, and heavily toothed, covered in sticky glandular hairs that give the plant a viscous, greasy feel (hence viscosa). Both the leaves and stems often have a dull green or slightly yellow-green hue, and can appear greasy or shiny in bright light. The sticky nature help...

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Wild Basil

Flower: The flowers bloom in exquisite shades of purples and pinks, adding a touch of natural elegance to the British countryside. Delicately arranged in clusters, these dainty blossoms possess a sweet, aromatic fragrance that wafts through the air, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. The peta... Fruit: Wild Basil, native to the picturesque landscapes of the UK, bears small, round fruits that develop after the flowering season in late summer. These diminutive fruits are typically a deep shade of brown or black, resembling tiny nutlets. They're inconspicuous compared to the plant's vibrant flowers b... Leaves: The leaves of Wild Basil, flourishing in the UK's idyllic countryside, are a distinctive feature of this herbaceous plant. They are typically lance-shaped or oval and are adorned with a fine layer of tiny hairs, giving them a slightly fuzzy appearance. These leaves are aromatic, emitting a fragrance...

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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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Clustered Bellflower

Flower: A compact clustered flowerhead of violet-blue, unstalked, bell-shaped or star-shaped flowers. The petals are blunt-tipped and curve outwards. A faint dark violet vein runs through the centre of each petal. Flowers are occasionally solitary where they are sometimes mistaken for a Gentian, however Gen... Fruit: The fruit is a many-seeded capsule. Leaves: Dark green, narrow, lance-shaped leaves (or slightly heart-shaped), half clasping the stem. The leaves alternate along the stems on both sides. The lower leaves are triangular and stalked. Occasionally seen as a garden escape species. Perennial and clump-forming.

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