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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Fragrant Agrimony

Flower: The inflorescence is a long flower spike. The flowers are about 1cm across with notched tips. 12 stamens. 2 pistils. Fruit: Bell-shaped, burred fruit with hooks that are down-turned. The fruit is about 1cm long. Leaves: No basal leaves. The stem leaves are stalked and alternate up the stems. They are pinnate leaves with 3 to 7 pairs. Leaflets are lance-shaped and large toothed. The leaves are more deeply toothed than those of the similar looking Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria). Also, the stems of Fragrant Agr...

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Alexanders

Flower: Yellow-green umbel. Fruit: Globular, ridged, turning black on ripening. Leaves: Yellowish-green bluntly toothed, divided and glossy.

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Allseed

Flower: The small white flowers are short-stalked and appear inside branched clusters. The 4 petals are about as long as the toothed sepals. Fruit: The fruit is a globular seed capsule. Leaves: A well-branched annual with very small, pointed oval leaves. The leaves are in opposite pairs along the stems. Greyish-green, stiff, thread-like, forked, reddish stems.

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Four-leaved Allseed

Flower: Four-leaved Allseed produces tiny, greenish-white to pinkish flowers in loose clusters. Each flower has five petals, but they are often so short that they are hidden by the long, pointed sepals. The flowers bloom from June to September and are usually self-pollinated or pollinated by small insects. Fruit: The fruit is a small, ovoid capsule that splits open into three valves when mature, releasing several tiny brown seeds. These seeds are dispersed by gravity or wind, often in disturbed, sandy soils. Leaves: Leaves are oval, smooth-edged, and arranged in opposite pairs that appear in groups of four due to short internodes, giving rise to the name "four-leaved." The plant forms spreading mats with slender, reddish stems and low-growing foliage.

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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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Marsh Arrowgrass

Flower: A flower spike. The green flowers have purple edges. Individual flowers are up to 3mm wide. Flowers have 3 petals and 6 stamens. Fruit: Narrow, erect and arrow-like. Leaves: Long and grass-like leaves with deep grooves.

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Canadian Arrowhead

Flower: Flowers are in whorls of 3, each measuring approximately 1 inch across. The petals are white, tinged pink. 6 or more stamens. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: Globular fruit covered in hooked seeds. The fruit turns reddish as the seeds mature. Leaves: An aquatic perennial with submerged, broadly elliptical, long-stalked leaves, tapering to a point.

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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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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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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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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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Goldilocks Aster

Flower: Loose, erect clusters of bright golden yellow flowers. They measure no larger than 1.8cm across. The yellow stigmas are prominent. Very late flowering. Fruit: The fruit is an achene. An achene is a type of dry, one-seeded fruit. Leaves: Numerous, linear, lance-shaped leaves. Unlike the similar looking Golden Samphire (Inula crithmoides), the leaves are not fleshy.

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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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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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