Plantlife through the seasons

Spring(Mar/Apr/May)

Primroses We all look forward Daffodils at the war to the appearance memorial of snowdrops and daffodils in the spring. They have all been introduced for their showy flowers which are a great source of nectar to early foraging bees. The first native flowers to appear in the woods and hedgerows are primroses, celandines and coltsfoot. Other more delicate flowers are stitchworts, violets and wild strawberry and if you look closely you may find the tiny moschatel, or town hall clock. Later on bigger plants take over - cow parsley, red campion and, in May, bluebells, foxgloves and hawthorn blossom. Hedgerow plants which are less usual in this area are greater celandine and white dead nettle.

Wild garlic and red campion

Summer (June/Jul/Aug)

White flowers like hogweed and meadowsweet give way to yellow and then purple as the summer progresses. Don’t dismiss dandelion like plants - look closely - hawksbit, catsear, goats beard etc are often very elegant. They bloom along with knapweed and thistles; and heathers should be blooming around the wind turbines in August. Along the flood banks and amongst the wet woodland the invasive and showy himalayan balsam has become a problem. There is a national programme of eradication as, although it is attractive to bees, it crowds out all other plants, reducing the diversity where it takes hold.

Hawksbit

Autumn (Sept/Oct/Nov)

The time of mellow fruitfulness when small trees and shrubs come into their own and late summer flowers are turning to seed. Depending on the summer we have had, elder and rowan are the first wild fruits, together with brambles. There are good patches of spiny blackthorn which produce sloes – an exceedingly sour fruit and if you are very lucky you might come across a wild crab apple. As the leaves turn and fall large areas of hawthorn take on a crimson hue if there is a good crop of haws and the beech woods shine in the sunlight. In the low sunlight the tree colours can be truly stunning.

Autumn colour in Kirkmahoe

Winter (Dec/Jan/Feb)

In winter the trees take on more prominence in the landscape. Before people began farming, about 5000 years ago, the land was covered by forest and, if farming ceased the trees would again take over. By the eighteenth century most of them had gone but enclosure led to hedgerows and woods being planted, so now we have a semi wooded landscape but there are very few trees older than 200 years. The oldest are probably yew trees at Dalswinton and near other old houses. Even in winter you can identify trees by their bark and buds, a plant guide is very helpful. Oak, ash and wych elm were the main trees in the wildwood, sycamore was probably introduced by the Romans; and beech in the 18th century. Elm is rare now but there are some growing along the roadside at Carzield. Evergreens such as holly and ivy become obvious and are very important food plants for insects and birds at this time. Alders in wetter places can be identified by their tiny cones.

Oak Ash Sycamore

The barks of some of our common trees The barks of some of our common trees Beech