Yarrow

Water plantain

Garlic mustard

Smells like garlic when crushed. Also known as ‘Jack-by-the-hedge’

Wild angelica

Purple tinged stems

Lesser Bulrush

Fluffy, downy seeds blown by wind in late summer and autumn. Slimmer than bulrush with gap between female (red flowers) and male (yellow) flowers.

Bulrush

Fluffy, downy seeds blown by wind in late summer and autumn. Fatter than lesser bulrush with no gap between female (red flowers) and male (yellow) flowers.

Guelder-rose

Red berries in autumn.

Cow parsley

Burdock

Thistle-like flowers.

Mugwort

Stems purple.

Wild Liquorice

Pea-like flowers

Black Horehand

Nettle-like with square stem. Hairy.

Winter cress

Long, thin, pea-like seed pods.

White bryony

Climbing plant with spiral tendrils. Red berries, leaves and stem in Autumn and Winter. Poisonous.

Hedge Bindweed

Climbing plant with large flowers.

Welted thistle

Broad-winged Thistle

Rosebay Willowherb

Very distinctive with lots of bright pink flowers.

Spear Thistle

Hemlock

All parts of this plant are very poisonous.

Field bindweed

A climbing or creeping plant, often seen along footpaths.

Dogwood

Very striking in winter when red stems are visible. Clusters of black, spherical berries in autumn.

Hazel

Traditionally coppiced to create ‘coppice stools’ whereby new stems grow from ground level.

Midland Hawthorn

Often referred to as may blossom. Red berries or hawes provide a valuable source of food for birds in winter. Spiky branches. Flowers lightly larger than common hawthorn and leaves less deeply lobed.

Hawthorn

Often referred to as May blossom. Red berries or hawes provide a valuable source of food for birds in winter. Spiky branches.

Foxglove

Very poisonous and can cause heart attacks if eaten. Source of the drug digitalis which is often used to treat heart conditions.

Wild teasel

Very spiky flower heads are the favourite food of goldfinches who use their slender bills to pick out the seeds. Flowers appear to bloom in a wave.

Greater willowherb

Meadowsweet

Has a red stem and  very fragrant flowers.

Ash

Has black buds that are obvious in winter. Seeds are keys.

Ivy

A climbing plant, often seen wrapped around larger trees. Berries provide an important source of food for birds in winter and flowers particularly attractive to insects.

Hogweed

Thick hairy stems.

Perforate St Johns-wort

Square stems.

Orange Balsam

Yellow Iris

Walnut

Fleshy oval fruits contain edible walnuts.

Nipplewort

Flowers have square petals and are positioned on long stems.

Oxeye Daisy

A large daisy.

Common toadflax

Gypsywort

Has many medicinal properties.

Crab apple

Apples much smaller than normal apples and less sweet. Favourite food of deer.

Water Mint

Hairy, square stems.

Bristly Oxtongue

Dandelion like flowers.

Aspen

Bird cherry

Rounded black fruits.

Blackthorn

Has long spikes on branches. The flowers also known as May blossom and in Autumn it bears bitter, purple fuit (sloes).

Meadow Buttercup

Often found near grazing lifestock, creates a sea of yellow in early summer.

Weld

Dog-rose

Large thorns on stems. Flowers have heart shaped petals and lots of stamen. Has shiny red hips in Autumn.

Broad-leaved dock

White willow

Goat willow

Also know as pussy willow.

Common sallow

Elder

Flowers are used to flavour drinks, including sambuca, whilst berries are often made into wine, cordial and jam.

Great Burnet

Indicative of floodplain meadows.

Water Figwort

White Campion

Hedge Mustard

Perennial Sow-thistle

Tufted seed heads (similar to a dandelion).

Rowan

Also known as mountain ash. Has bright red/orange berries in Autumn which are a excellent food source for over-wintering birds.

Branched Bur-reed

Prickly, round fruit (burrs) growing directly on stem.

Marsh Woundwort

Hairy square stem. Traditionally used as a wound dressing in herbal medicine.

Hedge Woundwort

Hairy square stem. Traditionally used as a wound dressing in herbal medicine.

Common Comfrey

Lime

Goat’s-beard

Also known as jack-go-to-bed-at-noon because flowers usually close up in the afternoon. Has large, round, fluffy seed heads and slender, pointed flower buds.

Indian balsam

Also known as himalayan balsam this plant is an invasive species commonly found on river banks.