The Bailey Bridge
Welted thistle
Field maple
‘Whirly-gig type seeds’.
Yarrow
Agrimony
Water plantain
Garlic mustard
Smells like garlic when crushed. Also known as ‘Jack-by-the-hedge’
Alder
In winter, old catkins remain and look like clusters of small pine cones.
Wild angelica
Purple tinged stems
Hop trefoil
Colt’s-foot
Small, purplish leaves hug stem up to flower.
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.
Brooklime
Germander speedwell
Guelder-rose
Red berries in autumn.
Tufted vetch
Climbing plants with pea-like flowers.
Common Vetch
Climbing plants with pea-like flowers. Hairy.
Bush Vetch
Climbing plants with pea-like flowers. Hairy.
Cow parsley
Fool’s-water-cress
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.
Shepherd’s purse
Cuckooflower
One of the first flowers to appear in Spring. Flowers on erect stem.
Broad-winged Thistle
Common Mouse-ear
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.
Smooth Hawk’s beard
Crested dog’s tail
Cock’s foot
Common spotted orchid
Orchid most commonly seen
Wild carrot
Easy to distinguish by single red flower in centre of each cluster.
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
Hoary willowherb
Meadowsweet
Has a red stem and very fragrant flowers.
Ash
Has black buds that are obvious in winter. Seeds are keys.
Lady’s bedstraw
Used to be used to stuff mattresses as the smell of the dried flowers supposedly repelled fleas.
Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill
Name derives from shape of flower.
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill
Hedgerow Crane’s-bill
Hairy plant, name derives from shape of seed head.
Herb-Robert
Hairy plant with red tinged leaves and stem and long, pointed seed heads. Likes shady places.
Wood Avens
Also known as herb bennet.
Ground-ivy
A creeping plant with whorls of leaves and flowers at intervals along stem.
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.
White Dead-nettle
Similar to stinging nettle but doesn’t sting.
Nipplewort
Flowers have square petals and are positioned on long stems.
Meadow Vetchling
Member of the pea family. Has black, hairy seed pods. Often grows amongst grasses.
Autumn Hawkbit
Similar to a dandelion but more slender and delicate.
Oxeye Daisy
A large daisy.
Common toadflax
Common Bird’s foot trefoil
Greater Bird’s foot trefoil
Gypsywort
Has many medicinal properties.
Crab apple
Apples much smaller than normal apples and less sweet. Favourite food of deer.
Pineappleweed
So-called because flowers look and smell like pinapple (when crushed).
Black Medick
So-called because produces black seed heads.
Water Mint
Hairy, square stems.
Field Forget-me-not
Very tiny blue flowers.
Water Forget-me-not
Quite straggly.
Yellow Water-lily
Flowers and leaves float on surface of water.
Red Bartsia
Common Poppy
Usually found on ground that has recently been disturbed.
Amphibious Bistort
Usually found floating on the surface of freshwater.
Redshank
Often found near to freshwater.
Bristly Oxtongue
Dandelion like flowers.
Greater Plantain
Ribwort Plantain
Knotgrass
Sprawling plant. Flowers clustered around stem.
Aspen
Silverweed
Creeping Cinquefoil
Sprawling, creeping plant.
Selfheal
Square, hairy stem.
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).
Common fleabane
Whole plant very hairy. Daisy-like flowers.
Meadow Buttercup
Often found near grazing lifestock, creates a sea of yellow in early summer.
Creeping Buttercup
Celery-leaved buttercup
Very thick stem. Flowers smaller than other buttercups with a large, green centre.
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.
Meadow Saxifrage
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.