
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.