The birds-foot-trefoil is a common flowering plant that has, over the years, amassed a host of common names; names like “lady's shoes and stockings”, “crow-toes”, “lady's slipper”, “bacon and eggs”, and “God-Almighty's thumb and finger”. In all it has been attributed more than 70 different names, most of them related to either the shape or colour of its flowers. This abundant … [Read more...] about Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
flowers
Wild about wildflowers
It’s an incontrovertible fact that when wildlife flies, jumps, crawls, slithers, swims, grunts or shrieks it is generally a lot more noticeable than when it doesn’t. Things that just sit there, by and large, go unnoticed. As a survival strategy that’s probably no bad thing, but it’s also a shame, because some of the wildlife we routinely overlook is every bit as fascinating, … [Read more...] about Wild about wildflowers
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Herb Robert is pretty little pink-flowering herb that frequents ditches, walls, hedgerows and woodland all over Ireland. According to the “doctrine of signatures” widely adopted in the middle ages a plant with curative properties would reveal its divine purpose through its appearance. Because the foliage of Herb Robert turns a fiery red colour in the autumn, or where the plant … [Read more...] about Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
There's nothing quite like walking into an Irish woodland in spring and being greeted by a vibrant carpet of flowering bluebells. One of Ireland's most familiar and striking wild flowers, bluebells are found all over the country. A display of the flowers en-masse is breath-taking: a true wild phenomenon. The Bluebell is a wild member of the hyacinth family, and although common … [Read more...] about Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
