A beginner’s guide to native British wildflowers
The simple beauty of wildflowers is a joy. Our guide to native British wildflowers looks at lovely flowers that bloom over summer
Dog Rose – Rosa canina
Flowering period: May – July
In the 18th and 19th century it was thought that Dog Rose could treat the bite of a rabid dog, giving a possible explanation for its name.
Honeysuckle – Caprifoliaceae
Flowering period: June – September
Honeysuckle has long been associated with various superstitions, one being that if it was planted around the entrance of a house, it could prevent witches from entering the home.
Enchanter’s nightshade – Circaea lutetiana
Flowering period: June – August
The botanical name of this wildflower is named after Circe, a witch from ancient Greece, who notoriously turned men into animals.
Columbine – Aquilegia
Flowering period: May – June
Part of the buttercup family, this flower is also the state flower of Colorado.
Kingcup – Caltha palustris
Flowering period: March – August
Kingcup’s are also known as Marsh Marigold, the term marigold came about when it was used in church festivals in the middle ages, as a devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Cornflower – Centaurea cyanus
Flowering period: June – September
In folklore young men who believed they were in love wore these flowers, and if the flower faded quickly it represented that their love was not returned.
Water avens – Geum rivale
Flowering period: May – September
The roots of this plant has many medical uses due to it containing high amounts of tannins, the root can also be used as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
Forget-me-not – Myosotis
Flowering period: April – June
The name comes from a German romantic tragedy, where a man falls into a fast flowing river while on a stroll with his lover. While being swept away he throws a bouquet of these flowers at her, shouting, “Forget me not!”
Scarlet pimpernel – Anagallis arvensis
Flowering period: May – August
Best known as the emblem for the famous fictional character in Emma Orczy’s first novel, this British wildflower is probably our most pleasant weed.
Ragged Robin – Lychnis flos-cuculi
Flowering Period: May – August
“flos-cuculi” is supposedly means “Flower of the cuckoo”, named as the first flowers of the Ragged Robin appear just as the British Cuckoos are first heard in May.
Main image ©Getty
