On May 8th we mark the anniversary of the day in 1945 when we celebrated the end of World War II. Eighty years on we cling to the peace this brought, hoping our homelands will not again come under threat. In recognition of the countryside we hold dear, here’s a reminder of some of the red, white and blue flowers you can find this May in the meadows we are lucky enough to freely walk in.
Red flowers of May
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) has leaves divided into five lobes, like the fingers of a hand, in the lower part of the stem; three lobes at the top. You’ll likely recognise its scent, which many don’t like. Despite having ‘herb’ in its name, I’ve not found a culinary or other use for this ‘herb’.
Dead nettle (Lamium purpureaum) round toothed leaves surround straggly stalks with each whorl housing tubular flowers. The tops can be picked like cut-and-come-again lettuce, the red parts taste a little sweet.
Early purple orchid (Orchis masucla) – this is one of the most common orchids, but still it takes five years for a seed to produce a flower, which explains why we consider them so precious.
White flowers of May
Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestria) – one of the earliest umbellifers to flower, its white panicles delight us in May. The feathery leaves of cow parlsey will not have purple blotching. If you see purple, avoid, it may be Hemlock (Conium maculatum) which flowers a little later, in June. Another ‘mistaken identity’ may be Fools Parlsey (Aethusa cynapium) which flowers in July.
Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) has five brilliant white petals, each split in two so it can look like ten petals (chickweed – Stellaria media – has a similar arrangement, though much smaller flowers and more ground-hugging). This is the white member of the ‘pink’ family, a group of plants that include clove-scented flowers.
Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) – also known as Moon Daisy because her bright white flowers shine in the moonlight. There is a field of oxeye daisies in private land along the top from Stinchcombe Hill, a magnificent sight if caught at the right time of the year.
Blue flowers of May
Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) – bluebell’s narrow shiny leaves and smooth stem ooze a slimy mucilage if broken or crushed. This was used by bookbinders in creating glue. Among the swathes of blue, there may be a white or a lilac flower, see if you can spot these anomalies.
Forget-me-not (Myosotis ramosissima Rochel). Minature blue flowers and spoon shaped leaves. An appropriate flower for our VE Day remembrances.
Germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), also known as Birds-Eye has bright white eyes in a blue flower. It’s latin name derives from a Greek term meaning ‘on-the-ground-oak’ as it’s leaves were thought to resemble the oak, squint and you might agree!
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