Wild flowers

[Karen L]

I love beech trees.
In Derbyshire, there seem to be yew trees close to mine levels - I'm thinking of Stoney Middleton Dale and Eyam Dale in particular. Could be coincidence of course.

 

[pwhole]

 

[Lankyman]

I love beech trees.
In Derbyshire, there seem to be yew trees close to mine levels - I'm thinking of Stoney Middleton Dale and Eyam Dale in particular. Could be coincidence of course.

I wonder if it's the limestone that the yews like? I can't recall seeing many round here where the geology is sandstone/shale-type stuff. Further north in the limestone of Arnside/Silverdale they are much more common.

 

[Lankyman]

and not a witch to be seen!

 

[Lankyman]

A lovely warm autumn day on Saturday - I wonder how many more we can expect? Dew on the grass so wet feet pretty much from the start. Hawthorn berries in the hedgerows (with a basking fly)

I spotted what I thought were damsons or sloes (or something in between?). I tasted a couple and they were OK

Lots of ivy flowers, very popular with the wasps and hover flies

Local problem family being antisocial down by the canal. Crap everywhere and threatening passers-by

 

[AR]

I wonder if it's the limestone that the yews like? I can't recall seeing many round here where the geology is sandstone/shale-type stuff. Further north in the limestone of Arnside/Silverdale they are much more common.

No, the reason you only tend to see wild yews in steep gorges is that farmers wouldn't let them establish anywhere where livestock grazed, due to the toxicity of the leaves. You can eat yew berries if you spit the stones out.

I spotted what I thought were damsons or sloes (or something in between?). I tasted a couple and they were OK

Possibly bullace (wild damson) looking at the fruit size, if they were sloes you would have spat them out straight away...

 

[Lankyman]

No, the reason you only tend to see wild yews in steep gorges is that farmers wouldn't let them establish anywhere where livestock grazed, due to the toxicity of the leaves.

And yet ...
Here are some cattle I encountered on the bridleway which crosses Arnside Knott (which is full of yew trees, amongst others). They were conservation grazing for the National Trust. I used to live not far away below Warton Crag which is also similarly grazed although not quite as thickly covered with yews.

Similarly at nearby Trowbarrow LNR where they also use ponies for conservation grazing

All three sites are limestone.

 

[bagpuss]

Middledown nature reserve, Cheddar, parasol mushroom

Some sort of club fungi, they look a bit like golden spindles, but were lighter in colour.

 

[Lankyman]

Guess the tree?

 

[RobinGriffiths]

Black bryony or lady's seal. All parts poisonous.

 

[bagpuss]

Guess the tree?
View attachment 28442

Beech, the nuts are apparently edible but probably not worth the faff!

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Beech, the nuts are apparently edible but probably not worth the faff!

In spring, a few of the "baby" new leaves can be used to garnish food and in salads (if you eat that salad stuff anyway )

 

[pwhole]

Rosebay Willowherb all dying now.

 

[Lankyman]

Beech, the nuts are apparently edible but probably not worth the faff!

My mum tells me she used to eat them as a child. Given that she is the most fussy, picky eater I know (even though she came through the privations of WW2) I find this hard to understand.

 

[shotlighter]

My mum tells me she used to eat them as a child. Given that she is the most fussy, picky eater I know (even though she came through the privations of WW2) I find this hard to understand.

My dad ate them too.

 

[Lankyman]

I wasn't expecting Japanese knotweed at the Devil's Bridge by Kirkby Lonsdale today

I have seen it further downstream but here it's pretty much growing out of solid limestone. On the picnic site just above here was this fungus

Given the location I shall call it Devil's Dog Doo (which is what it looks like)

 

[pwhole]

M

My dad ate them too.

My mum was addicted to this type

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/525232375277074072/