Spring on it's way in Denbighshire

Finally I got out in the field yesterday. The target species for the day was Lithospermum purpocaeruleum, as rumour had it we might be able to still see nutlets at this time of year. When we found the first (known) population it soon became clear that any nutlets had long vanished, but the new spring leaves were on their way.

Lithospermum purpocaeruleum - purple gromwell 

We moved on to another site where Lithospermum has not been recorded since 1999. It was clearly not the ideal time of year to refind a population, but we were hopeful that we might have "got our eyes in". It was lovely to be in a limestone wood in early spring, with violets and wood anemones giving a hint of the spring flowers to come, but unfortunately we did not refind the Lithospermum. Perhaps later in the year.

Anemone nemorosa - wood anemone

Petasites hybridus on road verge at St George's

Butterbur flowering on road verge

Chrysosplenium alternifolium on bank of Ely River

Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage flowering in flush by Ely River

Aconitum napellus (Monk's-hood)

Monk's-hood is very common along bank of Ely River at St George's

Petasites japonicus (Giant Butterbur)

Giant Butterbur on bank of Ely River

Sweet Violet on lane bank, Cardiff

The white form of Sweet Violet is common on lane banks near Cardiff

Spring has arrived in Cardiff!

Stinking Hellebore in hedge on edge of Ely, Cardiff