Plants of the week (A-Z)

Christmas Tree – December 22nd 2025

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a brief history of Christmas trees

Chrysosplenium oppositifolium – 14th March 2022 – (Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage)

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Seek in soggy woodland and you may find a golden carpet of this species, coming into flower now.

Cirsium heterophyllum – August 10th 2026 – Melancholy Thistle

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Why is it ‘melancholy’?

Cirsium palustre – 23rd October 2023 – (Marsh Thistle)

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Prickly native and a best friend of bees

Cirsium vulgare, Onopordum acanthium, Carduus nutans, Cirsium heterophyllum – September 27th 2021 – The Scottish Thistle

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Maria Chamberlain goes looking for the thistle that's properly Scottish.

Citrullus colocynthis – 18th December 2023 – (a desert gourd)

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Our blogger is in Australia for Christmas and this is the first in a series of botanical blogs from ‘down under’.

Claviceps purpurea – 26th October – Ergot, a fungal parasite of wild and cultivated grasses

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Maria Chamberlain writes about the history and symptoms of ergotism, and the life cycle and management of the fungus which causes it.

Claytonia perfoliata – 21st February 2022 – Springbeauty, aka Miner’s Lettuce

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It’s an alien from North America that appears to be spreading. In North America it is rather brutally called ‘Miner’s Lettuce’ from an association with the Californian Gold-Rush, but here we call it by a nicer name, Springbeauty.

Claytonia sibirica – September 15th 2025 – Pink Purlsane

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An interesting introduction, but did Linnaeus use the wrong name for it?

Clematis vitalba – November 18th 2024 – Traveller’s Joy, aka Old Man’s Beard

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This week’s plant likes limey soils. It is common in the southern half of England where I knew it well whilst growing up. It’s a...

Clinopodium vulgare – 28th November 2022 – Wild Basil

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Despite its name, this native species is only distantly related to the culinary Basil. It is rare in Scotland and seems to stick to calcium-rich soils.

Cochlearia officinalis and C. danica, 1st April 2024 – (Scurvy-grass)

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Flowering now, along coasts and major roads near you.

Cochlearia officinalis, C. danica – 17th May 2021 – Scurvygrass

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Look for these plants if you are heading for the coast, or driving down a motorway. Scurvygrass is an instant cure for scurvy, but there is more, much more...

Coincya monensis ssp. monensis – 13th June 2022 – Isle of Man Cabbage

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The Isle of Man Cabbage is a rare endemic plant in risk of extinction.

Colchicum autumnale – October 7th 2024 – Autumn Crocus

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A plant with a double persona, one for spring and another for autumn

Conium maculatum – 26th June 2023 – Hemlock

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One of the most deadly of all poisonous plants

Conyza canadensis – 9th November – Canadian Fleabane

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Canadian Fleabane is advancing rapidly northwards, often accompanied by three other related species. It is said to be in the top ten of the most invasive species in Europe, and it was one of the first species reported to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate.

Cordyline australis – October 21st 2024 – Cabbage Palm

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The Cabbage Tree is a visitor from New Zealand, often planted but also found in the wild.

Cortaderia richardii – 15th August 2022 – Early Pampas Grass

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A recently introduced grass from New Zealand, now thriving in Scotland.

Corylus avellana – 6th March 2023 – Hazel

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I had a little nut tree, Nothing would it bear, But a silver nutmeg And a golden pear. (But Hazel is protandrous, therefore you need more than one tree to have nuts)

Crassula helmsii – 3rd July 2023 – New Zealand Pigmyweed

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This invasive aquatic species from Australia is increasing in Scotland.

Crassula tillaea – 27th June 2022 – Mossy Stonecrop

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Another tiny plant, rare, easily overlooked, and much-trampled upon. It has an unusual distribution.

Crataegus monogyna – 29th May 2023 – Hawthorn

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This year there seem to be more flowers than usual on Hawthorn.

Crataegus x subsphaerica – 11th December 2023 – (a hybrid Hawthorn)

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The Vice-County Recorder for Midlothian writes about her recent discovery of a hybrid Hawthorn in Scotland.

Crepis capillaris – June 23rd 2025 – Smooth Hawksbeard

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Although the species has been somewhat ignored by researchers, it does have two ‘claims to fame’.

Crithmum maritimum- August 25th 2025 – Rock Samphire

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A rare coastal species and perhaps a future food plant

Cyathus olla – 7th December – Bird’s Nest Fungus,

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Cameron Diekonigin tells a story of the unexpected: “Whilst queuing I glanced out of the car window onto some pale grey discs scattered over the wood chip mulch of the landscaped planting..”