Juniperus communis – 28th December 2020 – Juniper
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Juniperus communis has a vast world-wide distribution, but in Britain it has declined in recent years. Roger West has been investigating this iconic species.
Hedera helix – December 21st 2020 – Ivy
Evergreen plants have been seen as a harbinger of spring since pre-Christian times, and therefore involved in celebrations of the mid-winter solstice, as they still are. Roger West explores cultural symbolism, taxonomy and water transport in this unusual plant.
Dundee in Bloom in November 2020
Brian Ballinger finds many species still flowering in late November..
Hippophaë rhamnoides – Sea buckthorn – 14th December 2020
"Sea buckthorn is a plant of many parts: it is known for its medicinal properties, for its ecological contributions to dune stabilisation, as a supply of food for birds flying along their autumn migration route, and above all the striking berries set against the blue-grey leaves". Maria Chamberlain has been exploring the species.
Cyathus olla – 7th December – Bird’s Nest Fungus,
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..”
Taxus baccata – 30th November – Yew
Yew, Taxus baccata, is a long-lived native tree. Some trees are thought to be 1000s of years old. All parts of the plant are toxic apart from the fleshy aril which surrounds the seed. The anti-cancer drug Taxol has been developed from paclitaxel, produced by many Taxus species.
Ulex europaeus – 23 November
They say that 'when gorse is out of bloom, kissing's out of fashion'. Read about gorse, a plant which is both useful and a pest.
Mountain Flowers – you don’t always need to climb that mountain
Scottish mountains have a great appeal for many plant lovers because of their special flora. However, Brian Ballinger looks at mountain plants that you can see without climbing a mountain.
Taphrina alni – 16 November – Alder tongue fungus
At this time of year it’s easy to see the cones on the almost-leafless alder trees. This year’s immature greenish-yellow cones are visible alongside last year’s open brown ones. The sight of these cones are likely familiar to many and, as such, it can be easy to walk past the trees without paying too much attention to them - but it is worth stopping next time and having a closer look. You might find a dried, brown, twisted shape emerging from some of those cones. These are clearly not part of the tree - so what are they?
Some Urban Orchids in Scotland
When searching for orchids one does not normally think of looking in towns. Brian Ballinger reports.
