Three walks coming up next week, for further details see the Events page on this website.

Wednesday 24 June:  Midsummer Wild Flower Hunt, Brockwell Park, London Borough of Lambeth, starting at 7.30 p.m. and continuing for about 90 minutes.

Report:  Although a good number had expressed interest in this walk, only four turned up, presumably the others were discouraged by the excessive heat.  However, we had a slow wander around for about an hour and found 43 different species of wild plants in flower.  A list of these will be available from roy@plant-lore.com

Thursday 25 June:  Midsummer Wild Flower Hunt, starting from the Woodfield Pavilion, Tooting Common, London Borough of Lambeth, at 11 a.m. and continuing for about an hour.

Report:  Despite the continuing high temperature five people turned up and spent a happy 75 minutes wandering around the perimeter of Woodfield and discussing the wild flowers found there.  It was good to see that narrow-leaved ragwort (Senecio inaequidens), native to  South Africa first recorded on the site in 2020, continues to survive, and although we were too late to see bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) flowering, it was good to see that it is apparently producing healthy seedpods.  A total of 45 species were found in flower; the list of these is available from roy@plant-lore.com

Thursday 25 June, Herbal Heritage, Morden Park, London Borough of Merton, starting at 5.30 p.m. and continuing for about an hour.

Report:  Presumably the hot weather discouraged more people from attending, but six joined the leader for a 75 minute stroll around the site.  In the shade we examined crested dog’s-tail (Cynosurus cristatus) a grass which is rather scarce in this part of London and which was formerly used by children to make ornaments rather like miniature corn dollies.  After lingering beneath trees we moved to an open area which had been sown with wild flower seeds. This provided a colourful array of bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus sp.), goat’s rue (Galega officinalis),and wild carrot (Daucus carota), with occasional plants of hoary plantain (Plantago media).  This plantain is rare in south London and was formerly known as fire-grass, as farmers had to ensure that it was thoroughly dry before stacking their hay, otherwise the stack might heat up and possibly ignite.

‘People found it very informative and interesting.’

Images: upper, bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and white clover (Trifolium repens), Brockwell Park; lower, lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum), Morden Park, both June 2026.