Welcome to the Durham Botany Group

For anyone interested in local botany

In the Meantime

November 2020 - Lockdown is with us again but all being well we will have a programme of events for 2021. All members will be notified by email later this month.

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Flora of our Nature Reserves

Hedleyhope Fell w/c 1st June 2020

by Camilla Lauren-Maatta

I really liked the idea of doing a botanic visit to a nature reserve every Monday. Not sure that I'll have the time to do this every week, but we did have a lovely walk round Hedleyhope Fell - don't think I've ever been there in such warm weather and with no wind. Below are our findings. I thought I knew cross-leaved heath but it took me a while to figure out what it was (I hope I'm right?) as it wasn't in full flower and I've never really looked properly at its glandular hairs before.

See Steven Gater's blog on his visit to Hedleyhope Fell this week

Foxglove

Bird's-foot Trefoil

Bell Heather

Bilberry

Cross-leaved Heath

Mouse-ear Hawkweed

Barren Strawberry

Tormentil

Gorse

Heath Bedstraw

Heath Milkwort

Flora of of Nature Reserves

Low Barns DWT Nature Reserve w/c 8th June 2020

by Julie Stobbs

A few photos from a visit to Low Barns this morning, the first (for us) common spotted orchids of the year plus wood cranesbill, monkey flower, burnet rose with ox eye daisies and guelder rose. We certainly didn't see an otter (as had been seen yesterday on the reserve) but did see a fox on the road shortly before we crossed the A689 heading home. It disappeared quickly into the undergrowth at the side of the road.

Lesley Hodgson added about her visit on the 10th, Spent a couple of hours at Low Barns this morning, it rained constantly, so photography was difficult, but the flowers were still looking gorgeous. [photos 6-8]. Unfortunately I forgot to take a weather writer, so didn't make a list - not that 2 hours would have been long enough! The hides are locked, but we still saw some nice birds, including a female goosander and a grey wagtail.

See Steven Gater's blog on his visit to this reserve this week

Monkey Flower

Common spotted Orchid

Guelder rose

Burnet Rose

Wood Cranesbill

Dame's-violet

Yellow-flag

Common Winter-cress

Bladder Campion

Red Campion

Teasel.jpg

Crosswort

Scarlet Pimpernel

About Us

Durham Botany Group welcomes anyone with an interest in the local flora of County Durham, whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced botanist. Our aim is to learn, educate and support. Through regular field trips, teaching sessions and surveys we work to conserve the natural diversity of plants in our area. And it's not just flowers, we explore everything including trees, fungus, lichen, mosses, grasses and sedges.

Aims of the Group

The aims of the group are to:

Provide an interest in, and enjoyment of, all aspects of flora, within and beyond the Durham Wildlife Trust area.
Develop and share botanical knowledge and understanding
Continually improve identification, survey and recording skills.
Contribute to conservation through field visits, surveys and recording.
Encourage and support young people to learn about and enjoy wild plants.
Support the wider aims and activities of Durham Wildlife Trust.

Flowers to look out for this month

JULY

(click image for larger picture)

Wood Vetch - Vicia sylvatica

Common Red Poppy - Papaver rhoea

Long-headed Poppy - Papaver dubium

Common Valerian - Valeriana officinalis

Common Fleabane - Pulicaria dysenterica

Wild Majoram - Origanum vulgare

Water-mint - Mentha aquatica

Common Mallow - Malva sylvestris

Betony - Betonica officinalis

Broad-leaved Helleborine - Epipactis helleborine

Meadow Cranesbill - Geranium pratense

Wood Cranesbill - Geranium sylvaticum

Vascular Plants

Photographs of plants taken by DWTBG members.

Abies lasiocarpa (Subalpine Fir)

Taken at Durham Botanical garden

Adoxa moschatellina Moschatel

Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Taken at Winch Bridge, Upper Teesdale

Bellis perennis (Common Daisy)

Taken Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street

Briza media (Quaking-grass)

Taken at Sherburn Hill 14th June 2019

Cyperus longus (Gallingale)

Taken at The Whinnies 19th October 2017

Caltha palustris (Marsh-marigold)

Talen at Waldridge Fell

Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite)

Taken at Waldridge Fell, Co. Durham

Fumaria muralis (Common Ramping Fumitory)

Taken at Waldridge Fell 20-Jan-2020

Gagea lutea (Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem)

Taken at Gainford on one of our visits there.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebell)

Taken at the Beldon Burn, Hunstanworth

Minuartia verna (Spring Sandwort)

Taken on Widdybank Fell, Upper Teesdale 22nd May 2016

Papaver dubium (Long-headed Poppy)

Taken at Sunderland riverside 29 07 2016

Papaver rhoea (Common Red Poppy)

Taken at Waldridge 24 July 2009

Parietaria officinalis (Pellitory-of-the-wall)

Taken at Sunderland riverside 29 June 2011

Petasites hybridus Butterbur

Populus x canescens (Grey Poplar (P. alba x tremula))

Taken at Waldridge Fell

Primula veris Chester Moor NR 24042014.

Primula vulgaris Gibside 28-Mar-2019

Prunus spinosa Chester Moor 1 Mar 2017

Prunus cerasifera (Cherry Plum) Birtley

Viola ordorata Sweet Violet Gainford

Lichens

Photographs of lichens taken by DWTBG members.

Collema cristatum. Yellow is Xanthoria p

Cladonia floerkeana.jpg

Cladonia glauca.jpg

Cladonia portentosa