Pineapple weed
We have started having regular nature / plant identification / wildlife survey walks in the orchard and on Penbeagle hill above with various experts. This will be part of an ongoing project to learn as much as we can about the amazing land that we have & record species that we find here. We would like to give as many people a chance to go on these free walks (sponsored by our Awards for All grant) so we are booking new people onto each walk. Spaces are obviously very limited on each walk so booking will be essential. Contact us to book a space or ask any questions.
More about Noah Hall, who is taking us on these surveys: Following a 12-year career in organic horticulture, Noah trained as a conservationist and gained an MSc in Conservation Management. He is co-author of a study published in the journal Restoration Ecology, investigating the effectiveness of meadow restoration in the north of England. He originally came to Cornwall in 2014 in order to study at Duchy College where he gained a 1st class BSc Hons. degree in Environmental Resource Management. Noah currently works as the land manager at Bosence Farm Community, a local charity which offers residential treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. As a keen naturalist, Noah is passionate about the protection of the natural world. He has a strong interest in botany and enjoys walking the Cornish coast path. Noah used to volunteer with us but moved up North to continue his studies, but we are glad he is back down here again.
Noah taking us on a nature walk back in 2017
Spotted so far:
Grasses:
Cocksfoot
Yorkshire Fog
Yellow oat
Red Fescue
Plants / Flowers
Pineapple weed – actually smells like pineapple www.wildfooduk.com/edible-pineapple-weed
Hogweed – carrot family / umbellifer
Broad leaved Dock (dock family – Rumex)
Creeping buttercup
Black Mustard
Japanese Rose
Common Ragwort – the Cinnibar moth’s only food plant in the caterpillar phase.
Autumn Hawkbit
White clover
Nipplewort
Cleavers
Common Sorrel
Wild carrot
Spear Thistle – fav seed for Goldfinch bird
Lichen – 3 types on each branch found – encrusting, fruiting (wispy / beardlik) and leafing.
Willow herb
Bracket fungus
Tutsan
Wood avens (sticky head / yellow flower) Herb Bennet
Pink purslane
Bird’s-foot trefoil (pea family)
Hedge bindweed
Creeping thistle
Enchanters nightshade
Sweet vernal grass
Goldenrod
Rosebay willow herb – Fireweed
Heath Bedstraw
Tormentil (strawberry family)
Wood anenome
Wood sorrel (looks like 3 leaf clover)
Herb Robert
Navelwort
Broom
Betony (purple flower)
Dog violet
Wood sage
Milkwort (blue flower)
English stonecrop
Bell heather
Common knapweed
Prickly sow thistle
Trees in Summer garden:
Grey willow
Sweet Chestnut
Garden Privet
Silver Birch
Insects
Common red Soldier beetle – also called ‘Hogweed bonking beetles’ as mostly found on hogweed.
Meadow brown butterfly
Hoverfly
Red Admiral butterfly
Large white butterfly
Ringlet butterflies
Also spotted
Oak apples (type of gall)
Eriophyes similis (gall mite) found on leaves of blackthorn
Rosebay willow herb / Fireweed
Pineapple weed