Re-wilding of spoil heaps

So, what did we find in growing on the one year old spoil heap at the school?

Broad Leaved Dock Rumex Obtusifolius
Broad leaved Willowherb Epilobium Montanum
Common Poppy Papaver Rhoeas
Hedge Woundwort Stachys Sylvatica
Herb Bennet Geum Urbanum
Meadow Vetch Lathyrus Pratensis
Red Campion Silene Dioica
Red Clover Trifolium Pratense
Redshank Persicaria Maculosa
Ribwort Plantain Plantago Lanceolata
Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis Arvensis
Small flowered Crane's Bill Geranium Pusillum
Stinging Nettle Urtica Dioica
Tufted Vetch Vicia Cracca
Weld Reseda Luteola
White Campion Silene Latifolian Alba
White Clover Trifolium Repens

As you can see quite a variety of species. This list is not definitive. It was basically compiled from plants that caught my eye. Still, there are some interesting species established already.

The Broad Leaved Willowherb is, like a lot of wildflowers, considered to be a weed. A weed? Have you seen this thing? How could something so beautiful be called a weed? I rather like this delicate flower. I'm glad it is thriving at the school. You can tell just by looking at this thing that it is designed for the honey bee and during our plant hunt we did see an unusually large number of honey bees around.

The Redshank is an unusual cluster of pink flowers. For thousands of years humans have used Redshank. Its leaves can be eaten as a salad and just in case someone accidentally runs you through with a sword as you are eating, the leaves will also staunch heavy bleeding. When eaten it can stop diarrhea and cure infections. This is a good plant to have around.

Tufted Vetch is a pretty blue flower found on the south facing slopes of the spoil heap. This plant has a forgotten history. It turns out that we used to grow this stuff as a crop. It was, in fact, one of the earliest species of plant to be grown by human beings anywhere in the world. In the bible there is mention of beans being eaten. Go look up 2 Sam. 17:28. This is a reference to this plant. The beans we eat today are mostly North American species.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of those flowers I always wished I would find. It has gained fame after a play was named after it in which English aristocrats would go rescue French aristocrats during the French revolution. The leader of which called himself the Scarlet Pimpernel and signed his letters with a small drawing of this flower. Back in the real world, this pretty pink flower is a tiny but welcome addition to the spoil heap. Some say its leaves make a nice salad, but others say it is deadly poisonous. Ho hum. What is for sure is that this plant contains chemicals that can kill you.

Finally for today, let us look at Small Flowered Crane's Bill. Like the Redshank the right parts of this plant will staunch heavy bleeding, cure pain and stop diarrhea. Great stuff!

Tomorrow I will show you a freak of nature.