Seeds and Berries

Early signs of Autumn

Sorbus hupehensis

Early Autumn is bringing a taste of the spectacular colour to look forward to.  The acers are starting to turn yellow, orange and red.  The liquidambers and parrotias are already showing signs of colour.  The grasses are looking good too.

It is the time of year for berries and seed and this is a particularly good year.

Sorbus hupehensis is covered in bright pink berries.  A Rowan native to central and western China.  It was discovered by Ernest Wilson in 1910.

Acer caudatifolium

Acer caudatifolium, a beautiful snake bark maple from Taiwan.

Symplocos paniculata

Symplocos paniculata a delightful deciduous shrub with white, fragrant flowers in June and bright blue fruits in autumn.  A native of China, Himalaya and Japan.  First introduced to the USA in 1871 and then to England.

September Wildflowers at High Beeches

SEPTEMBER WILD FLOWERS 

There are still many wildflowers to be seen in the garden at High Beeches.  It is a particularly good year for the Devil's-bit Scabious, succisa pratensis which is flowering freely throughout the meadows and garden.  The Devils-bit scabious, a beautiful lavender blue, was used to treat Scabies and is a good source of nectar, it is also a food plant of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly

There are large clumps of Common Fleabane, Pulicaria dysenterica, to be found, its name comes from past use as an incense to rid the house of insects and it was also used in the treatment of dysentry. Water Mint, Menta aquatica, grows in the ghylls, a valuable source of nectar for bees and butterflies as well as a food plant for caterpillars.

Lesser Skullcap, Scutellaria minor and Cow Wheat, Melampyrum pratense are also flourishing.  Cow Wheat is an ancient woodland indicator and its seed is attractive to wood ants.  It is also a food plant for the caterpillars of the Heath Fritillary butterfly.  The delicate Skull cap is semi parasitic on other plants and was used in traditional medicine.

Lesser Skullcap

Devil's-bit Scabious

Common Fleabane

Water Mint

Cow Wheat