Spring was most definitely in the air today 🙂 #TheWinter10 plus two for this week's #WildflowerHour, names in Alt-text. The earliest record for a UK orchid flowering is 4 March 2023, for an Early Purple orchid - less than two weeks away! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A little repost for #wildflowerhour 😀

21st February is Celandine Day (since 1795). So it is fitting on 22nd February to show the first flower I've seen locally to Coleraine in N or NI. Lesser Celandine. Not much else flowering. #WildFlowerHour #TheWinter10 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiireland.bsky.social

#WildflowerHour #WildflowerAllotment Lots of ladybirds around today, this one investigating some Field Woundwort.

Coltsfoot growing in front of a garage block, lesser celandines on a verge, and what I hope maybe wild daffodils in a woodland ? All seen this week for #WildflowerHour

Woohoo! For #wildflowerhour my first Colt’s-foot flower of the year! 💛🎉🥰

Several weeks behind last years first flowering. Marsh Marigold in a Lincolnshire nature reserve scrape. #WildflowerHour

Alexander's at Stokes Bay yesterday #WildflowerHour

My first find of a fully opened Lesser Celandine this year on a rural Lincolnshire verge. #WildflowerHour

Shepherd’s purse, Cut-leaved dead nettle, Lesser celandine, Blackthorn, Annual mercury, Sweet violets, Petty spurge, White dead nettle, Common chickweed, Sweet violet again and Daisy. #TheWinter10 #WildflowerHour

Turned out to be a bit early today for scurvy-grass (Cochlearia) flowers, but what a perfect rosette...and just look at these gorgeous pink thrift (Armeria maritima) leaves! A bit #vegetative for #wildflowerhour maybe, so an obliging dandelion too... @bsbibotany.bsky.social @cleancoasts.bsky.social

Reminder that the deadline to apply for this great role as BSBI Wales Officer is midnight on Monday 23 February. Interested? Apply here: bsbi.org/about/people... Sounds good but not for you? Please share this post and help us spread the word!

Know any botanists in Wales who'd like to join our lovely botanical team? The deadline is this Monday (23 Feb)- so apply soon! @cedar-ni.bsky.social @bangoruniscience.bsky.social @treborthbg.bsky.social @aberuni.bsky.social @irishwildlife.bsky.social @peatlandcymru.bsky.social @manxpeat.bsky.social

This week, our #BotanicalSkillsNI project returned for 3 jam-packed days of conifer identification workshops in Castlewellan Forest Park, Co Down. Let's hope we've helped to spark new interest and knowledge for identifying these under-recorded trees!

I found a fresh new Lesser Periwinkle bud and flower, they look so pretty in the sunlight! #WildflowerHour

Alexander, divine, Meet the beautiful Celandine, Your Valentine 💘 #wildflowerhour #springflowers #naturelover

The #Winter10 (11), Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve. #wildflowerhour #Cheshire Hazel, Gorse, Ragwort, Common Mouse-ear, Shepherd's-purse, Red Dead-nettle, Colt's-foot, Wavy Bittercress, Common Field-speedwell, Scentless Mayweed & Sun Spurge. A right mix of neophytes, archaeophytes & native species.

Enough bright sunshine yesterday to bring out the flowers of common whitlow grass (pic 1) and hairy bittercress (pic 2) at The Holies, Streatley (W. Berks). #wildflowerhour

Charlock, Sinapis arvensis, on the grass bank of the causeway at Abberton Reservoir. #WildflowerHour

Gagea bohemica Early Star-of-Bethlehem at Stanner Rocks! A cheery spark of sunshine in the damp grey welshness. All credit to the volunteer site warden who keeps the habitat open for this and the site’s other botanical treasures. #Wildflowerhour

The weird and wonderful flowers of Butchers broom seen this week in Eastbourne, East Sussex #wildflowerhour

These Red dead nettle flowers look sad, as if they’ve had a falling out. #WildflowerHour

I saw masses of parma violet-scented Sweet Violets and, surprisingly, a very fresh Field Scabious in a verge in a sheltered location at YHA South Downs, Southease. #wildflowerhour

Definitely more gearing up for Spring for #WildflowerHour today. First dogs mercury, stitchwort and speedwell. Easy #TheWinter10 and two to spare. South Devon @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Sweet violets amongst Bee orchid rosettes in Ely. #WildflowerHour

My attention was caught by a stunning display of blossom as I was driving home. A cheeky stop for a closer look revealed it was Cherry Plum, gorgeous flowers with reflexed sepals. A fab bonus from my unplanned stop - this Fox contemplating and eventually crossing the flooded path. #wildflowerhour

Pretty Colt's-foot flowers enjoying the lake view from a forestry track in Leitrim. The flowers appear first, but last year’s dead woolly leaves are still visible. 'Tussilago farfara' refers to its use as a cure for coughs. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social #wildflowerhour

For a taster of what's in the latest edition of our fantastic #BSBINews magazine, visit bsbi.org/learn/period.... Or become a member to read the whole thing! @ucddublin.bsky.social @uniofgalwaylib.bsky.social @ucclibrary.bsky.social @atu-ie.bsky.social #Irishplants #botany @cedar-ni.bsky.social

#BSBINews Winter issue is out! #BSBImembers: head over to the members-only area of our website to view your digital copy (or, if you opted for print membership, check your letterbox!) Not joined us yet? Discover what's in this issue & how to access a sampler + 1 free article bsbi.org/about/news/l...

A new issue of #BritishandIrishBotany: some interesting botanical papers for a grey February day while you're waiting for things to grow! 🌿🌼🌳🦋 Read for free at britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi... @uniofgalwaylib.bsky.social @atu-ie.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social @ucclibrary.bsky.social

Avert your eyes if you dislike horror. Today I found this monstrous snowdrop. It looks to be Galanthus elwesii - but with these stomach-churning supernumerary petals. Tagging the snowdrop gang so they can suffer along with me: @commonbynature.bsky.social @bramblebotanist.bsky.social

Such a lovely #wildflowerhour! Lots of spring flowers making an appearance despite the wet weather! Special thanks to those that braved the rain to go flower spotting this week! The weekly challenges will be back again soon, so if you’ve not yet found #thewinter10 you’d best get your skates on!!! ☺️

Tiny hot-pink plumes on Corkscrew Hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta' - aka The Noodle Tree) I've noticed its male catkins are way behind our normal hazels: I wonder why? And who's borrowing that catkin?🤔🐛 #wildflowerhour #botany #irishtrees @bsbibotany.bsky.social @irishwoodlandtrust.bsky.social

I've found a particularly lovely snowdrop. I think it's a hybrid between Galanthus nivalis and elwesii - and it's got tiny green dots on the tips of the outer petals! 😍 Sharing this with some proper snowdrop enthusiasts: @bramblebotanist.bsky.social @commonbynature.bsky.social

Hurrah! This new book 👇 from the fabulous @sarahwhild.bsky.social will be essential reading for anyone serious about botanical/ biological recording. Among Sarah's many past achievements: years of driving BSBI's botanical training offering & co-founding #NewYearPlantHunt. She's an absolute legend!

Budding Irish botanists :🪻🌼🌸🌾 @bsbibotany.bsky.social have a challenge for you (but a fun one!): #100Plants2026. More details at bsbi.org/take-part/ac... @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social @uniofgalway.bsky.social @phoebeobrien.bsky.social @birdwatchireland.bsky.social

One of my favourite habitats are Machair systems. Happy #worldwetlandsday #machair

Hazel catkins and female flowers just right for its #JacobinDay

Hazel and snowdrops in Nth #Donegal today for #wildflowerhour

And the prize for the most unexpected flower in January goes to….. Water Figwort! Wingham River in Kent. #wildflowerhour

It’s Sunday & it’s 8pm, so it must be time for #wildflowerhour! Excited to see what you’ve found flowering across Britain & Ireland in the last week! Please share your pics & did you spot #thewinter10!!! 😀

More sweet violets appearing. #WildflowerHour

Groundsel. #WildflowerHour

Grey Willow. Lovely to see (and feel) spring beginning to stir. #WildflowerHour

The smallest grass in the world - Mibora minima (Early Sand Grass) just coming into flower on the Sefton coast today. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Gorse in the rain #WildflowerHour

A nice Sun spurge. #WildflowerHour

Spurge Laurel, Daphne laureola, growing out of a grave in Cherry Hinton churchyard #Cambridge. Very chalky soil and obviously disturbance! 🍒🏘️ #WildflowerHour

Lots of cheerful yellow-flowered things coming up for #Imbolc & #StBrigid'sDay at #Hazelwood in Sligo: it really does feel like the first day of Spring. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #WBYeats @coillte.bsky.social @irishwoodlandtrust.bsky.social @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social