We're proud to announce the winners of the 2025 BSBI Photo Competition! 3 categories - intrepid, inquisitive & inclusive - reflecting our Society's values. Winning pix 👇 by Ian Francis, Catriona Matheson & Edward Burden: congratulations! Full details & links to all entries: bsbi.org/photographic...

Thanks @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social for spreading the word that Flat-sedge has gone from Vulnerable on the 2005 #GBRedList to Endangered on the new List. Find out more about Flat-sedge (gallery, distribution map, why it's declining) on its #PlantAtlas2020 page: plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9...

BSBI President Prof Paul Ashton says: “Although the situation seems bleak, there are still many areas where our wild plants continue to flourish. We now have the evidence to understand what’s being lost - and what needs to be done.”

If you're not already a BSBI member, then you should absolutely join us and help make a difference. You can join right now and get 14 months of membership for the price of 12: bsbi.org/join-us

Brilliant to see the #GBRedList making a report on CBBC newsround, headlined by the tale of Fen Orchid recovery. The future of our wonderful plants is in their hands - let's try not to drop the baton before we can hand it over! www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/ar... @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

The new Red List for Vascular Plants published this week by @bsbibotany.bsky.social highlights the serious decline in Britain’s freshwater plants.

A fantastic presentation on some hardcore survey work in the Scottish uplands here. Great to hear from Gus Routledge, who is unfortunately not on Bluesky ☹️, but evidently still doing inspirational field botany alongside @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social youtu.be/RZFv8lSfmj8?...

This Red List was built on around 50 million plant records collected by thousands of volunteer botanists with @bsbibotany.bsky.social between 1930 and 2019 - a stunning example of citizen science at work.

The message is clear: more than a quarter of our flora is threatened. We know the drivers. What’s needed now is urgent, coordinated action to restore our wild plants. 🌱 Read the full Red List → britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...

A new Red List for Vascular Plants in Great Britain has just been published - the first update for twenty years 🌿 So what is a Red List, and why does it matter? What does this new report tells us about the state of Britain’s flora?

A zesty sprig of pure summer sunshine today. Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa on the local downs near Sparsholt, Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

In today's @theguardian.com country diary, I'm hunting for the county's first ever recorded wild plant along the same the road where it was spotted by the father of British botany, William Turner, in 1548. #naturewriting #countrydiary

Today as part of the Botanical Skills Northern Ireland project, Mel Flexen introduced a group to the botany and ecology of lowland raised bogs in Peatlands Park, Armagh. Plenty to see, even at this tine of year!

Always a bit special to see Limbarda crithmoides Golden Samphire in East Anglia - these between Dunwich and Walberswick.

Such a fantastic piece of work! Well done @bsbibotany.bsky.social and team!!

Jersey Cudweed is a recent coloniser in Stirlingshire in central Scotland, marking its movement northwards. Found this year at the Kelpies by Falkirk, as well as in nearby Grangemouth

Getting started with Rushes, with Lynda Weekes Identifying rushes, grasses, and sedges The @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Botanical Skills Webinar takes place on Tuesday 11 November from 7pm. @daera-ni.gov.uk has provided funding for the series of free talks. www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

Water Bent in flower, widely naturalised and a common pavement plant in Cornwall. Near Truro today for #wildflowerhour Polypogon viridis

Major revision of #GBRedList of plants published today shows 25% of our native & archaeophyte flora threatened with extinction. Many iconic widespread species classified as threatened for first time including Betony, Marsh Marigold, Devil’s-bit Scabious and Harebell. Another wake-up call for action!

A quarter of Britain’s native plants are now at risk of extinction The first update in two decades to a “red list” of plants found a substantial increase in the number of threatened species www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

As usual, @markavery.bsky.social has it right. Things are not getting better for our wild plants The 20-year efforts of #BSBImembers & the botanical community gave us #PlantAtlas2020, which provides the evidence base for much of this #GBRedList assessment. Your #botany records make a difference!

Think this is Clustered Bellflower - Campanula glomerata I saw yesterday, not large plants, not much clustering going on… and quite late in the year. Not recorded in the area for a while #WildflowerHour sorry it’s a bit late 😀 Oh and a late Autumn Gentian from Minchinhampton last wk (diff location).

Cornwall Botany for October is now published at sylvatica2022.blogspot.com I hope you like the selection of plants found during that month.

The story of Fen Orchid is a bright spot in the gloomy picture of the new #GBRedList @plantlifeuk.bsky.social show that positive conservation actions can make a difference to the threats plants face, highlighted by @emilybeament.bsky.social in @the-independent.com www.indy100.com/news/beautif...

A bit late but White Dogwood (Cornus alba) planted along the side of a road. Very similar to Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) except the stone of the fruit is longer than wide and the leaves are shortly acuminate to acute. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social

Well late for #WildFlowerHour as I've been attached to the laptop since dusk cos I chose to play in the sunshine today. Lots of Red Campion and Yarrow on a walk above Nefyn and the delicious coconut aroma of Gorse. A couple of Red Admirals and Chiffchaffs and I almost believed it was summer.

A few #Speyside finds for this week’s #Wildflowerhour from a hike up Ben Rinnes near Aberlour. Bonus Ptarmigans too! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95 @rspbscotland.bsky.social

Well done all involved in years of data gathering, analysis, coordination & funding for this new GB red list. Dedicated work by top botanists. And thanks to the brilliant conservation orgs & land managers stemming the haemorrhaging of biodiversity too. Many declines but also some glimmers of hope

20 years on from the first #GBRedList for vascular plants - what's changed? 285 taxa have become more threatened. Critically Endangered up from 35 to 55 taxa, Endangered up from 90 to 117 taxa, Vulnerable up from 220 to 261 taxa 😱☠️ Action needed now! Well done @bsbibotany.bsky.social and partners

Huge thanks to @adamvaughan.bsky.social for his excellent article in today's @thetimes.com about #GBRedList. Wild plants inc Common Restharrow, Common Rock-rose & Common Milkwort all now classed as Vulnerable - so no longer common! Download the new Red List: britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...

Today BSBI published the #GBRedList for vascular plants, crucial new evidence to underpin nature conservation and help prioritise future action. Thanks so much to the amazing botanists, partners and funders who have made this possible.

Jersey Cudweed 1st recorded on Jersey in 1689, now moving northwards: has increased 50fold since 2000. Why? several reasons, inc (probably) a warming climate. Find out more about Jersey Cudweed (inc images, trends & a distribution map) on its #PlantAtlas2020 page: plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9...

A rare wild orchid has been brought back from the brink of extinction!🥳🌱One of Britain’s most endangered orchids, Fen Orchid, is no longer considered threatened in the UK, according to the bsbibotany.bsky.social 's new GB red list. Find out how we did it👉 loom.ly/02JCV8w

Nice piece by @emilybeament.bsky.social in @the-independent.com today about #GBRedList, threatened plants & work carried out by @plantlifeuk.bsky.social to conserve Fen Orchid: www.indy100.com/news/beautif... More info about Fen Orchid on its #PlantAtlas2020 page: plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9...

New GB Red List for vascular plants from @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social is comprehensive revision of 2005 list. Plants are good indicators of the pressures on all our wildlife - things are not getting better. More details: markavery.info/2025/11/05/b...

@bsbibotany.bsky.social I’ve found a nice cluster of what I think are Whitebeam near Mamble, Worcestershire. There’s around five trees in hedgerows scattered along the A456. Their distinctive autumn colours really shine.

Simon Milne, RBGE Regius Keeper, receiving one of two pre-retirement gifts from Matt Harding, BSBI Scotland Officer, in acknowledgement of his support for BSBI and the wider botanical community in Scotland. This gift? A data stick containing e-copies of each of the BSBI handbooks!

"The Perception of trees matters more than the reality" (in UK) 🌳🤔🌍 >PR: findingnature.org.uk/2025/10/24/g... >​Paper: ​Green pathways to mental health: Relationships between treescapes and well-being and distress besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

I first published this essay about my ongoing practice of daily reading from the volumes of Melissa Harrison's "Seasons" quartet back in 2017. I think it still reads well and is worthy of revisiting from time to time, particularly at seasonal transitions such as today. #Booksky

My Sloe Gin is already in progress, but am I the only one? Back in the day accessable Sloes like these would have been a hedgerow commodity & soon picked. Is there a natural harvest disconnect as well as a nature one? @irishrainforest.bsky.social @nicwilson.bsky.social @markavery.bsky.social

🌼 Orchids of Sardinia is a guaranteed departure, and places remain available. 🌼 Orchids of Crete is a guaranteed departure, and limited places now remain available. Of course, ALL of our orchid tours generate a donation to support the great work of @bsbibotany.bsky.social. (2/3)

New #GBRedList for vascular plants is out now as a special issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, the @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Open Access scientific journal: britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi... Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications... Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...

New #GBRedList for vascular plants evaluated 1,720 species. 26% (up from 23% in 2005) assessed as threatened. Common Restharrow, Marsh-marigold & Harebell: all Vulnerable. Alpine Gentian: Endangered. Work was led by Pete Stroh from @bsbibotany.bsky.social & funded by @naturalengland.bsky.social

New #GBRedList for vascular plants is published today by a team led by @bsbibotany.bsky.social with partners @naturalengland.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social @natreswales.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social @plantlifeintl.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social @thebotanics.bsky.social

Wild Roses of Great Britain & Ireland (latest title in the series of #BSBIHandbooks for tricky plants) is due out this month! Final proofs now with authors Gareth & Roger. Interview with them about the new Handbook here: bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/inte... £16 for #BSBImembers until 24 Nov.

Sounds like a lovely send-off - and what an amazing gift! I love 'paper' books ... but you can take an e-book everywhere you go and it saves a lot of luggage-weight 😀

Best time to join the growing ranks of #BSBImembers? In October to get 15 months of benefits for price of 12: that's when 100s of people inc @markavery.bsky.social & @alunsalt.bsky.social joined! 2nd best time? In November, to enjoy 14 months of benefits: bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...

A lovely gift for Simon Milne, the outgoing Regius Keeper @thebotanics.bsky.social, to thank him for his years of support for botany in Scotland. The full eBook collection of 24 #BSBIHandbooks is a great resource, available to purchase for £160: bsbi.org/publications... @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Fewer flowers for #wildflowerhour - but still plenty of #ferns to see still! Nine species spotted at #SlishWood today, including these beauties. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Botany #WBYeats #pteridophytes @pteridophytes.bsky.social @irishwoodlandtrust.bsky.social @coillte.bsky.social (Names in ALT text)