Seems like the new, urban population of Jersey Cudweed has finally reached North Norfolk - I found these this week in Sheringham and Holt. Might be interesting to speculate on the effects of possible gene flow with the native population that is not too far away now...

The wonderful Galanthus olga-reginae flowering in our garden today. Don't you just love snowdrop time!

Krüper's Nuthatch is almost endemic to Turkey, extending only into the neighbouring Caucasus of Georgia and Russia and (as here) onto the island of Lesvos, Greece. Great to watch a family group coming to drink with my group yesterday.

Plants with a view: Recurved Thorn-apple (Datura innoxia), Molyvos, Lesvos, Greece. Introduced as a garden ornamental from Central America.

Today's Highlight - the much desired and very intriguing False Hemp (Datisca cannabina). An entirely new plant family for me. See Alt text on pictures for more.

Today's Highlight - the large and spectacular Bivon's Meadow Saffron (Colchicum bivonae). Lesbos, Greece.

Spectacular views of the Black-winged Kite at Hickling today. What a beauty!!!

First there was Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis), now we have some newcomers, rapidly spreading across our landscapes. These two are trail-blazing across Norfolk these days - see Alt text for more...

Sea-heath (Frankenia laevis) is considered a scarce plant in Norfolk, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a good quantity of this smart little plant on my recent coastal plant survey. They seem to especially thrive in the cracks on concrete revetments, turning bright red in the hot, dry weather.

Sometimes it's nice to post a 'just because picture. Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)... just because they're amazing!

Do you remember when we were kids, and we just 'went to the beach' and had fun?!

Still managing to fit beach plant recording days in between other work. Here's a few more from the past week (see alt text for more)...

Feeding the ducks creates a sideline in interesting plant records - Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) growing beside Salthouse duckpond.

Early morning at Salthouse Beach yesterday.

A popular twist... Our native Black Poplar (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia) has a distinctive associate - Pemphigus spyrothecae, an aphid species that produces a distinctive gall in the leaf stalks which, over time, twist into a spiral and turns bright red.

Orange Balsam (Impatiens capensis) is native to North America, where it is generally known as Jewelweed and is famous for its sap, that has the ability to counteract the effects of Poison-ivy. Not so useful here in Norfolk, but not so invasive as its Himalayan cousin, either!

Undesirables! It was disappointing to come across several of the highly invasive, alien, Red Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in the River Bure below Aylesham yesterday. Seems the local Otters are at least keeping them in check, though...

The amazing diversity of plants - that the seed-bearing cone of one species can dwarf the entire plant of another species is truly wonderful. Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio) cone and Creeping Ladies-tresses (Goodyera repens), North Norfolk.

Mainland UK's only native population of Jersey Cudweed hangs on by a thread at its sole North Norfolk location, but there's a nice crop of young seedlings coming on for next year.

Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), sadly much declined in our area, so always a delight to find a sizeable colony of plants on the Norfolk coast.

Surveying beach plants is not too taxing at times!

"Beach baby beach baby here on the sand from July to the end of September". First Class were singing about Norfolk botany in 1974! A few from my botany walk today...

We chanced across two female Silver-washed Fritillaries at Sheringham Park today. The righthand individual appeared first and is of the less common colour form 'valezina', which is only found in females. Both enjoying dappled sun patches in the woodland.

A perfect end to the day; a couple of hours using the BSBI recording App for the first time (great by the way!), pub dinner and a pint, then this lovely Roe Deer waiting just outside the garden as we returned. But stay outside the garden chappie, we're done with the ticks already!

A walk to the post office takes me past this remarkable bigeneric hybrid, X Chitalpa tashkentensis. This hybrid between Chilopsis and Catalpa species from North America was first produced in the botanic gardens in Uzbekistan in 1964 and was a real horticultural achievement in its day.

Butterflies continue to steal the show in our garden at the moment, with a second White-letter Hairstreak showing up today. This one rather smarter than yesterday's and with a full set of tails!

Megan is certainly on a roll! After finding the Queen of Spain Fritillary several days ago (and still present today, incidentally), she turned up this first White-letter Hairstreak for our garden! A bit dishevelled, but still a great find!

Despite the dreadful weather overnight, our Queen of Spain Fritillary continued through its third day with us, showing up, as before, in the late afternoon in its favourite field corner. It was also nectaring at Perennial Sow-thistle flowers.

La Reina! We had a regal visitor today, when Megan found a spectacular Queen of Spain Fritillary just outside our garden! Not sure when the last Norfolk record was but it's a wonderfully rare visitor for our little patch.

A wonderful treat today, a sumptuous patch of the Broadland speciality, Cowbane (Cicuta virosa) along the River Yare.

Is it me, or is this not normal?! Springy Turf-moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus) is abundant in damp or shady lawns, but I've never seen it growing as a 'thatch' on top of a hedge of Ivy before!! It must be very damp in East Ruston!

Something funky going on here! Small Scabious with a series of unified stems that collectively produced a solitary flowerhead, that then split out into several solitary stems again, each with its own terminal flowerhead... must be the beer in Norfolk!

2000 years ago: the Romans would let an aqueduct destroy the Gardon Valley. We need clean water, but at what cost?

GOOD NEWS: Lead shot will be banned! RESULT! After years of campaigning, the use of toxic lead ammunition by the shooting industry will be banned. This is excellent news for people's health and for wildlife. Read the Defra press release here: wildjustice.org.uk/general/toxi...

Two new bees for the garden today - Black-thighed Epeolus (Epeolus variegatus) and Pantaloon Bee (Dasypoda hirtipes). Our Common Fleabane patch is excelling itself!

ICYMI #NationalMeadowsDay was on Saturday & we’re reimagining what meadows can be🌾 The future of gardening means thinking beyond borders. By studying Armenia’s wildflower-rich grasslands, we’re bringing lessons from ancient ecosystems to create thriving meadows at Wakehurst 🎥 Watch the short film👇

Cinnabar larva feeding on Colt's-foot in the garden. Noted in the field guides but not something I've seen before.

An occasional series - botany near the pub...

National Meadows Day yesterday was the day I chose to do an early cut on parts of our meadow that are still too nutrient rich and dominated by aggresive grass species. During the process, I turned up these two fabulous insects in our garden! Click on pics for more info...

A visit to the RSPB's Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire courtesy of @duerden.bsky.social to check out some Verbascums led to an opportunity to get photos of Broad-leaved Spurge (Euphorbia platyphyllos) for my website. Now a rare and declining species in East Anglia and a new species for me.

Mullein heaven! Feel free to zoom in and count them,they go right across the field! Arable reversion to grass heath in West Norfolk.

23.15hrs... still light in the northern sky here in Norfolk!

The weekend is upon us. But should you really be cutting the lawn? This Insect Week, take inspiration from one who knows and love your lawn, or a least a part, and keep the grass long and uncut. Here's why....

BIG NEWS! We’ve found that ash trees are fighting back against ash dieback disease! 🌳💪 Scientists at Kew & QMUL ‪@qmul.bsky.social have discovered that young ash trees are evolving resistance to this devastating fungus - & fast 🌍 Read the story👉 www.kew.org/read-and-wat... #PlantScience #SciNews

A nice surprise during my Yarrow Broomrape survey - Fine-leaved Fumitory (Fumaria parviflora) at Mundesley; appears to be the first record for East Norfolk (VC27) of this Nationally Scarce species. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @jo-the-botanist.bsky.social

It's a tough decision... do I want more second homes for rich Londoners built in Norfolk, or do I want our wildlife back... ?

The fabulous Knapweed Broomrape (Orobanche elatior) at Sheringham, Norfolk today.

Life on the edge. 2025 Yarrow Broomrape survey underway this week in Norfolk. @bsbibotany.bsky.social