Huge congratulations James! So few urban Floras have been published this will be momentous. Can’t wait to get a copy and devour every page #UrbanFlora #UrbanPlants

Huge congratulations to our fabulous friend @commonbynature.bsky.social! His #UrbanFlora of Newcastle and North Tyneside will be out on Monday. Essential reading for everyone interested in #UrbanBotany. It'll be interesting to read it alongside @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social's #UrbanPlants book!

With three days to go until the #UrbanFlora is published, it was a pleasant surprise to see this feature in the Journal this evening. Must say, never thought plants would make page 3! 👀🗞️🌿 PS, book is obviously subject to review by my harshest critic... 🦜 #botany #tyneside #ecology

A nice patch of Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) just peeping through on today's woodland wander 👣 #botany

Simply had to pause for a closer look at this teenie weenie forest of Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) growing on a mossy pavement in the Ouseburn Valley. Squatting definitely required to appreciate them fully! 👀 #pavementplants

Love plants of Rue-leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites) at this stage of their short lives, their beautiful little rosettes gearing up to do their flowery thing in a few weeks time. Real urban pioneers, you can find them on pavements & walls in many towns & cities #UrbanPlants

7 days until publication of 'Wild Pavements - Exploring Britain's Cities with an Urban Naturalist' on 5 March. I've kept a record of each step as a #1stBookDiary in 7 chapters, and I'm planning to share one each day before 'P-day'. #writing #creativewriting #naturewriting #urbannature

Seems we've hit peak Snowdrop season in the yarden! 👀 With so many times choose from, it's difficult to pick favourites, so here's just a few that caught my eye today... 📸 Green Tear, x allenii, Spindlestone Surprise, Sandersii, an odd Trym, woronowii, Watered Silk and rizehensis. Small joys! 😁

Huge congratulations to the fabulous @commonbynature.bsky.social! If you're a fan of #UrbanPlants #UrbanBotany then this book is for you. We can't wait to read it: well done James!

It’s official! The 'Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside' will be published on Monday 9 March 🌿 📖 I’m hugely proud of this, and ever so grateful to @nenature.bsky.social and @bsbibotany.bsky.social for their support in making it happen. #botany #urbanflora

Spring-like weather today for our @nenature.bsky.social trip to Howick Hall Gardens and a nice opportunity to practice identifying crocuses, snowdrops and other spring plants (they're more diverse than they seem! 🧐) #botany

Lanceolate Spleenwort Asplenium obovatum on a spectacularly lush Devon hedge bank at Mortehoe today. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A rather productive Saturday spent indulging my inner galanthophile, and another batch of lovely wild yellows. #botany #snowdrops

For #SnowdropID help, check out our recently updated Snowdrop Identification page: bsbi.org/learn/resour... Species descriptions & key by Mick Crawley. Guide recently updated to include @commonbynature.bsky.social's helpful tips for IDing hybrid snowdrops.

The escape of ornamental plants from large gardens can pose a threat to native species and habitats. Here we provide evidence for this in riparian habitats near to Harrogate UK and discuss the lessons for managing potentially invasive species in gardens. britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...

Whey hey! What should (hopefully) be the final proof of the 'Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside' is in, and it’s looking lush.... Just a few final checks to go, but we’re on track for a February launch. More details coming soon… Until then, happy weekend, everyone! 🤩🌿 #botany

Had great fun acquiring some new #snowdrops while trying to string some thoughts together for @bsbibotany.bsky.social. A few new additions in G. plicatus x elwesii, elwesii x ikariae and nivalis x elwesii. Oh, the mind boggles! #galanthus

Can you find, identify & record 100 wild plants in 2026? BSBI is confident that (with our support) yes, you can! Beginner botanists, will you accept the challenge? Sign up today for #100Plants2026 challenge: bsbi.org/take-part/ac... Check out the webinars & #WildFlowerID help we've prep'd for you!

Oh, and snowdrop number #10 is this massive form of #Galanthus woronowii. Supposedly a distinctive clone known as 'Of' but really just a big Green Snowdrop...

Snowdrops #8 and #9 now out in the yarden and they're both yellows. #Galanthus nivalis 'Sandersii' and G. plicatus 'Wandlebury Ring' 👀

Are you an academic or amateur researcher, or PhD student, carrying out research into the British & Irish flora? Is it work capable of resulting in a scientific publication? Would you like <£1,000 towards your costs? Apply for a #BSBIScienceandResearchGrant! Here's how: bsbi.org/learn/grants...

Continuing our little journey through the garden snowdrop sequence, #7 is out now - Galanthus elwesii ‘Watered Silk’, I think! A new one for us 🤓 #snowdrops #galanthus

The fabulous Asplenium x murbeckii. This is the hybrid between A. septentrionale and A. ruta-muraria at it's only known British/Irish site. #wildflowerhour

Rustyback (Asplenium ceterach) from today's jaunt. An uncommon little fern in Northumberland. #ferns

As we were passing, it would have been rude not to call in for a look at Asplenium x clermontiae. Pleased to see it looking far healthier than last summer! #ferns

A few more Sandersii snowdrops from today's rather soggy walk. #galanthus

A nice Cyrtomium species growing in a old wall in Jesmond Dene this afternoon. Not quite as toothy towards the tips as the. C. fortunei I've seen so falcatum? Only a single frond to scrutinise 👀 #ferns

Popped in today to check on Newcastle’s only wild yellow #snowdrops - delighted to see they’re still going strong. 📸 Galanthus nivalis ‘Sandersii Group’ @bsbibotany.bsky.social

More #Galanthus geekery today with snowdrop number #6 out in the yarden. It's a good one too! Galanthus plicantus 'Golden Fleece' 🤓

A few urban ferns from today's quiet Saturday walk: D. affinis, D. borreri, a new Polypody to be looked at later, and a rather frilly, fence-hopping Soft Shield-fern #ferns

This young Japanese Lace Fern (Polystichum polyblepharum) seems to be doing well on its chosen bank in Jesmond Dene. #ferns #urbanflora

Really pleased iNaturalist is proposing use of 'real' names. If all I have is a blurry photo of something which might/might not be what it purports to be & recorded by "A Penguin"...what on earth am I supposed to do with it? How good are penguins at UK plant ID? forum.inaturalist.org/t/guidelines...

Snowdrop number #5 out in the yard and this time, it's a lovely green-marked Galanthus woronowii. Much earlier than the other sorts we grow... 🤓 #galanthus

Huge thanks to 3,652 of you amazing #CitizenScientists who went out hunting for #NewYearPlantHunt! You sent us >25K records of an astonishing 663 different wildflower spp. blooming across Britain & Ireland Headlines in our infographic 👇 More details on our 2026 Results page: bsbi.org/take-part/ac...

Next up on the Snowdrop calendar! #3 Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis and #4 an unidentified double form of #Galanthus × valentinei (nivalis x plicatus). Rather enjoying this geeky rabbit hole! 😁

Continuing in my efforts to document the flowering sequence of the snowdrops that seem to have overtaken our yard. Next up after rizehensis, it's Galanthus elwesii var. elwesii #galanthus 👀

If you missed my talk on alien plants and have an hour to kill before #TheTraitors (haha!), it’s now available here www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCdC.... Enjoy! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Discover one of the North East’s most extraordinary living natural history stories. Join Prof. Stephen Hall to explore Chillingham’s wild cattle, the world’s only near-untouched herd. 🐂 📅 Tue 3 Feb | 6–7:30pm 📍 Great North Museum: Hancock Book your tickets here: ow.ly/qKeI50XSQ3Z

Our final #NewYearPlantHunt of the year today on our usual route around North Shields. Only 24 species, down from 60+ last year but a few surprises to be had in the snow. Viper's-bugloss was unusual! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Day 3 of #NewYearPlantHunt: >1300 surveys, >17,000 records, 597 species recorded! In tonight's round-up: @commonbynature.bsky.social reports from NE England, @bramblebotanist.bsky.social braves the snow & a shout-out for #NYPH co-founders Tim Rich & @sarahwhild.bsky.social! bsbi.org/blog/2026/01...

A colleague has found a somewhat convincing candidate for Urtica membranacea on her #NewYearPlantHunt. Potentially a NCR if so! Flattened male flower stems, two stipules at each node and looking just a little 'different'. Does anyone have experience with this one? 😶 @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown www.theguardian.com/environment/... Great article by Ajit Niranjan in @theguardian.com about the @bsbibotany.bsky.social #NewYearPlantHunt #NYPH

Judging by those rosy cheeks, I may have gone a bit too far with the fizz this Christmas! Still, exciting to be joined by BBC Look North and lots of lovely @nenature.bsky.social volunteers on today's @bsbibotany.bsky.social #NewYearPlantHunt 🥶

40 species on today's #NewYearPlantHunt around the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. BBC Look North even stopped by for a while... 🎥 @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Day One of #NewYearPlantHunt draws to a close with >450 surveys submitted so far, >6000 records, >400 different species in bloom. Plant-lovers of all ages out hunting for flowers. In today's blogpost, @jo-the-botanist.bsky.social reports on the #Norfolk Flora Group's hunt: bsbi.org/blog/2026/01...

And here's a few of our #NewYearPlantHunt finds... 📸 Atlas Poppy, Mexican Fleabane, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Tansy, Meadow Buttercup, Welsh Poppy, White Melilot, Trailing Bellflower and Snowdrop. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A fab turnout for our annual #NewYearPlantHunt in Heaton! Despite recent frosts, we recorded 65 species in flower, including a few surprises in White Melilot, Early Crocus and Atlas Poppy. Now to defrost... @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Not many places where you can cycle beside one of Britain’s rarest ferns! A colony of Forked Spleenwort grows on a low wall near Llanrwst and is doing well, with quite a few young plants. Nice little treat for the end of the year while burning off the mince pies! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The wonderful Guernsey Fern Asplenium x microdon, the hybrid of Lanceolate Spleenwort A. billotii and Hartstongue A. scolopendrium, growing with both parent species on the banks of a shady lane on Guernsey last summer

I’ve just released deets for a new wetland ID course, with a special emphasis on lowland fens! 😍🌱 Find out more here: britishbotany.co.uk/products/rea...