11-Jan January's Wild Flowers

If the month is mild then geraniums, daisies, dandelions and even buttercups can be added to this list. Prior to the building of the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall the author recorded eighteen wild plants in flower in January on the original derelict sight, though admittedly most were in poor condition. These included some of the capital’s most familiar weeds such as common chickweed Stellaria media, Eastern rocket Sisymbrium orientale, charlock Sinapsis arvensis, petty spurge Eurphorbia peplus and Oxford ragwort Senecio squallidus as well as the skeletal remains of teasel Dipsacus fullonum.

If the month is mild then geraniums, daisies, dandelions and even buttercups can be added to this list. Prior to the building of the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall the author recorded eighteen wild plants in flower in January on the original derelict sight, though admittedly most were in poor condition. These included some of the capital’s most familiar weeds such as common chickweed Stellaria media, Eastern rocket Sisymbrium orientale, charlock Sinapsis arvensis, petty spurge Eurphorbia peplus and Oxford ragwort Senecio squallidus as well as the skeletal remains of teasel Dipsacus fullonum.

Two of these, charlock and chickweed, are among the most common of all weeds, the latter being said to exist everywhere that man has walked on the planet. Both are edible and were famine foods being common and available for the whole year as well as providing some degree of nutriment. Chickweed is said to be rich in copper.

Certainly it is known that charlock was sold as spinach in Dublin, its coarse, hairy leaves improving from being boiled before they were eaten. Similarly, chickweed was sold in bunches for use in salads and also made into chickweed water which was believed to be a good treatment for obesity. Chickweed poultices were also used to treat carbuncles. The seeds of both had other uses. Charlock seeds were made into a mustard oil and chickweed seeds were sold as food for caged birds.

The remains of hogweed Heracleum sphondylium, nipplewort Lapsana communis and a dock Rumex obstusifolius also stood out above any fresh new green leaf growth.

Rather less expected at Vauxhall were common melilot Melilotus officinalis, annual mercury Mercurialis annua, fat hen Chenopodium album, Canadian fleabane Conyza canadensis, curled dock Rumex crispus, wavy bittercress Carmadine flexuosa and pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaica.

The determined hunter can still find all of these plants in January, although the flowers may not be fully open. Although none are particularly spectacular, their presence alone in the dark days of January are most welcome. They may have better growth and more flowers later but it is now they have the greatest impact with no other plants to eclipse them. Derelict areas along the Thames such as those at Woolwich Arsenal and areas around Thamesmead are now good places to explore for other wild flowers.

In exceptionally mild Januaries you might also expect to see such surprises as cranesbills, alkanet, purple toad flax, vipers bugloss, antirrhinums and even dense patches of daisies.

In woodland it is worth keeping an eye out for barren strawberry Potentilla sterilis, wood sage Teucrium scorodonia celandine and perhaps both periwinkles Vinca major and V. minor. The periwinkle has many other names including Sorcerer’s violet on account of its use in magic charms.

In gardens early speedwells may also start to appear, especially on lawns. Creeping speedwell Veronica filiformis is the most familiar, but ivy-leaved speedwell V. hederifolia and common field speedwell V. persica may also be found. Other flowers occasionally making their first appearance considerably ahead of their usual season could also include primroses, violets and even red campion.