12-May London’s Vanishing Wildflowers

In beech woods, patches of woodruff Galium odoratum emit the smell of new mown hay. They share this scent with tonka beans which used to be kept in snuff boxes to mollify the strong smell of tobacco. Large areas of lily of the valley were once the joys of beech woods this month. Fine colonies used to exist on Hampstead Heath and Muswell Hill. At the beginning of the last century the plant was protected. Before that it used to be sold in bunches to commuters at railway stations. They can still possibly be seen in Petts Wood. Two rarer plants, both indicators of ancient woodland, worth seeking out are herb Paris Paris quadrifolia and Solomon’s seal Polygonatum multiflorum.

Herb Paris used to be called ‘herb equal’ as its floral parts are all in groups of four i.e. its leaves, ovary, styles and stigmas. All except for its fruit, which is just one single, shiny, black enticing berry set in the centre of all this perfect geometry. It was also called ‘true love’ as the plant was thought to be an aphrodisiac. Not a very good one as the berry, if eaten, causes profuse sweating and possibly convulsions. Another belief was that it was a good cure for bewitched cattle. With some searching it can still possibly be found in woods between Godstone and Westerham, although many of its former haunts were lost during the construction of the M25 motorway. Solomon’s seal is often seen in gardens, but still occurs in the wild in one or two favoured woods e.g. Cudham Frith and St Martha’s Hill. It used to be used to treat bruises and was thought to be particularly effective for battered women. How it got its English name has long been disputed. One theory is that the flowers hang like medieval seals which used to be carried in rows on fob chains around the waist. The connection to Solomon, the magician and enchanter, is more difficult. His seal was the magic pentacle of two interwoven triangles. Some say they see this mark among the tangled roots whereas others see it when the root is cut in cross-section and then there are those that just say that it magically seals wounds.

The true authenticity of columbine Aquilegia vulgaris as a wild flower when it is found in woodland is questionable. Once again it and its many hybrids are common in gardens but not so in the wild. The flower is said to look like five doves sitting in a nest, which has been the derivation of its English name. Lastly, the attractive pink purslane Montia sibirica is a firm favourite of woodland gardens but can also still be found naturalised in damp areas on Hampstead Heath.

Bluebells

Sadly, its more robust and less finely-coloured relative, the Spanish bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica has already invaded London’s gardens and is currently marching through its woodlands. Although grown here since 1683, its first record in the wild was in 1909. It is larger, up to 30 cms or more in height and has broader leaves. The flowers are usually lighter in colour, more open and do not hang to one side as they do with our own native bluebell. Unfortunately, it hybridises freely with our bluebells producing all manner of indigo, rose and white intermediates. It also spreads much more easily than ours which only spreads as little as two metres in a century.

Fortunately, there are still many untouched ‘heavenly blue’ woods around London e.g. Oxhey and Old Park Wood in north London and Kings Wood and Old Simm’s Copse in the south. Unusually, the best times to visit these woods are on overcast days or even just after rain.