Ground Elder

Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) is another invasive weed. But this one i have seen enveloping the floor of a forest.

Ground Elder can be used as a substitute to spinach as it is a leaf vegetable. But be warned. If you pick and eat it after the flowers have come out, then it can cause a laxative effect and it tastes nasty. The Romans are thought to have brought it over to this country and not only used it to eat but it was also thought to be a cure for gout and arthritis.

Wood Anemone

Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) is a pretty amazing flower. This plant like many other creeping woodland flowers, it can store energy underground which means that it can grow leaves, roots and flowers all at the same time. Wood anemone flower in early spring, they take advantage of the lack of canopy cover from the trees and really just dominate the woodland floor. Then later in spring the bluebells take over from the wood Anemone and dominate.

It's weird how some pictures that you take are not the best, take the below picture of instance. It's a little blurred. The composition isn't great. But i still really like it. It just reminds me that at this time of the year (Late winter through Spring) it's such a special time and the whole reason i got into what i do.
Click here for more information on wood anemone and any other woodland plant you may be interested.

Marsh Marigold

Flowers are my main interest out of any other subject that i have taken to date. Not only are they challenging to photo but it is also presents a unique challenge to find out the name of the flower that you have shot. My main interest is in trees but anything connected with nature i find is interesting, especially woodland flowers.

This particular flower is a Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris). They are particulary interesting because through late Summer, Autumn and Winter the ground is bare. Then suddenly, in what seems an over night surge of growth, these bright yellow flowers appear from nothing. Marsh Marigolds tend to grow in marshy areas and don't mind a bit of shade either. In woodlands they will only tend to grow wet woodland areas and marshy environments.