Dryopteris filix-mas - Male fern

I spotted this male fern in Longford park, late winter. Dryopteris can be deciduous semi-evergreen or evergreen ferns. This fern is native to the UK and incredibly resilient – with foliage remaining green in Autumn, Spring and Summer. It can reach a height of 1-1.5m in around 5-10 years. Male fern thrives in poorly drained, or moist but well drained soils – tolerating acid, alkaline and neutral soils. These ferns are best kept to grow in shaded areas.

 

Malus domestica - Apple

This apple tree was one I found in Longford park, late winter. It has a brown and fissured bark. Its reproductive parts include white flowers, or flowers tinged with pink. Its fruits are normally larger than 5cm in diameter. There are more than 2,000 varieties of cultivated apple that are particular to Britain and Ireland. Timber from the Apple Tree is excellent for wood turning, for making mallet heads, and for imparting a rich fragrance to wood smoke on log fires. Thrives in well drained or moist soil, and decent amounts of sunlight.

Sorbus aria - Whitebeam

I came across this Whitebeam in Hulme, early spring. This medium sized deciduous tree, or sometimes little more than a shrub, with a spreading or more often domed crown. Its bark is smooth and grey, but sometimes is ridged. It has white flowers in stalked clusters – opening in May. Whitebeam occurs as a native tree only in S Britain, found in hedgerows and woodland edges, mainly on limestone and other calcareous soils – often found on chalk downland slopes.

Anenome nemorosa - wood anenome

 

I found this Anenome in platfields, however have since discovered it to be a very common perennial – to sometimes form large carpets on suitable woodland floors. From March to May, it can be seen to have 5-10 white or pinkish petal-like sepals. Its fruits, beaked in round clusters. The plant is widespread. Tolerant to most soils, thrives in part shade.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta - Bluebell

This Bluebell was one I came across in Plattfields park, late winter. It is an attractive, hairless, bulbous perennial that grows in woodland and also on coastal cliffs.  Its flowers are mostly blue, however they can also occasionally be pink or white. The perennial grows in most soils and in part shade – widespread throughout and sometimes locally abundant.

Prunus serrulata - Japanese cherry

This Japanese cherry grows in MMU’s campus – All saints park. The tree thrives in sunlight, and can tolerate most soils. It is a small to medium sized deciduous tree and has a purple-brown bark, ringed by horizontal lines of prominent lenticels. It grows white or pink flowers in clusters of 2-4, opening just before the leaves. The Japanese cherry is a pendulous garden tree – and centuries of breeding and selection has now meant that the modern trees are very different from their wild ancestors, which are rarely seen.

Viburnum opulus - Guelder rose

I found this Guelder rose close to the MMU Business building, early spring. It is a branched deciduous shrub with hairless, angled twigs and scaly buds – and grows in hedgerows and scrub, mainly on heavy soils. In June/July the shrub blossoms with white, flat topped clusters of 15-20mm flowers and inner flowers of 4-7mm. Its fruits are red berries, in clusters.

Primula vulgaris - Primrose

This Primrose was one I came across in Tudor Square, Sheffield – early spring. It is a familiar herbaceous perennial, found in hedgerows, woodlands and shady meadows. From February through to May, it can be found to have pale yellow flowers 2-3cm across, with deep yellow centres. Primula is tolerant to most soils and also most weather conditions.

Urtica dioica - perennial stinging nettle

This stinging nettle was one I found in Longford Park, late winter. Common nettle has pendulous catkins; borne on separate-sex plants from June through to October. Its fruits resemble female flowers. Urtica is widespread and common, doing best on nitrogen-enriched and disturbed soils.