Winter Heliotrope

My vascular plant list is, frankly, pathetic. It is also probably a bit skewed; there are a number of scarce/rare plants that I've either made an effort to see or have had shown to me whilst on PSL events whilst there are lots of relatively common species that I may well have seen but have certainly not acknowledged. So today, after a morning at the hospital for routine scans and with the weather having turned dry, cold and sunny, I thought I'd make the effort to see one that I've had a mind for a while - Winter Heliotrope.

We have an excellent county resource for recording and sharing photos - Naturespot. A quick look to see where I may have a chance of seeing my target, and blow me it's in the next village. So I coupled my motivation to see the plant with my desire to get out and work off some pounds and went out for a long walk.

Finding the plant was a doddle, as having looked on Naturespot I knew exactly where it would be. It's a spot I've driven past innumerable times.

There were two clumps, one right on the bank of the brook and one against a boundary. Getting good photos was not so easy though as one clump was in bright sunshine and one in deep shade.

Whilst my plant skills are limited, I am pretty good at recognising something once I've seen it, so I wouldn't be surprised if I start seeing this in various places. I intend to draw up a list of 50 or so relatively common species that I should try and see this year.