OXEYE DAISIES (Leucanthemum vulgare) Looking like large daisies, these have white flowers with a round yellow centre and have been particularly abundant in the churchyard during June. The oxeye daisy grows on long stems up to 70cm tall with one flower at the end of each stem. The leaves are toothed and vary in size, they spiral around the stem beginning large at the bottom and reducing in size on the way up. As the wild flowers and grasses die down and are allowed go to seed we will be cutting them down giving a clearer access to the gravestones.
‘EGGS AND BACON IN THE CHURCHYARD’
This month we are seeing many COMMON BIRD’S FOOT -TREFOIL (lotus corniculatus) beside the footpaths crossing behind the church. This is a member of the pea family. Its yellow flowers look like little slippers and appear in small clusters. The topmost petals have red lines on them, They are followed by seed pods that look distinctly like bird’s feet or claws, hence the name. A low growing plant, its leaves are covered in tiny soft hairs. The red and yellow flowers give it the alternative name of ‘eggs and bacon’. It provides food for the caterpillars of the six-spot day flying Burnet moth. This Photo by Unknown Author
