With thanks for information and links provided from the Plant Atlas Online, Wikipedia, RBG Kew; Plants of the World Online, the Woodland Trust and other websites. Pictures by Mike Poulton, Matt Summers and Wikipedia Commons with thanks!
The Berberidaceae is a small family in the British Isles. Since 2023 it has 2 genera instead of 3 and 15 species.
They are all attractive garden plants and have some other uses as you can find out in this post!
You can find a link on the Scientific name from the Plant Atlas Online which I use for the habitat and other interesting facts (with blue back-ground). Other websites are used for information on different uses, such as Wikipedia, which I have also used for most of the pictures (in Wikipedia Commons).
Pictures of Epimedium spp. by Mike Poulton with thanks! Information about where the plants originate from and parts of the world where they have been introduced, comes from RBG Kew; Plants of the World Online as well as the latest correct scientific name. Please use the link for a worldmap!
Discovered a good website from the Botanical Society of the British Isles for general information and distribution maps. See BSBI website: https://bsbi.org/plants/berberidaceae
‘Himalayan Balsem’ on the RiverTame, Tividale and Close-up below showing flower & fruit (By Mike Poulton)
Today a post of the Balsaminaceae or the Balsam family. Many of you readers will know the infamous Himalayan Balsam which conservationists dislike due to its very rapid growth!
This is nevertheless a handsome plant and we investigate the uses for this species as well as the other species occuring in the British Isles.
FBBC behind the name in the contents below means the plant occurs in the Birmingham and Black Country as found in the Flora. Pictures with thanks to Mike Poulton, Matt Summers and Wikipedia. Links and texts from various websites have been used for information.
The Periwinkle or Apocynaceae family comprises of just one genus in the British Isles. This is the genus Vinca, which has 3 species.
None are native but have been in cultivation since ancient time.
We’ve had a very unusual and attractive variety flowering in our little garden throughout the winter and still now at the end of January 2026.
Lets have a look to see if there are any uses for this plant besides being ornamental!
Pictures with thanks to Matt Summers, Rudi Pilsel and Wikipedia contributers. Thanks are due and links are provided on the Scientific name of Plant Atlas Online from which I copied the habitat and other information. Also links for Wikipedia, Plants of the Future and other useful websites.
Apocynaceae from Apocynum, Greek for “dog-away”, is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the Dogbane family, apparently because some taxa were used as dog poison!
Notable members of the family include Oleander, Dogbanes, Milkweeds, Hoya plants and Periwinkles. The family is native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members as well. There are 379 accepted genera in the world but only 1 genus in the British Isles:
The typical flowers of Vinca have radial symmetry (actinomorphic) (By Rudi Pilsel)
Vinca spp.
Vinca ia a genus of the Old World and the common name Periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus as well as with the mollusc Littorina littorea.
The 3 Vinca species are evergreen garden and good groundcover plants. But especially the Greater and Intermediate Periwinkle which are much more vigorous, can become invasive in the wild with slender trailing stems up to 2 m long and rooting at the tips.
An evergreen perennial herb, with procumbent vegetative stems, which root at the tips, widely grown in gardens and found naturalized in woodland, copses, plantations, scrub, hedgerows, shady roadside banks and verges, as well as on waste ground and refuse tips.
This species is similar to V. major but, being much smaller in leaf size as well as vigour and therefore less invasive, is more widely cultivated for ground cover in shady areas. It was grown in gardens in Britain by medieval times (Harvey, 1981). There was an increase in records in the latter half of the 20th century that has continued this century, probably due to a genuine increase as well as more systematic recording of garden escapes.
Vinca minor is a mat-forming evergreen shrub with trailing, rooting shoots and opposite pairs of small, glossy, dark green leaves. From mid-spring to late summer it produces violet-blue flowers to 3cm across.
There are numerous cultivars, with different flower colours and variegated foliage. Many have a less vigorous habit than the species, and are therefore more suitable for smaller gardens. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society‘s Award of Garden Merit:
It contains the alkaloid ‘vincamine’, which is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a cerebral stimulant and vasodilator.
Since the discovery of vincamine in the leaves, the plant has been used herbally to treat arteriosclerosis and for dementia due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.
The leaves are bitter, detergent and stomachic.
Taken internally, they are used in the treatment of internal bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding and nosebleeds.
When crushed and applied to wounds they have astringent and healing properties.
A mouthwash is used to treat gingivitis, sore throats and mouth ulcers.
The root is antispasmodic and hypotensive. It is used to lower the blood pressure.
A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh leaves. It is used in the treatment of haemorrhages.
Vinca major or Greater Periwinklewith larger leaves and flowers than Lesser Periwinkle (By Rudi Pilsel)
A spreading evergreen perennial herb, with long trailing or arching stems that root at the tip, widely grown in gardens and found as a naturalized escape at the base of hedges, waste ground, refuse tips, disused railways, roadside verges, shaded banks and woodland. Often grown in shaded gardens, it can spread very effectively onto adjacent hedgebanks and under trees. It also occurs as a throw-out from garden waste.
V. major was being cultivated in Britain by 1596. It is widely grown as a ground-cover species in gardens, but its robust habit and vigorous growth means that it is frequently discarded, and often becomes well-established from garden waste in suitable habitats. It was recorded out of cultivation by 1677 (Oxfordshire). Its 10 km square distribution has increased markedly since the 1960s, possibly due in part to direct spread from gardens although, like many cultivated plants, it is also now better known due to the more systematic recording of garden escapes.
Vinca major is a vigorous evergreen sub-shrub forming a clump of erect stems bearing glossy ovate leaves and solitary violet-blue flowers. It is a good groundcover plant for its evergreen foliage and spring flowers. But best use for large gardens or even public parks, due to its vigour and spread!
Many cultivars are available, with differences in colour, such as white to dark violet flowers, and different patterns and colours of variegated foliage. The cultivar ‘Variegata’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society‘s Award of Garden Merit. These variegated cultivars are probably better to use as an ornamental due to being less vigorous than all green varieties.
Vinca major ‘Variegata’ is a less invasive cultivar! (By Rudi Pilsel)
A spreading evergreen perennial herb, with long trailing or arching stems that root at the tip, occasionally grown in gardens and found as a naturalized escape on grassy banks, rough ground and roadside verges.
V. difformis had been introduced into cultivation in Britain by 1876, and is only occasionally grown in gardens. It was first recorded in the wild in 1984 (Kent, but without locality). Since 2000 it has been recorded more frequently, especially in south-western and southern Britain, and in the extreme south of Ireland, possibly due to the more systematic recording of alien species.
Vinca difformis ‘Jenny Pym’ as seen at Batsford Arboretum (By Matt Summers)
Vinca difformis ‘Jenny Pym‘ is an attractive, vigorous evergreen with an unique lilac-pink flower with white edges and centre. It has a long flowering season from September through to March!
A field of Ranunculus acris or Meadow Buttercup is a glorious site! Here with Yorkshire Fog in the Walsall Arboretum (By Matt Summers)
The Ranuculaceae is a relative primitive family and therefore occurs early in Stace as well as other native Floras.
Several of the native Ranunculus are seen as weed: especially the Creeping Buttercup or Ranunculus repens, which has extremely tough and tenacious roots. The Lesser Celandine or is also often not appreciated in gardens!
This well known family was done earlier here but only the more well-known species were covered so this is the updated and much longer version!
There aren’t too many uses for the members in the B.I. but many species can be found as a garden plant as they are often very ornamental! And several of this family can be found as garden escapes in the wild.
Many Ranunculaceae members contain protoanemonin, which is toxic to humans and animals. Contact with plant sap may cause inflammation and blistering of the skin, while ingestion can cause irritation of the mouth, vomiting, and diarrhea.
I am grateful for all the information on the Plant Atlas Online as well as many other good websites for which I include the links in the information. You can use the link on the scientific name to find more information on its state and presentation in the British Isles and there are some good pictures frequently in the Gallery section there.
I’ve just discovered that the BSBI (Botanical Society of the British Isles) also has a good website on all the plant families + species in the British Isles. For more additional information see here: https://bsbi.org/plants/ranunculaceae
More info and pictures are provided by Wikipedia, Matt Summers and Mike Poulton.
If the plant is found in the Birmingham and Black Country then FBBC is added behind the name in the contents page.
Many thanks for the information for Poplars by the Plant Atlas Online. The link below the Scientific Names brings you to their website. Thanks fore pictures by Mike Poulton, Dave Cadman, Matt Summers and Wikipedia (which is also often used for more information about the individual plant).
AMajestic Pedunculate Oak in Bradgate Deer Park (by M. Poulton)
The Fagaceae is an all ‘woody’ family and an important economical crop as well as that it is an ornamental and ecological very useful family.
More about all the uses of each genera and species occuring in the wild in the B.I.
See the links for more details. All pictures except if stated by Mike Poulton. FBBC behind the name in the contents means the tree occurs in the Birmingham and the Black Country!
Recently I was asked whether I could do a post specifically about the medicinal uses of our native plants!
Unfortunately, the use of herbs for medicine, on the British Isles, as well as in Western Europe civilisation is very limited! We all seem to be depending on the pharmaceutical industry, which is very sad as surely many cultures and people in the world still depend on their native plants for everything, especially food and medicine!
There are very few Herbalists nowadays even in my area of the Midlands and people rely on the NHS far too much. Eating healthy and plenty of exercise do help but we can’t avoid stress and polution.
According to Wikipedia: ‘The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the population of some Asian and African countries presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care’
For the purpose of this post I like to highlight and I have used two good books on the subject which I recommend if you like more detailed information:
Number 1 is a wonderful book; not just a flora with several keys for identification purpose of (medicinal) native plants but a proper account on all their uses.
It is a good reference book for perhaps the serious amateur and the professional Herbalist.
The plant entries are divided in the dicotyledons under families 1 – 78, which highlights and describes all the 1-453 species of those families + their medicinal uses. Next come all the monocotyledons with family 79 – 85 and species 454 – 507.
As this book was published in 2001, some of the family names and positions have been altered in the more recent flora’s under the APG IV system of flowering plant classification. This is mostly a molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG).
To keep this post in line with my usual posts I will list the families in the order of the Medicinal Flora by J. Barker in the contents.
The book concludes with an index to therapeutic indications for internal as well as external herbal medicines.
Number 2: ‘Hedgerow Medicine’, describes in very well written chapters, 50 common ‘hedgerow plants’ to create your own safe medicines.
But please refer to these books or preferably an experienced herbalist if you need more medical help! This post is purely educational as to give an indication of our ‘wonderful weeds’ and their uses as a medicinal plant.
The 50 plants described in Hedgerow Medicine are placed behind the appropriate family below.
I’ve used the original headline/summary of the plants as copied from the book with thanks from the Publishers, Merlin Unwin Books, who allowed me to use this excellent information!Please buy a copy for yourself as you’ll find it is well worth it!!
All the 100 or so families from the Medicinal Flora are below in the contents and 30 of those families are highlighted with links. The Rosaceae (Rose family), Lamiaceae (Dead-nettle family) and Asteraceae (Daisy family) have the most medicinal plants in the Hedgerow Medicine book.
I’ve also added a link to my wonderfulweed chapter on the family and all its uses if I’ve already got a post on it! The page with all the plant families in the B.I. can be found here.
Primroses and Lesser Celandine are a sign of Spring! (Picture by Mike Poulton)
The Primroses and Cowslips have been in flower for quite a while now, they are a welcome sign of spring! Many in this family are attractive enough as a garden plant but I will also write about any other uses.
There are 5 known genera with several species in most genera:
Primula spp.
Hottoniapalustris or Water-violet
Lysimachia spp.
Cyclamen spp.
Samolusvalerandi or Brookweed
Pictures by Mike Poulton, Matt Summers, Rudi Pilsel, Andy Purcel, Simon Atkinson, Chris Westhall and Wikipedia.
Sources of information from Plant Atlas Online (information about habitat), Wikipedia, Plants for a Future (PFAF) and other websites. Links are given. Large size names are plants which are native. The small size names are neophytes or archeophytes.
This week a post about a pennywort which is causing a problem to our waterways!
H. ranunculoides or Floating Pennywort on Stourbridge Extension Canal in September, 2008 (by Mike Poulton)
The Pennyworts are in their own family: The Hydrocotylaceae or Pennywort family according to Stace.
The family is in between Araliaceae (number 143) and Apiaceae (number 145).
Many authorities, including R.B.G. Kew and the R.H.S., however classify it in the Araliaceae!
But Stace writes:‘Differs from Apiaceae and Araliaceae in its distinctive habit and presence of stipules, and from Apiaceae in its fruits without oil bodies (or carpophore); appears anomalous in either family’.
From Wikipedia: The genus Hydrocotyle has between 75 and 100 species that grow in tropical and temperate regions worldwide. A few species have entered the world of cultivated ornamental aquatics.
There are 4 species in the B.I. according to Stace and only one is native and the other three are introduced. The Floating Pennywort can cause a major problem in our waterways!
Pictures by Mike Poulton, Matt Summers and Wikipedia Commons. Links on Scientific Name from the (online) Plant Atlas 2020 and links on Common Name from Wikipedia or other source. See next page.
Information about habitats and uses also by various sources above and colour-coding is blue background for habitat, wildlife and interesting information. Green for uses and pink for medicinal uses or threat to our waterways.
