25th April 2025

A lot of plants that we see in the countryside are not native. Often they were introduced as garden plants and have adapted to the wild rather well and become naturalised. Here is a selection from around Staple. Clockwise from top left: Yellow-flowered Strawberry (Potentilla indica) from Asia, Honesty (Lunaria annua) from the Balkans, Periwinkle (Vinca major) from southern Europe, North Africa and east to through Turkey and the Balkans and Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) from Spain, Portugal and North Africa. These introduced and naturalised species are often considered invasive as they can out-compete native species pushing out our natural flora.