Wild flowers By Fred Body

Shakespeare’s poem I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.

Wild Thyme  Wild thyme is part of the mint family and is a flowering plant.  It has leafy stems and pink /purple flowers.  It grows up to 4 to 10 cm tall.  It likes dry, sandy and rocky places.  It flowers between May and September.

Oxlips  Similar to cowslips and primroses.  Found in woods from April to May.  It is a threatened species.  It is the county flower of Suffolk.

Violets  There are many types of violets such as sweet, dog and marsh violet.  Flowers every year from Feb to May.  It grows in woodland, scrubland and hedgerows.

Woodbine (Honeysuckle)  A climbing plant with strong smelling flowers.  It has creamy white / yellow flowers.  They grow in woods and hedgerows from June to September.

Musk roses  It is a shrub with white flowers.  The species is from the Himalayas.  It’s flowers have a ‘musky’ scent.  They grow from spring to late autumn.

Eglantine  Also known as Sweet Briar.  It is a prickly 2-3 metre high shrub.  The leaves have an apple scent.  It has pink flowers.