First Week Hunt 2009 - 4th March The Great Orme

The road up the Great Orme is both steep and narrow. At one of the steepest and narrowest parts you can often get tantalising glimpses of plants in flower on the rocks as you pass in the car. Parking is impossible here are even getting near them is dangerous because of traffic. Road works to the rescue. Cones had been placed making the road even narrower but creating traffic safe haven for the botanist. Erysimum cheiri (Wallflower - above left), Lobularia maritima (Sweet Alison above middle) and the missing Hebe x franciscana (Hedge Veronica - above left) were all here to see. At the bottom of the wall Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge - below left) a winter weed which ignores the frost, was flowering in numbers.

Of all the Violets you may expect to see in Spring Viola odorata (Sweet Violet - above middle and right) should be the first closely followed by Viola hirta (Hairy Violet) and then Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog Violet). I didn't doubt I would find Viola odorata but was disappointed to find only three white flowers and one blue when normally there would be plenty and in better condition than these two flowers.

There are quite a few well naturalised introductions on The Great Orme of which Rhamnus alaternus (Mediterranean Buckthorn - above left) is an example. This is a very early flowering shrub and can often be in the last stages by March of a mild winter. One introduction which seems never to be without flowers is the Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican Daisy - above middle) although I did think this year might be the one year it could fail to produce anything in March. This year there were certainly fewer Mexican Daisy flowers but still plenty to choose from. Much less likely to be in flower was Geum urbanum ( Wood Avens -above right) but the Great Orme is very sheltered and this one had buds as well as a single yellow flower.

The untended flower beds are full of plants which have migrated from other parts of the public gardens but even though you believe they are naturalised, it is best only to look for genuine weeds in such formal gardens. Potentilla sterilis (Barren Strawberry - above left) was quite common but this was the first seen with flowers. Euphorbia characias ssp characias (Mediterranean Spurge - above middle and right) has been planted throughout these gardens but one or two have escaped into the surrounding scrub and this one grows out of a rock.

Rosemarinus officinalis (Rosemary - above left) is not uncommon on The Great Orme but only a few are accessible enough to photograph. This one also grows out of a wall and was full of flowers. The last flower of the day is one to be found most often near the sea. Diplotaxis muralis (Annual Wall Rocket - above middle and left) has fleshy leaves but as a yellow crucifer could be misidentified - unless you crush the leave sand sniff the sap.

Then you'll know why its other common name is Stinkweed.