Looking across the Wharf on Christmas Eve, with golden willow leaves in the foreground
It seems a long time ago now, but on Christmas Eve I went for my regular walk around the Wharf (former Bute East Dock) alongside my workplace at County Hall in Cardiff Bay. Although it is the middle of winter there was still plenty to see…
Firstly there are plants I have only just identified…
This spiky plant was still keeping its secret…
…until I found another one nearby in flower – and, as I thought, it is gorse (Ulex europaeus)
This is one I finally identified last month – mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)…
…the dead leaves remind me of…
…the “mantling” found on top of coats of arms
There are also a few plants I am still struggling to identify…
I don’t think I have ever seen this in any form but dead brown stems – I must observe better this year
I still don’t know what this is…
…and I noticed this plant beside the water for the first time – the fleshy leaves start off furled – thanks to Diana Studer for suggesting it could be pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata), which has lovely blue spiked flowers I may have missed last year
There are always the trees…
Alder (Alnus glutinosa) – new male catkins and old female fruits
One of several species of willow (Salix)…
…with golden leaves
Poplar – I think black poplar (Populus nigra)
Oak (Quercus robur)
Pines along the path screen the Wharf from the main road to the left
An abandoned bicycle among the trees
There are splashes of colour…
Periwinkle, I think great periwinkle (Vinca major)
From this rosette of leaves…
…spring these yellow cruciferous flowers
Unidentified daisy type
Different unidentified daisy type – or maybe ragwort
I think this is bristly ox-tongue (Picris echioides),- the leaves are quite distinctive
I’ve previously called this wild chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Wall lettuce (Lactuca muralis)
Canadian fleabane (Erigeron canadensis) – which some say came to Britain 300 years ago as fluffy seeds in the stuffing of bird skins mounted by taxidermists
Bright berries
Ivy (Hedera)
Developing fruits of dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
Pink-tinged yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is still going strong
I have grown to love wild carrot (Daucus carota) – especially the seed heads
The “weedy” street plants are also now coming into their own again as bigger species fade away…
I think I have been calling this sun spurge for years but it is more likely the smaller petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus)
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Hairy bittercress (Cardamina hirsuta)
Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
A member of the clover family – possibly lesser yellow trefoil (Trifolium dubium)
Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
There are always some flowerless plants…
Dying fungus
Flourishing moss and lichen
And finally…
Back to my office, Cardiff’s County Hall
The Squirrelbasket 
That was a lovely walk, thank you. There are still so many things flowering and fruiting – it is quite amazing.
Your first picture looks very imposing.
There is so much development of private flats/apartments around the Wharf at the moment that the view is changing all the time.
All the best 🙂
For me the point of identifying plants, animals etc is two-fold. Firstly, there is a satisfaction in the ‘naming of things’; knowledge for its own pleasure. Secondly, they can then be ‘recorded’ (ie a formal record/observation submitted), thus adding to the pool of shared knowledge which can be used by researchers and other interested parties.
Fortunately, the age of social media has bought a plethora of friendly resources who will help with identification, though i suggest you should only take up the time of experts and other enthusiasts if you are going to submit records. Many of these fora are set up as Facebook closed groups. (Closed groups can bar any advertising and troublemakers). For wild flowers, try https://www.facebook.com/groups/735961066428140/ There are also ‘keys’ online eg http://www.botanicalkeys.co.uk/flora/ .
Observations can be recorded on many apps, or indeed on paper, and should generally be sent to your Local Environmental Record Centre. Here in SE Wales that’s SEWBReC, who have a SEWBReCORD web site for observations. There’s also a LERC Wales app, but I’m not a big fan of that. Either way, you can record every life form you can think of. as well as contributing to general knowledge, your records are safe and can be queried at a later date. It’s interesting to see how places you know well change over time, for example.
SEWBReC and other LERCs can help with identifcation but with limited resources, they may respond by putting you in touch with other experts.
If one is only interested in botany (plants), there are specialist local groups – I’m more of a general naturalist.
Thank you for all the advice, which I may take one day!
Sadly I am currently working full time and have a sick relative in hospital so my time is more limited than ever.
For now I will just have to say sorry, but I don’t want to waste the experts’ resources because I am not going to be able to record my observations on a regular basis.
As I say, maybe when I retire from full-time work…
All the best
It was intended for your readers, Pat, as I know i said it to you before.I just thought someone might find the info. useful. Sorry about your relative.
No problem.
I appreciate that it was also aimed at a wider audience.
I see you had another letter in the Echo yesterday 🙂
By the water – Pontederia – pickerel weed ??
Ooh! Thanks for that – it looks very like Pontederia cordata. What a lovely name – pickerel weed.
I must look out for the blue flowers this year. How did I miss them?
I have read that this is considered a dangerously invasive species, but also one planted by anglers to improve fishing ponds. Maybe that’s the explanation.
Thanks again for identifying 🙂
It is frighteningly invasive. We had it in our pond – a gift – from someone who had too much. Beautiful but.
Hopefully it won’t have anywhere to go on our little “pond”!
All the best 🙂