Strawberries

Another fine day, so we walked through the parkland on our way to do a little shopping. Taking a path which we had hitherto not walked, we found a large clump of wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) growing in the hedgerows.

We made a mental note to revisit this part of our walk later in the year, when the fruits will be ready! A Member of the Rose family, these little plants are well known to us all, but not every often seen in the wild. Archaeological evidence would suggest that strawberries have been cultivated for their fruit since the Stone Age (2 - 3 million years ago).

Blooming around Mapperley reservoir the other day, we found a plant which at first glance, looks like a nettle. That is until you notice the beautiful, yellow and well marked flowers all up it's stems.

It is known as Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) and is a member of the family which includes mints and deadnettles. Yellow Archangel has many medicinal uses including as an antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, expectorant, styptic and vasoconstrictor. The flowers, leaves and shoots are also edible.