Monday 25 February 2013

Prunus cerasifera


A twig I brought home,
showing characteristic shiny green bark 
February is proving very cold and I have been out looking for parking places for this year's programme. 
Lots of walking instead of botanising, although I came home today with a new tetrad record from near Llandderfel – Prunus cerasifera.  I think there must have been a fashion for planting it as I almost always find it in hedges near gateways to large houses.  It has been overlooked as Blackthorn in the past, although it flowers much earlier.  Clapham, Tutin and Warburg [1952] say it flowers from March to April but Stace's 3rd edition [2010] has it flowering from January to February and into March.  Mine was just coming into flower today. It must be global warming!

This year's field meetings programme can be viewed on the Merioneth page of the BSBI website

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