Green Helleborea

Helleborus viridis.

Spent time this morning checking on the sites of another plant which grows in our area. Green Hellebore is a native British wild plant. This means there is evidence that it has grown in the wild in Britain since the year 1500. The other native Hellebore is Helleborus feotidus ( Stinking Hellebore ).

Most of the Hellebores grown in gardens are imports from the Mediterranean and southern Europe.

Green Hellebore grows well in Southern England and is getting near its northern limit up here. One of my extras shows the full plant.

My other extra shows that saving hature and possibly the world is an uphill battle.

In response to my blip yesterday showing Herb Paris one of my followers asked why we were recording these less common plants. It is part of the national nature recovery programme. We have chosen 67 plants ( including 14 orchids) which grow in our area and a team of volunteers is checking them each year. Unless we know what we have got we cannot know which ones are declining from human activity and climate change. We can then make efforts to help any which are in danger of being lost. This involves collecting seed, propogating them and starting new colonies as well as improving habitat. All with the approval of Natural England and the National Trust of course.