Dame's-violet

Many years ago some garden waste must have been dropped at the side of the road that runs past the nature reserve. Among the group of garden plants that have established themselves along the hedge bank and spread into the adjacent field is Dame's-violet. This is a member of the cabbage family, Hesperis matronalis, and has many other common names, including Sweet Rocket. It is a delightful exuberant plant with fragrant flowers and is a favourite with our Orange-tip butterflies - a particularly cheery sight through the month of June.