‘Cornish Wildflowers’ is a series following my seasonal journey through the wildflowers of Cornwall. It’s early April and the Camel Trail is bursting with life. It’s a pretty wet morning for a run, but here are my top 3 Cornish wildflowers that you might spot this Easter:
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Apparently it tastes somewhere between celery and parsley – not tried it yet! Although architectural, you probably wouldn’t want to encourage these in a formal garden – they are quite invasive. The ‘Frustrated Gardener’ has recently done a brilliant post about Alexanders and their culinary uses.
Violets (Viola odorata)
The flowers of this evergreen perennial are starting to peep out from the enthusiastic leaf growth. Great for ground cover in those shady parts of the garden
Wild Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Everybody loves this wildflower which is currently plastering the verges and banks. Some people use the flowers to make wine – but think I’ll probably stick to Pinot. Plant in moist, well-drained soil in light shade and you will be rewarded for years.
Being able to identify these wildflowers will hopefully make your Cornish walks more interesting. It certainly encourages me to keep running. This is a great time of year and change is happening all the time, so a new ‘Cornish Wildflowers’ blog post will be on it’s way soon.