Giant Bellflower
Giant Bellflower / campanula latifolia. Cloud Wood, Leicestershire. 16/07/19.
I visit Cloud Wood specifically to photograph butterflies and search (in vain), for Violet Helleborines. These had again been my target during a visit made in mid-July this year. However, I quickly realised it was far too hot for butterflies to be on the wing and learnt later, that of the four VHs that made it above ground level this year, two had been grazed and one was deformed. No surprise then that I failed to find the one and only 'needle in the haystack' Helleborine in what is a large, overgrown wood.
'There's always another year' I noted ... for the 3rd year running!
I'd certainly had better days in Cloud Wood, but suddenly coming across an abundance of Giant Bellflowers lifted my spirits. They were a completely new flower species to me and looked magnificent growing on either side of a shady ride. They seemed to favour just one section of the wood and their height and colour made them stand out against the green vegetation. The impressively big bell-shaped flowers were attracting numerous flies and Hoverflies, who in turn were acting as pollinators I assume - not a bee to be seen.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Giant Bellflower
Giant Bellflower / campanula latifolia. Cloud Wood, Leicestershire. 16/07/19.
I visit Cloud Wood specifically to photograph butterflies and search (in vain), for Violet Helleborines. These had again been my target during a visit made in mid-July this year. However, I quickly realised it was far too hot for butterflies to be on the wing and learnt later, that of the four VHs that made it above ground level this year, two had been grazed and one was deformed. No surprise then that I failed to find the one and only 'needle in the haystack' Helleborine in what is a large, overgrown wood.
'There's always another year' I noted ... for the 3rd year running!
I'd certainly had better days in Cloud Wood, but suddenly coming across an abundance of Giant Bellflowers lifted my spirits. They were a completely new flower species to me and looked magnificent growing on either side of a shady ride. They seemed to favour just one section of the wood and their height and colour made them stand out against the green vegetation. The impressively big bell-shaped flowers were attracting numerous flies and Hoverflies, who in turn were acting as pollinators I assume - not a bee to be seen.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.