The Look of Early Spring
This is a slope full of wood anemone. I took the photo in bright, late afternoon sun, on an early spring day (April 2, 2021).
A large patch of wood anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa) is a precious thing!
Why? It spreads extremely slowly--ca. 2m in a century (!! ). It self-seeds, but new plants take 3-4 years to produce flowers.
So a large patch of wood anemone means that the ground has not been cultivated or otherwise much disturbed for many, many years.
Possible toxicity: Some reports suggest that all parts of the plant are quite toxic. They indicate that forceful or extended-time contact with the skin can produce blisters and other inflammatory responses. Similarly, eating any part of the plant are said to cause lesions in the mouth and throat and various forms of digestive tract upsets. Toxicity does seem like a good defense mechanism for a slow growing, slow spreading plant.
Location: A small area of pasture and woodland, just off of Hellring, a lane adjacent to Wenkenpark, Riehen BS Switzerland.
In my album: Roaming Riehen.
The Look of Early Spring
This is a slope full of wood anemone. I took the photo in bright, late afternoon sun, on an early spring day (April 2, 2021).
A large patch of wood anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa) is a precious thing!
Why? It spreads extremely slowly--ca. 2m in a century (!! ). It self-seeds, but new plants take 3-4 years to produce flowers.
So a large patch of wood anemone means that the ground has not been cultivated or otherwise much disturbed for many, many years.
Possible toxicity: Some reports suggest that all parts of the plant are quite toxic. They indicate that forceful or extended-time contact with the skin can produce blisters and other inflammatory responses. Similarly, eating any part of the plant are said to cause lesions in the mouth and throat and various forms of digestive tract upsets. Toxicity does seem like a good defense mechanism for a slow growing, slow spreading plant.
Location: A small area of pasture and woodland, just off of Hellring, a lane adjacent to Wenkenpark, Riehen BS Switzerland.
In my album: Roaming Riehen.