Something different today, and maybe to continue in these odd times. Today I’m going to write about what others have seen (or one person; it’s still a species per day, so maybe tomorrow it will be someone else). As someone who suffers from mental health issues (I have depression and anxiety – I used to do a whole blog on my experiences with it) I am struggling to cope being shacked up, especially after receiving some half bad news yesterday (I had managed to secure a 6 month contract working for an ecological consultancy, now I’m only guaranteed a month’s worth of work due to the virus) so others have been very kind to me today and there was a suggestion I might write about what others have been seeing in their garden or out and about. So here it is. Rambling introduction over, not really got my mojo back so this has rambled far too much!
What: Herb Robert Geranium robertianum L.
When: 27th March 2020
Where: A garden in Cheshire
Who saw it? My friend Vic from my dodgeball team (yeah I play dodgeball, or did, we now all play ‘dodgevirus’)
Is it bigger than a blackbird? Yes it can be, according to my book it can grow up to 40 cm high.
What is it? As can be seen from its scientific name it is a member of the Geranium family. It has feathery leaves in groups of three leaflets with a red stalk. They are a naturally occurring and native wildflower of Europe, parts of Asia, North Africa and North America. The flowers are pink and the plants will be in bloom from May to September. The photo Vic sent me was of leaves and stalks in a patch of her garden, bit of a weed in that location.
A fact I have learned about this species? An alternative English country name for this plant is the “death-come-quickly,” no idea why, it’s not poisonous in the slightest. Maybe this is old folklore?
Is it charismatic in my opinion? Maybe I should change this to “Is it pretty in my opinion?” when I’m writing about plants, as they don’t really do anything to ooze charisma other than just sit there. So yes it is pretty when in flower I suppose, not massively pretty just slightly.. girl-next-door sort of pretty maybe?
A Species a Day 