At Lydbrook in the Forest of Dean the river is fantastic to watch . It has shallows and islands and fast running channels ( where the canoes like to go )
Along the bank of the river the wild flowers are brilliant at the moment.
Purple Loosestrife ( Lythrium salicaria)
Hemp Agrimony ( Eupatorium cannabinum)
Marsh woundwort (Stacey’s palustris)
And the wonderfully named sneezewort.
Sneezewort (Achilles ptarmica)
This plant is known by a series of names , sneezewort,sneezeweed,European pellitory, fair maid of France or white tansy.
Bunches of sneezewort were carried by bridesmaids at West Country weddings they were thought to ensure a happy life for the bride and groom.
The roots have been dried and ground up as sneezing powder.
The plants are known to be poisonous to cattle and horses.
A rather plain plant with some great stories around it.
The whole riverbank was full of flowers and bees and other insects , the river Wye was literally teeming with tiny fish and others larger ones chasing these tiny ones making them jump out of the water. Absolutely brilliant!
NATURE TABLE EXPLORER 