East Croydon Wildflowers

Given that the ECCO area has no public open space, it is home to a surprising variety of wild flowers. The photographs below were taken by Angela Vanegas, mostly in the raised beds along Addiscombe Road and the cracks in the pavements. Their species were identified by a Croydon botanist (who wishes to remain anonymous). The latter divided them into

  • native plants: that survived the last Ice Age or arrived here by themselves after it ended c12,000 years ago
  • archaeotypes: introduced by people 4100BC – 1500AD
  • neotypes: introduced by people after 1500AD

Their photographs are organised by the month they were taken, though many of the species flower for much longer periods. Some of those classed as neophytes are probably the progeny of garden plants that have spread into the wild.

To find out more about the flowers below, follow the links beneath their photographs to the the Plant Atlas

April

Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna (native)
Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens (neophyte)
Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides × ⁠massartiana (native x neophyte) 
Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides × ⁠massartiana (native x neophyte)
Dandelion Taraxacum agg. (native)
Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris (archaeophyte)
Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis (neophyte)
Creeping Comfrey Symphytum grandiflorum (neophyte)
Herb Robert Geranium robertianum (native)
Yellow Corydalis Pseudofumaria lutea (neophyte)
Greater Periwinkle Vinca major (neophyte)
Oxford Ragwort Senecio squalidus (neophyte)
Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus (native)
Daisy Bellis perennis (native)
Adria Bellflower Campanula portenschlagiana (neophyte)
Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus (archaeophyte)
Groundsel Senecio vulgaris (native)
Thale Cress Arabidopsis thaliana (native)
Oil-seed Rape Brassica napus ssp oleifera (neophyte)
Procumbent Yellow-sorrel Oxalis corniculata (neophyte)
Wood Forget-me-not  Myosotis sylvatica (native)

May

Phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia (neophyte) 
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber (neophyte)
Pink Sorrel Oxalis articulata (neophyte)
Common Poppy Papaver rhoeas (archaeophyte)
Sweet Alison Lobularia maritima (neophyte)
Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium (native)
Cleavers Galium aparine (native)
Mexican Fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus (neophyte)
Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare (native)
White Campion Silene latifolia (archaeophyte)
Wood Avens Geum urbanum (native)
White Clover Trifolium repens (native)
Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare (native)
Hollyhock Alcea rosea (neophyte)
Bear’s-breech Acanthus mollis (neophyte)
Trailing Bellflower Campanula poscharskyana (neophyte)
Hoary Willowherb  Epilobium parviflorum (native)
Red Deadnettle Lamium purpureum (archaeophyte)
Common Mallow Malva sylvestris (archaeophyte)
Caper Spurge Euphorbia lathyrism (archaeophyte)
Rock Cranesbill Geranium macrorrhizum (neophyte)
Snapdragon Antirrhinum maju(neophyte)
Garden Candytuft Iberis umbellat(neophyte)
Scarlet Pimpernel Lysimachia arvensis (native)
Atlas Poppy Papaver atlanticum (neophyte)
Large Bindweed Calystegia sylvatica (neophyte)
Hedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale (archaeophyte)
Welsh Poppy Papaver cambricum (native)

June

Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea (neophyte)
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea (native)
Knapweed Centaurea nigra  (native)
Nipplewort Lapsana communis (native)
Wall Lettuce Mycelis muralis (native)
Common Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris (native)
Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria (archaeophyte)
Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis (native)
Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense (native)
Canadian Fleabane Erigeron canadensis (neophyte)

July

Enchanter’s Nightshade Circaea lutetiana (native)
Wall Rue Asplenium ruta-muraria (native)
Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum (native) 
Redshank Persicaria maculosa (native) 
Black Medick Medicago lupulina (native) 
Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans (native) 
Californian poppy Eschscholzia californica (neophyte)
Common Chickweed Stellaria media (native) 
Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria (native)
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (archaeotype)
Michaelmas daisy Symphyotrichum (neophyte)
Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium (neotype)
White Deadnettle Lamium album (archaeophyte) 
Traveller’s Joy (aka Old Man’s Beard) Clematis vitalba (native) 

August (to be continued)

Yarrow Achillea millefolium (native)
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris (native)
Pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaica (native) 
Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea Lathyrus latifolius (neophyte)
Annual Mercury Mercurialis annua (archaeophyte) 

September (to be contd.)

Chinese Lantern Alkekengi officinarum (neophyte)
Pot Marigold Calendula officinalis (neophyte)
Japanese Anemone Anemone hupehensis × vitifolia = A. × ⁠hybrida (neophyte)
Common Ivy Hedera helix (only centre bottom is actually in flower) (native)