Wood spurge

Ian Bushell has sent us pictures of wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides) in the copse between the Arboretum and Simpson’s Field.

It is flowering a full month earlier than it did in 2020 when it was first identified in the park and photographed by Clive Knight. Whether this is indicative of this winter’s mild temperatures, despite the storms, or part of the ongoing, climate change-driven, trend towards earlier flowering, it’s hard to tell.

As you walk up the hill, past the parkrun marker, step into the woods on your right to see if you can find it. It is an extraordinarily odd plant.

The extraordinary flowers of wood spurge