PLANT PORN: ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB

NAMECHECK

Talk about double-double barrelled names. Rose-bay willow-herb is a bit of a mouthful, and it's a perfect example of literally just making up the name of a plant. The flower sort of looks like a rose, the leaves sort of look like bay leaves and are a bit willowy, and you can eat it so I guess it's a herb? What shall we call it? I dunno, 'rosebay willowherb'? Perfect, thanks mate.

It also goes by the name fireweed, which comes from the fact that the seeds will even grow on burnt land - persistent little buggers!

THE DEETS

These hot pink spikes are a UK native and will pop up basically anywhere and everywhere. To the untrained eye, you might first think these are some very late, slightly anaemic looking foxgloves. But look again, and you'll these little trumpets of joy are very much doing their own thing. They grow in abundance in woodland, rocky areas, garden - you name it. They particularly like disturbed land to grow on. So when you're making your way to your staycation destination this summer, keep an eye out for the rosebay willowherb's fuzz of hot pink lining the banks of motorways and railways. I can guarantee that once you spot this one you will not stop seeing it.