Amazingly, we found 61 taxa in flower (including a few that were new to me) on a three-hour explore of Mevagissey and surrounds. Will upload some highlights later.

#NewYearPlantHunt https://twitter.com/caballosblancos/status/1345297876503703554

The first plant we found in flower today was the tiny stalwart of stone walls, ivy-leaved toadflax. We saw it regularly on the hunt, clinging on in places where other plants just don’t dare.

#NewYearPlantHunt

Another regular find was hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica). I thought that would be the sole representative of the Stachys genus until we found field woundwort (Stachys arvensis) in an arable margin. Both very lovely things.

#NewYearPlantHunt

After weeks of heavy rain - and even heavier frost - many flowers were super tatty. Like this scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum) clinging to the harbour wall.

#NewYearPlantHunt

My absolute favourite find was a goodly patch of field pansy (Viola arvensis) in a Portmellon field. Surely one of the loveliest flowers of arable places. Double dare you to look at one and not smile!

#NewYearPlantHunt

Perhaps the most inconspicuous flowers were the tiny lilac blooms of field madder (Sherardia arvensis), which we found in a stubble field. So tiny were they I apparently couldn’t focus on them...

#NewYearPlantHunt

The most numerous flower we found was unquestionably red campion. In every hedge, ditch, and verge there’d be some blooming away as if it were a sunny spring day.

I’m fairly sure it could be found flowering on every day of the year in Cornwall.

#NewYearPlantHunt