Lemon Balm and Ladybirds

Shieling Working Group member, Helen Lunn, reflects a nature walk around Shieldfield as part of our Flourishing Together Weekly Walks. The walk was led by Senior Naturalist James Common (Natural History Society of Northumbria) on Friday 10th May 2024.

Image: Helen Simmons

We had such an interesting walk last week with the wonderful naturalist James Common. He showed us plants and insects on our doorsteps in Shieldfield that we mostly walk past without really noticing. I cannot name everything he pointed out in that one hour, but here is a taste. James has given the list of 198 plants that he has found in his explorations of Shieldfield to Dwellbeing, so it is available to look at.

We stopped first at a corner of grass on Coppice Way that the council had kindly left partly unmown. We found ladybirds, some native 2 spot and 7 spot (which sometimes don’t have 2 or seven spots despite their name) and the larger harlequin ladybird. This last one had been brought over from America to control pests, but unfortunately it ate a lot of the smaller native ladybirds too. Then James pointed out Oxford ragwort, a common plant now, but originally imported from Sicily by some early 18th century Oxford botanists. It spread along the railway lines near Oxford, liking the land there, and soon covered the country.  A little bit of Italy in Shieldfield.  

We walked on and found three cornered European wild garlic, which can be used like wild garlic with fewer corners but which is now illegal to plant as it grows so easily and can take over a garden. A little bit further and James pointed out a square stemmed dead nettle. These ones don’t sting, but I don’t think I’ll take the chance. We did see some enormous dock leaves as we walked, so stings could be soothed if we mistook stinging nettles for dead nettles. James’ trained eye spotted a very rare henbit dead nettle, (so called because the leaves look as though they have been bitten by hens, he says).

There were insects, too, a couple of butterflies, unclassified, and a beetle or two. A bug hunt another day, perhaps. I was concentrating on the plants.

We found plants that have been here for many, many years ground elder, brought by the Romans as a food, but now in danger of taking over, and common speedwell, here since the Bronze Age. Bringing it up to date, Eastern sorrel has only been in Shieldfield for 20 years, having come, uninvited, on boats from China.

We found herbs (marjoram and thyme) among the flowers at the wildflower meadow, and some of the 200 different species of dandelion that can be found in Britain.

We ended at Shieldfield Green, and we found more edible plants, though James said the hedge mustard isn’t worth the effort. There was also lemon balm, probably escaped from someone’s herb garden, which smells and tastes good (but please don’t eat plants if you are not sure what they are, some are dangerous).

I came away determined to open my eyes more and notice so much colour and diversity in the plants near home. A very big thankyou to Dwellbeing, SAW (we popped into their lovely garden, but it would take a whole article, or series of them, to tell its story)  and the Forum Café, where we were greeted, as so often, with tea and cake and friendly smiles.

Look out for more nature walks, let us know what interests you, join in. 

This post is part of a series in which members of Shieling Working Group share what we have been working on over the last year to put our public space strategy into action. Read more here.