20/9/09: Lesnes Abbey woods to Northumberland Heath - via Belvedere and Brook Street

More botanising along Bexley's highways and byways by means of another circuitous route home.

1 x Peacock butterfly on Buddleia in the Lesnes Abbey formal garden.

Several patches of Common Stork's-bill on shallow bank to west of store yard behind Visitor Centre.

Lots of Greater Celandine in flower along the Woolwich Rd margin of Lesnes Abbey Wood, from opposite houses No 99A/B to 105. Perennial Sow-thistle in garden of 270A. Adult Rosemary Beetle on Rosemary.

Buck's-horn Plantain and Spotted Medick in short grass just west of the top of New Rd.

Sheep's Sorrel in a garden in Burcharbro Rd and 4 escaped Feverfew by the pavement also.

Mouse-ear Hawkweed, White Campion and Greater Celandine in various gardens on Bedonwell Rd. Also this rather magnificent ivy-festooned Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia', something of a suburban tree that looks out of place in a rural setting, but I rather like it in the 'right' place:

Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Corydalis lutea, Black Horehound, Green Alkanet and also seedlings of Greater Celandine in Nuxley Rd, Belvedere, with more Mouse-ear Hawkweed and some Self Heal in grass at the junction with Grosvenor Rd. Yet more Mouse-ear Hawkweed in All Saints churchyard at the junction with Woolwich Rd/Erith Rd.

On the bank below the flats at the top (north end) of Brook St were Sheep's Sorrel, Gorse, Rosemary plants infested with Rosemary Beetle, a few patches of Sedum acre and Field Madder and several Dwarf Mallow.

Nothing of botanical note by the Streamway stream.

The Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Self Heal and Germander Speedwell, immediatly next to the Brook St retaining wall of the graveyard on the west side of the road, were all still present.

There was a 4 foot square patch of Common Calamint - with relatively large flowers - in short grass by the north east gate to Brook Street recreation ground.

12/07/09: Botanising in Belvedere

Walked home from Lesnes Abbey through Belvedere.

One of two clumps of Rue (Ruta graveolens) in flower, in what looks like an abandoned garden in the raised 'triangle' of land at the junction of Elstree Gardens and Abbey Rd.


Traveller's Joy/Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba) in flower along 'Footpath 10' off the south side of Abbey Rd.

A Hop plant was either side of the end of St. Augustine's Rd, and there was a Black Knapweed and Red Campion in flower in the clinic grounds, though they look like they may have been deliberately sown/planted.

Around Belvedere station: Remains of Long-headed Poppy (Papaver dubium) still present - white latex when first found two weeks ago - by fenced redundant bike rack area by the London-bound platform.

The rough grassy area opposite the south side of the station offers Gorse and Common Reed in close proximity.

There were several Smooth Tare in the grass here.

A reed-filled ditch is to be found by both sides of the line behind the platforms. On the south side, along the footpath towards the B+Q warehouse were several Hop plants and a number of Garden Angelica (Angelica archangelica), an introduced species.

Angelica by Belvedere station

In/by ditch, east side of B+Q warehouse:

Goat's-rue (Galega officinalis)

As-yet unidentified species (pointers welcome ...)


Water Plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica)


Common Reedmace (Typha latifolia)


A less welcome sight .....

There is a very large amount of Horseradish between the ditch and the fence of Belvedere Infant School/Community Centre and Mitchell Close.

Black-bindweed (Fallopia convolvulus) on fence by derelict service station on Lower Rd. There were also two Wild Carrot and several plants of one of the tall yellow-flowered Melilot species (too far from the fence to be able to identify).


Common Toadflax - some of the several plants along the Lower Road fence, at the top of the bank above Battle Rd.

And then into Erith .......