Winter Flowers

[poliphilo]

We have crocuses in bloom, among the snowdrops, on the bank that slopes down to the farm's southward facing wall. Also a clump of winter aconite- or wolfsbane- which is as brightly yellow as any of the flowers of spring or summer.

Comments

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Gets mixed up with monk's hood- also known as wolfsbane- a dangerous abortifacient and highly toxic.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I was going to snark that you are not showing a crocus but a winter aconite and then you got all botanically accurate.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

So this one isn't poisonous?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I was rather pleased with myself to find I knew this was an aconite without having to look it up. How did I know? I'm not entirely sure but I think it may have to do with a book of British flowers I had when I was a little kid.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

Thank you for letting me know! We've got these all over our front garden and I wasn't sure whether they are some sort of Evil Weed. They are even growing in a pile of leaf litter that has only been there a few weeks. So they are ok to leave in place then?

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

It seems not.