Nature notes: guelder roses

Alongside the pink dog roses, new white flowers are coming out in the hedgerows. The flowers of guelder rose, which has tulip-shaped leaves, are particularly showy. They have an outer ring of sterile, creamy-white flowers, which lead insects towards the small, greenish fertile flowers in the middle. Dogwood, which is mainly found in chalky country, has rich red twigs and tight-packed clusters of small, sparkling stars. The hard white wood of the branches makes good skewers, and “dog” comes from an old name, “dag”, for a spike. Wayfaring tree is another tree of the chalk, and got its name from the 16th-century herbalist John Gerard, who gave so many of our plants their names. Apparently he often saw it when crossing the downs between Wiltshire and London. It is a striking shrub, especially because of its leaves, which look and feel velvety, and have downy white undersides. The flowers grow in domed rosettes.