While visiting the Milton Keynes Parks Trust I was accompanied by a member of staff looking for interesting flora in the reserve. I made a short list consisting of some of the plants for the staff. (As it would have taken the whole day to attempt to ID everything!) Here are my favourite finds at the reserve; Impatiens capensis & Solanum dulcamara.

Impatiens capensis is commonly known as the 'spotted touch-me-not'. It comes from the Balsaminaceae family. It gets its common name due to the seeds exploding out of the capsule when touched, its truly fascinating when seen in slow-motion!

It was the vibrant colour and shape of this flower that attracted me, hanging so delicately from the pedicel. The flower consists of 5 petals and 3 sepal, one is the spur containing nectar. It is Golden-orange in colour with darker spots of orange dominantly of the lower lips.

This plant is native to America and is found in shaded wetland and wooded areas so I was rather surprised to find such an unusual plant in the UK, must be the birds! In America hummingbirds, bees and butterflies all benefit from the nectar of this flower, humans also benefit as this plant is said to have medical benefits; the juice of the stem has anti-fungal properties and relieves skin irritation caused by poison ivy, similar to how dock (Rumex) is said to relive skin irritation caused by nettles (Urtica).