identification Archives - Lizzie Harper

Guide to Urban Plants of Scotland illustrations

Posted on 12th December 2025 in Current projects and news

I recently illustrated the FSC’s Wild ID Guide to Urban plants of Scotland and northern England, which was a treat. Having completed lots of Field Studies Guides over the years, I class them as one of my best and favourite employers. The exacting nature of the work is enjoyable, and is coupled with relevant and […] Read more

Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Common Grass species identification: Some easy shortcuts

Posted on 14th July 202322nd September 2023 in Botany: Telling species apart

As you may have noticed, I’m rather obsessed with grasses, and have blogged on them often. From an introduction, to learning about them, to celebrating their beauty , discussing the ecological significance of Maram grass (guest blog), and more recently, to telling them from Rushes and sedges And, of course, I do botanical illustrations of […] Read more

Sedges, Grasses and Rushes: Telling the families apart

Posted on 1st July 2022 in Botany: Telling species apart

I recently went on another excellent FSC course, this time on identifying grasses (other grass courses by FSC available here). One of the first things to do is to figure out what makes a grass a grass, and not some other plant. In most cases, it’s sedges and rushes that can lead to confusion, so […] Read more

Comparing Common and Japanese Hops

Posted on 16th October 202016th October 2020 in Botany: Telling species apart

A recent job involved highlighting differences between the Japanese hop Humulus japonicus, and the Common hop Humulus lupulus. Sketchbook study of the Common hop Overview of Hop plants Hops are members of the Cannabaceae family, and are native to the Northern hemisphere. There are three species of hop, and any number of varieties of the Common […] Read more

Comparing Goldenrod Species

Posted on 28th August 202028th August 2020 in Botany: Telling species apart

Comparing Goldenrod species was one of my tasks in a recent commission for a Horticultural company in Sweden. All the illustrations were sketchbook studies. Every plant was an invasive. Overview of Canadian Goldenrod Solidago canadensis and Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea The focus of the illustration is the Canadian goldenrod. Most Goldenrods are native to the […] Read more