telling species apart Archives

Comparing Hogweed Heracleum Species

Posted on 11th September 202016th September 2020 in Botany: Telling species apart

A recent job involved trying to show the differences between two species of invasive hogweed, Persian hogweed Heracleum persicum and Giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum. This blog sets out to share what these distinctions are. Similarities These plants are both large members of the Apiaceae, or carrot family. They have big lobed, dissected leaves, and a […] Read more

Invasive & Japanese Knotweeds: Telling species apart

Posted on 3rd May 20193rd May 2019 in Botany: Telling species apart

Invasive and Japanese knotweeds are incredibly successful plants. Originally from Japan, China and Taiwan, they escaped from ornamental gardens, and have become established across the UK. They’re especially common in urban and brown-field habitats, and love railway embankments and the damp soils of water ways. One of the most difficult aspects of controlling them is […] Read more

Telling Cotoneasters apart

Posted on 22nd February 2019 in Botany: Telling species apart

My recent botanical illustration work for a Field Studies Chart (as yet unpublished) on Invasive species included 5 species of Cotoneaster. Telling these plants apart can be a real headache, but I’m going to give it a go, and share my thoughts. I’m more than happy to be corrected in the comments section below! Cotoneasters are really […] Read more

Telling Bluebell species apart

Posted on 15th May 201819th April 2022 in botanical terms, Botany: Telling species apart, Scientific Illustrator out and about

May is Bluebell time! May is a really wonderful month for botanical illustration; all the spring flowers are in bloom and there’s almost too many subjects to illustrate! I always like to visit our local bluebell woods at this time of year, and thought it might be an idea to write a blog on how […] Read more

Lizzie Harper