Looking like giant daisies, the oxeye daisy grows throughout the British Isles and originated in Europe and western Asia. Spectacular tall #flowers . Often planted at road-sides and as garden varieties. Spreads by its shallow #rhizomes and many seeds.

Welcome late spring #flower , red campion (Silene dioica, Caryophyllaceae). Unusually has separate male & female plants. Tall biennial/perennial plant with brilliant red flowers. Abundant across most of British Isles, but less common in Ireland. Originates north & central Europe.

Sempervivum genus, about 40 species & many selected varieties. Often called houseleeks ('leek' is from an old word for 'plant'). Originally from dry mountain areas around eastern Mediterranean. Plant structure and photosynthesis adapted to conserve water. Family Crassulaceae.

A plant in the headlines today! Rosy saxifrage (Saxifraga rosacea). Confusingly has white flowers. Also made BBC Radio 4 Today anxious about how to pronounce its name. Anything plausible is fine. Importance is the beauty of the plant.

Charismatic birds important for breeding success of thousands of American plant species. Fascinating account of how they evolve and are mutually dependent.

Late spring and early summer flower in the UK and Ireland. The bluebell. Iconic woodland plant that fills the air with scent and covers ground in a blue haze of flowers. Lines the ground next to hedges and country roads. Such a beautiful plant. #BUC2024

Solid evidence that #plants were important in the diet of paleolithic people living in (now) Morocco 15,000 years ago. Before much evidence of #agriculture . Plants leave traces as #isotopes and proteins in human #teeth and bones. They ate substantial amount of grain and pulses.

Major step in #plantscience , to make transgenic #Arabidopsis so much more easily and open up understanding of plant biology in a brand new way. New or better #methods and #equipment may not be glamorous but are key to science.

Spring moving into summer across the British Isles. Early #spring flowers dying away while others continue and join those of #summer .

Second BBC Radio 4's GQT episode from Uni of Reading was broadcast Friday 10 May, my question was cut, so for the record it was: 'I run a botanical quiz for students called Botanical University Challenge, if you were running a gardening quiz for students what would your fav question be?' Answers here please!

Fascination of Plants is why we all love and work with them. Not just for a day, but years, even life! Really looking forward to a day's celebration. Fascination of Plants Day

Botanical University Challenge Art Competition 2024 for students! Still over a month to the deadline 30 June. Get your art media, phone or camera out. For more information and how to enter botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/student-botany…

The pests that can devastate plants pay no attention to country borders. International and national organisations track, record and support efforts to prevent spread.

Current UK government advice and ideas to protect wild, garden and agricultural #plants .

#CareersWithPlants Biodiversity of Amazon forest, including fieldwork. Based in Denmark, working in English language, other #languages useful. Value of science and arts knowledge.

The Thymes, newsletter of Botanical University Challenge now regularly includes a botanical #joke . Thanks to John Warren & Yi Zhao (drawing). Any ideas of botanical jokes for future issues?
botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/

Botanical University Challenge #BUC2024 is all about the botanical #quiz ! Each #newsletter has specimen questions (with answers). These are in Issue 7, April 2024. Dr M still going wild!
Answers in the alt text.

Impressive how #plants arose and are related. Shows how modern science requires multinational collaboration, lots of working with other people.