Nature notes: willowherbs

The willowherbs are at their finest in the countryside now. From a railway train, one can often see the startling pink spires of rosebay willowherb in every direction across the fields. On some of them, the fluffy white seeds are already appearing at the base of the spire, while new flowers continue to open at the top. In damp, low-lying bits of ground, there are dense forests of the other willowherb, great hairy willowherb, with its little pink and cream flowers almost overwhelmed by the abundant leaves. Another flower of high summer that is common everywhere now is yarrow. It grows in the grass with a flat flowerhead of many tiny white blossoms, while its leaves look feathery because they are divided into many little