Suburban Survivors

Yellow Corydalis, Pseudofumaria lutea.  Saville Row, Hayes, 25 April 2016.

It's not just mosses, lichens and liverworts that grow where there is no earth.  Lots of plants can survive and even thrive in cracks in stonework, and because mankind produces a great deal of artificial stonework there are niches for them in towns and cities.

This Yellow Corydalis is one of my favourites.  It's fresh and green, and those scrambled-egg flowers really cheer up the place.  In this photo there are also a couple of shoots of Cleavers and a tiny bit of Common Chickweed, both of which are hard to keep out.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Cymbalaria muralis.  Station Approach, Hayes, 18 April 2016.

Plants can survive and thrive even in busy places.  This Ivy-leaved Toadflax is in the crack between pavement and shop on a busy shopping street.  Someone has been around with weedkiller on this street, and many clumps of grass and greenery are going yellow and dying, but they have not really been very thorough, I am pleased to say.

Groundsel, Senecio vulgaris.  Station Approach, Hayes, 25 April 2016.

These Groundsels are on the other side of the same street.  They are in full flower - this plant has no petals on its flowers. 

Pine seedling.  Ridgeway, Hayes, 8 April 2016.

This one is a bit of a surprise.  Pines are not normal street weeds!  But there are a couple of mature Scots Pines nearby and that is most likely where this seedling originates.

This is on a residential street, less bothered by weed removal than a street of shops.

Buddleia or Butterfly Bush, Buddleja davidii.  Railway bridge, Tiepigs Lane, Hayes, 25 April 2016.

Buddleias are well known for growing in the cracks of walls, and that's what is happening here.  It's growing quite vigorously.  You can see that this brickwork has been repaired not long ago; there are newish bricks and fresh pointing.  You can also see that the older brickwork and pointing is deteriorating.  The bridge will soon need another repair if this goes on!

There is also a tiny shoot of bramble here, but it is not doing well and will probably not last.

Wavy Bitter-cress, Cardamine flexuosa.  Hayes, 25 April 2016.

This is Wavy Bitter-cress, and the very similar Hairy Bitter-cress also likes this kind of site.  Bitter-cresses grow in minute cracks all over this area.  If it is really dry they can be tiny, but still put out a few flowers.

Shining Crane's-bill, Geranium lucidum.  Saville Row, Hayes, 25 April 2016.

Several Geraniums grow wild in this area.  Shining Crane's-bill is one of them.  The leaves and leaf stems are glossy and often wholly or partly red.  There are shoots of Cleavers here too, just like the first photo.

Next I will show some plants that need a bit of earth, but little more than that.