Wild Flowers

This distinctive plant was found in the margins of the pond at Glanville’s (Pennans) Field, Penhale near Perranporth. It was one of those plants that although we’d never seen it before we knew exactly what it was. It’s nice when that happens!

Insight into Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata): a native that’s widely distributed throughout the UK, it is also found in Europe, though rarer in the Mediterranean. Known locally as Buckbean, March-trefoil or Bog-nut.

The three leaves (hence the trifoliata part of the latin name) resemble broad bean leaves and make the identification of Bogbean easy, even when the plant isn’t flowering.

The flower stalk can grow to 30cm and has 10 to 20 flowers, pink on the outside opening to white with fringed inner surfaces.