Musings

Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Spurge-laurel





















Came across this growing by the side of a path on our way to the Half Moon in Plumpton. It also caught the eye of our friend who was visiting who runs Alexandra Nursery in Penge (think Petersham on a smaller community scale). I've not seen it before but recognised it from Mr Rose's book. My subconscious botanist suggested laurel-spurge but on checking I find it's actually Spurge-Laurel, Daphne laureola. It looks like a garden escape or an introduced species but in fact it's native in England and Wales. The only other Spurge-laurel in the UK is Mezereon which seems to be even rarer.