Flars

Did a bit of the old research on the 2 little red flowerd plants I have...before I either accidentally kill them or I become too obsessed.

Anyway, turns out they are (relatively) rare but have been made the County Flower of Bristol according to the BBC. Not only that, but all the photos I have seen of them so far have been very poor compared to the specimens I have raised on the allotment :-)

Yeah! And I raised a massive crop of Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Redcurrants too, not to mention enough Spearmint and Lemon Balm to keep me in tea for life...all without raising a finger...let nature take Her course I say!

And what looks like enough hay to justify getting a horse.

Anyway I digress....the point of this was to say that I have identified the offending flower via a combination of local dialect, google, some research on wikispecies, and someone going "Oh thats Licknis wossname"....

So:

Maltese-cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)

Introduced to Britain as early as the 16th century the plant is now naturalized on waste ground, roadside, and rubbish tips*. Also known as Flower of Bristol.

Habitat: waste ground, roadsides. Flowers: May - August

Image © Bob Gibbons/Natural Image

*Yes, they are saying my allotment is a rubbish tip....