James Common

Botanist, naturalist, yardener. Fond of ferns and our fantastic urban flora. Author of ‘Urban Flora of Newcastle’ (2026) and BSBI recorder, VC68 🍃

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Always a good day when you stumble across Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) and Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) growing within a few feet of one another. #ferns

[James Common @CommonByNature]

A few plants that made me exceedingly happy during a sunny wander along the River Allen today: Early Purple Orchid, Wood Stitchwort and Wood Fescue. #botany

[wildflowerhour @wildflower_hour]

Woohoo! It’s Sunday & it’s 8pm so it must be time for #wildflowerhour! 🥳 Please share your pics of the wild & naturalised plants you’ve spotted blooming from across Britain & Ireland in the last week, especially if they are buttercups, the focus of this week’s challenge!

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Wood Stitchwort (Stellaria nemorum) and Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) growing side-by-side on the banks of the Derwent today. #wildflowers

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Nice to stumble across a healthy patch of Goldilocks Buttercup (Ranunculus auricomus) on a wander south of the Tyne today. A wee early for this week's #wildflowerhour challenge 🙂

[wildflowerhour @wildflower_hour]

Did you know that we have a website (link in our bio) You can find ID handy guides in the resources section, like this fab buttercup one created especially for @wildflower_hour by the amazing @NatureLark!

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Okay, I couldn't resist...

After last week’s fleeting encounter, it felt like the Spring Gentians (Gentiana verna) should be in full swing. Spoiler: they didn’t disappoint.

#botany #wildflowerhour

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Nice to compare two different Maidenhair Spleenwort subspecies yesterday in Teesdale. The delicate subsp. trichomanes on its well-known unmortared wall and the commoner subsp. quadrivalens. #ferns

[James Common @CommonByNature]

A few nice examples of Green Spleenwort (Asplenium viride) also spotted on today's wander. #ferns

[James Common @CommonByNature]

It is always nice to stumble across a healthy patch of Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia selago) 🌲 #botany

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Pow!

Took a bit of a gamble today with a jaunt up to Upper Teesdale, not expecting too much if truth be told. But even a handful of these was enough to make the journey worthwhile.

📸 Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna)

#botany #wildflowerhour

[James Common @CommonByNature]

I must say, this container in the yarden is bringing me a lot of joy at present. A combination of Herb-paris, Narrow Buckler-fern, Beech Fern and Barren Strawberry. At this rate, it may well all be Paris soon! 😶

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Always exciting to find a new species in the yarden. Today it was the turn of a lovely female Chocolate Mining Bee (Andrena scotica), which seemed rather content basking on our potted bay. #bees

[James Common @CommonByNature]

If you’ll excuse a little self-indulgence, I must admit I did a little dance when I spotted copies of #UrbanFlora on display in Newcastle Waterstones today. Huge thanks to everyone who’s picked up a copy 🙏🌿

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Ah, I do love an Adder’s-tongue! 🐍

Species #20 in this year's little quest to see as many of Britain's ferns as possible in a single year, and plenty more to come 🌿🤓 #botany #ferns

[Wallsend Wildlife @WallsendWild26]

Loads of Hairy-footed Flower Bees excavating the masonry in someone’s house on the main street in Warkworth must’ve been hundreds a sight to see and hear. All females but plenty males on the flowers in the church grounds. Superb

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Rough Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) from the banks of the River Blyth today. Not one I see often at all, and a tricky one to take a decent pic of! #botany

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Toothwort fest! Exploring a new woodland today with NHSN members and delighted to find healthy clumps of Lathraea squamaria beneath Hazel and various Prunus. Always a treat. #wildflowerhour

[Steve Parsons 💙 @StevePa46290725]

My first Early-purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) of the year - and my third species in three days ! Lucky me ☺️ Dorset 3/4/26 #orchid #dorset

[James Common @CommonByNature]

Tis the season for croziers in the yarden! A variety of native ferns springing to life including: Borrer's, Narrow Buckler, Oak Fern, Hart's-tongue, Limestone Fern and Beech Fern. Love'em! #ferns 🌿