YOUR WILDAUTUMN
The snowdrop's scientific name, Galanthus, derives from two Ancient Greek words meaning 'milk' and 'flower'.
Snowdrop
Who doesn’t comment on their first sighting of a snowdrop pushing through the snow on a cold late-winter day? Not only does this pretty plant bring cheer to bare ground, these early blooms also provide a much-needed banquet for bees and other pollinators as they emerge from hibernation. Above strap-shaped, blueish-green leaves grow cylindrical stems bearing a single blossom. The tip of the flowering stem is covered in a protective sheath, known as a spathe, which enables the flower to force its way up through the frozen earth. Each flower is composed of six white segments, called tepals (they aren’t true petals), arranged in two whorls of three. The outer tepals are much longer than the inner, green-marked tepals, which are notched at the tip. The covering that protected the young bud remains on the stem as the fruit capsule develops. Ants are attracted to substances in the seeds and help to distribute them.
Conker seeds contain the chemical triterpenoid saponin, which acts as a natural moth-repellent.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Conkers
Tall, long-lived and handsome, the horse chestnut is an impressive tree, yet remarkably it’s best known for its seeds that have long epitomised autumn. Conker season begins as soon as the spiky fruits begin to fall, the green cases spliting open to reveal the glossy prize inside. Many conkers are destined for collection, skewering and hanging on string, sometimes with stages of pickling, baking and glossing to craſt the perfect batle-ready specimen. Originally native to the Balkans, the tree was introduced to the UK in the 16th century, but it wasn’t until a couple of hundred years later that horse chestnuts were used for the game. Not to be confused with the unrelated sweet chestnuts, which are similar-looking and edible, conkers are mildly poisonous to humans and some animals, but
6 Cumbrian Wildlife | November 2025
are eaten by others such as deer and catle. Conkers contain a chemical called aecin, an anti-inflammatory, that’s used in medicines today to treat bruises and vascular disorders.
Tree disease Bleeding canker is a disease affecting horse chestnut trees. Symptoms include lesions on the trunk and branches, which can ooze dark fluid. Although some trees die, some recover from infection.
DID YOU KNOW? Te name ‘conkers’ derives from ‘conqueror’ and the game was originally played with cobnuts or snail shells.
V I
©AMY LEWIS © KATRINA MARTIN/2020VISION
©
M
A
R
K
H
A
M
B
L
I
N /
2
0
2
S
I
O
N
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
