Settle Wildflowers - Day 51 - Red 6 - Pink - Moorland: Cowberry and Crowberry

It is now four weeks since my walk to Hunter Bark on that hot sunny day on 25 May.  I met a young man from the Fish and Chip shop (furloughed) who kindly asked if I knew the way. Later a couple from Long Preston bird watching. Otherwise it was very quiet. I was delighted to find these two moorland plants. I did find a few bilberry plants but not as good as below Cleatop.

It took me six hours on my walk starting from Greenfoot CarPark, from 3.45pm to after 9.45pm  (See pictures at end) - when I met two friends who had taken two hours to do the same walk earlier in the day)

1. Cowberry: Vaccinium vitis idae 

This will have fruit similar to bilberries, but red. 
They are edible, but as I only saw a few plants I do not recommend picking them. the leaves are rounder than bilberry leaves and are tougher and evergreen.






You can see I enjoyed it -I stayed out till almost sunset - and then had to walk two miles back to Settle. .. and why is it one so often finds the best things near the end?








2. Crowberry - Empetrum nigrum





You can see the anthers on the flowers. It shows the flowers are small.


This has tiny black berries - I have tasted them once but do not recommend them. This is a northern plant.

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I had set off from Settle earlier in the day, passing the Red Valerian
in Upper Settle at 4pm

And returning at 9.30pm via Peart Crags which gave me this view as I dropped down.

Click here for  more flowers coming out around Settle

We are now into pinks and reds!!!