The Wood Sorrel
Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is one of my favourite woodland plants. So, a few days ago when I discovered how well it was growing in Biddle Combe I had to return with my camera and close-up lens.
Biddle Combe is a damp steep woodland valley on the outskirts of Wells in Somerset. The Sorrels are found in the lower part of the combe. Higher up is well known locally for its bluebells. Walking up the valley can be a technical challenge with rots, stones, mud and water to navigate.
These delicate white flowers live secretly in the shady corners. They like the part of the valley that is dark, damp and criss-crossed with rotting logs from fallen trees. Here the valley looks almost prehistoric – you could imagine pterodactyls above and velociraptors hiding behind the trees watching your every move.
A fallen tree lies across the valley floor. Its damp and covered in ferns. Along the top are hundreds of white Wood Sorrel plants.
Wood Sorrel on a fallen tree Biddle Combe
The sorrels grow in the shade. Like one of my other favourite flowers – the Wood Anemones – they droop and close as the light fades at the end of the day.
Wood Sorrel, Oxalis acetosella
Wood Sorrel, Oxalis acetosella
Wood Sorrel, Oxalis acetosella
