On This Day in Wembury — 23 October 1930: Late wildflowers noted at Wembury Beach
On this day the Western Morning News published a letter from E. Masson Phillips of Plymouth, who responded to an invitation for readers’ observations of late-flowering plants. Writing of a walk by Wembury Beach on 21 October, she listed hedge woundwort, centaury, yellow toadflax, common balm, red campion, honeysuckle, daisy, wood sage, ivy, sun spurge, dogwood, yarrow, knapweed, and common poppy all still in bloom.
She also remarked on the vivid fruits of the hedgerows, including scarlet bryony and woody nightshade, the bursting pods of iris foetidissima showing their red seeds, and blackberries in every stage from red to ripe black. The editor encouraged further notes from readers. The letter gives a vivid picture of Wembury’s late autumn flora, illustrating how closely the local landscape was watched and valued even in the inter-war years.
Source: Western Morning News, 23 Oct 1930