Marsh Valerian

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A slightly more unusual wild flower. I saw a number of these marsh valerian at Tarn Sike reserve this week. These plants grow on land that is wet or marshy and do well in calcarious soils.
The name of this flower is derived from the  latin "Valerie" meaning "be healthy". The plant was used to cure insomnia and also allegedly by thieves spiking the drinks of travellers and then stealing from the stupefied victim.
The flowers vary in colour from pink to white and there are separate male and female plants. This plant is pretty common in the North of England and in the Scottish Borders but is not found further North than the Borders.

Diary
Another stoat sighting. I set camera traps nearer the house to try to capture some stoat video but managed a nice shot of a farm cat and some rabbits!
It was cold and wet last evening but I optimistically set a moth trap anyway but wasn't surprised to capture not a single moth!

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