Belladonna

Deadly Nightshade, Atropa belladonna, Arnside Knott, Cumbria

A view into the bell-like flower of deadly nightshade. I came across the plant while walking over Arnside Knott with Eduardo and Katya. It is growing on the same patch of disturbed limestone soil on which I found the woolly thistles last year. The nightshade is one of those plants that seems to lurk in the seed bank of the soil for many years waiting for disturbance and light to get it germinating. Its appearance here makes me all the more confident that the woolly thistles themselves have been here all along - others have speculated that their recent appearance so far from their nearest native sites in East Yorkshire was as a result of an accidental introduction.

Here is evidence that there is a seedbank of plants that have been unseen for many years for lack of disturbance of the soils. Recent management of trees and shrubs by the National Trust to open up the grasslands for scotch argus butterflies has been the trigger for their reappearance.

Deadly nightshade deserves its name for the toxicity of the black berries that are produced later in the year. They are loaded with a chemical called hyoscamine which is the main active toxic ingredient. It is said that three berries would be enough to be fatal if consumed by a child. So it is not surprising that people are nervous about this plant, particularly when it grows next to footpaths and car parks (usually on chalk and limestone soils). It's a rare plant in Cumbria with only a few records, mainly from the limestones around Morecambe Bay. I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed it growing on the Knott, it's a big plant, over three feet tall and more across, so difficult to miss.

The name belladonna apparently derives from the use of tinctures of the plant as eye drops to dilate the pupils as an aid to beauty for Italian ladies. I would imagine that it is a practice which has long since fallen from favour.

Eduardo and Katya stopped for lunch and collected Goosey (mother-in-law) to take her home to Bishop Wilton, after two weeks with us in Arnside. Wifie made a magnificent quiche for lunch, which was much enjoyed by all. Then we had a visit from Mags, back from her walk of the Pilgrim's route across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. She looks ridiculously healthy and fit.

Last night we barricaded the top garden to prevent our friend the roe deer gaining access to the vegetable bed, and it has worked so far. Cabbagetree has given me some ideas for preventing her accessing the main garden, which I shall try later in the week.