A weekend in Sussex woodland
At the end of July Mike and I took Ethel the camper van to the other side of Sussex to visit friends.
It was very wet underfoot but we managed not to get rained on!
Flora of Guestling Wood
![Woodland Trust notice board Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Woodland-Trust-notice-board-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Blue Star Creeper – Pratia pedunculata
I have never seen this Pratia before and had to do an image search to find it but I’m confident in the ID 🙂
![Blue Star Creeper flower Pratia pedunculata Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Blue-Star-Creeper-flower-Pratia-pedunculata-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Hogweed florets – Heracleum sphondylium
The large hogweed plants were growing on the edge of the woods and were really pretty.
![Hogweed florets Heracleum sphondylium Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Hogweed-florets-Heracleum-sphondylium-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Enchanters Nightshade – Circaea lutetiana
Another one new to me. Apparently it is common.
![Enchanters Nightshade flowers Circaea lutetiana Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Enchanters-Nightshade-flowers-Circaea-lutetiana-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-450x600.jpg)
St Johns Wort – Hypericum
This is not Perforate St Johns Wort, but I don’t know what it is as there are so many to choose from. It was inside the woods rather than on the edge, and the long slender stems seemed to trail. *2022 update at bottom of page!
![St Johns Wort flower Hypericum Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/St-Johns-Wort-flower-Hypericum-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Campion – Silene
I’m not entirely sure what type of Campion these seed heads belong to but they’re very decorative.
![campion seed pod silene Guestling Wood Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/campion-seed-pod-silene-Guestling-Wood-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x338.jpg)
In other woods
Broad-leaved Helleborine orchid – Epipactis helleborine
There are a lot of trees in this part of East Sussex! This Helleborine was growing right next to the footpath.
![Broad-leaved Helleborine orchid Epipactis helleborine Pett Aug 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Broad-leaved-Helleborine-orchid-Epipactis-helleborine-Pett-Aug-2021-450x600.jpg)
Skullcap – Scutellaria galericulata
This Skullcap was growing out from the cover of the trees and onto our campervan pitch.
![Skullcap flower Scutellaria galericulata Pett Sussex Jul 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Skullcap-flower-Scutellaria-galericulata-Pett-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Surrounding fields
![Mike eating lunch in a clover field](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Mike-lunch-Pett-field-Sussex-Jul-2021-600x450.jpg)
Timothy grass – Phleum pratense
I don’t usually try to ID grasses but this one jumped out at me. We were walking through a hay field when we saw this Timothy, and I recognised the grass from our dried flowers shop daisyshop.co.uk. It is grown as a feed but is also popular dyed in bright colours for floristry.
![Timothy grass Phleum pratense in field Pett Sussex July 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Timothy-grass-Phleum-pratense-in-field-Pett-Sussex-July-2021-450x600.jpg)
White Clover – Trifoliumm repens
While Mike and I sat in some shorter grass to eat our lunch, it dawned on me that I hadn’t any decent pics of White Clover. Conveniently I didn’t even have to stand up to take this!
![white clover trifolium repens pett sussex july 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/white-clover-trifoliumm-repens-pett-sussex-july-2021-600x450.jpg)
2021 was a good year for orchids  |  Read more about orchids
Other campervan trips this year include touring Derbyshire and Yorkishire and visiting Brockenhurst.
*2022 Update about Hypericums – I have just received my Wild Flower Society Magazine for Autumn 2022 and it contains a handy pull-out ID sheet for UK St John’s-worts by Peter G. Leonard. It mentions Hypericum humifusum which seems a likely candidate. Read more on my St John’s-wort page.