First sign of Spring.

              Butterbur              Photo John Elliott

The first of our early spring flowers, Butterbur, is now showing a few blooms  on the bank of the Winterborne at the eastern end of the village. So called from the large leaves which follow the flowers and were used to wrap butter.  It has two Dorset dialect names, 'Early Mushroom' arising from the  flowering stems as they push through the soil in early spring looking like small button mushrooms, and also 'Snake's Rhubarb'.

It shares medicinal properties with the related Coltsfoot which also blooms before the leaves show, and which used to grow abundantly on the village verges (until the Council  adopted its present policy of twice yearly cuts and removal of the grass to encourage the growth of wild flowers!) The dried roots, "powdered and mixed into wine, were taken against fevers, especially the plague." I wouldn't try it for Covid though as the roots may be confused with those of the much commoner Hemlock Water Dropwort, our most poisonous plant.

Butterbur also occurs at the western end of the village, both sites being possible locations for mediaeval water mills. Could there be a connection?

                                                         Butterbur              Photo John Elliott