| Below Hawkhill (Castlebrae Playing Field) |
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This is a large, area of new, mixed plantation woodland, playing fields and gravel area, which used to be part of Hawkhill Quarry. On the gravel is an amazing number of different flowering plants, considering it looks like a desert! There are mosses, grasses, Dandelions (with bees), Ragwort, Common Whitlowgrass, Common Mouse Ear, Spear Thistle, Creeping Buttercup, Ribwort Plantain and Rosebay Willowherb, with Daisies, Common Field Speedwell and Field Horsetail spilling over from the playing field. |
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The planted woodland areas contain young Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, Rowan and Larch, with Dog Rose, Holly and Dogwood in some areas. The ground plants consist of Cocksfoot Grass, Hogweed, Creeping Buttercup, Rosebay Willowherb, Thistle and Dock.
Next to the Castleview Centre (Sandy’s Boys Club) and along Craigmillar Castle Avenue there is a planted woodland of Willow, Ash, Scots Pine, Oak, Rowan, Sycamore, Larch, Beech and Silver Birch, with Rose, Hawthorn and Hazel shrubs. The ground plants here consist of long grasses, Dandelion, Cleavers, Creeping Buttercup, Broad-leaved Dock, thistles and Rosebay Willowherb.
What to look out for and when |
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| Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
| On
gravel:
White/pink vertical stems of Field Horsetail Around edges of field: Pink stumpy flowers on Larch trees Catkins on Hazel shrubs White flowers on Hawthorn
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On
gravel:
Small, blue flowers of Common Field Speedwell White and yellow Daisies Yellow Dandelions Purple Spear Thistles Yellow Creeping Buttercup Around edges of field: Pink Rosebay Willowherb flowers Pink/white Roses Grasses in flower |
On
gravel:
Yellow Ragwort with fluffy seed heads Fluffy seed heads and prickly leaves of Spear Thistle Fluffy seed heads of Dandelions Around edges of field: Bright red Rowan berries 'Helicopter' winged Sycamore seeds Larch needles falling Red Hawthorn berries Bright red stems and leaves of Dogwood |
Around
edges of field:
Contrast evergreen Scots Pine with bare Larch Round oak apples on Oak trees (made by Gall wasp) Papery Birch catkins Bright red stems of Dogwood Compare buds of different trees (e.g. Ash-black, Oak-brown, in clusters, Alder-purple, Rowan-hairy, Beech-long and pointy, Birch-small and delicate) |
