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Water avens

 

A pretty bell-like flower: water avens. A stem covered with downy soft hairs, nodding head and tiny leaves lend an appealing appearance to the plant. Looking at the flowers of the water avens we see a calyx made up of reddish-brown sepals and a corolla of only slightly longer reddish yellow petals. At a superficial glance the water avens can be confused with the small pasque flower or windflower (Pulsatilla pratensis), but study the leaves!

 

Habitats fresh areas: meadows flooded in spring; river, lake or ditch banks. But how do the avens come to grow in our home yards? In mid-summer when the water avens has finished flowering its stem rises upright – it is time to spread seeds and with a raised head success is easier. The seeds of the water avens have a sharp hook at the tip that easily catches on to clothes or into the fur of your pet animal on straying in meadows. So is coming into a home or country house yard possible.