Seasonal Wild Flowers

Meadow-foam

Limnanthes douglasii

Limnanthaceae

Poached-egg Plant

April to September

Naturalised plants are thinly scattered and are more

common on the western side of the country.

It is grown in gardens everywhere, especially by bee

keepers.

.See the BSBI distribution map for Meadow-foam

It grows in the wild on bare areas, such as waste

ground, beaches, sea-cliffs, lake shores and

roadsides.

It is a neophyte which has been grown in gardens in

the UK

since the 1830s and naturalised since the 1870s.

Meadow-foam is a colouful annual, carpet-forming,

fragrant herb growing up to 35cm.

Flowers are up to 2.5cm and the 5 white petals have

a large, bright yellow, basal patch.

There are 10 yellow stamens with yellow anthers.

There is a single yellow style with 5 linear, yellow

stigmas.

Leaves are deeply pinnate and somewhat fern-like.

Part of a carpet of Meadow-foam

Yellow basal patch, 10 stamens

Close-up of style, 5 stigmas, 10 stamens

flowers with leaves

Leaves and stem