Asparagus is an introduced species, native to south-west Asia.

This is a herbaceous perennial plant with fine but strong stems, much branched and with clusters of feathery foliage. What appear as soft, needle-like leaves are in fact modified stems growing out from the axils of tiny scale-like true leaves. The stems have taken over the function of food production (photosythesis) normally carried out by leaves.

Flowers are tiny, yellowish-green and bell shaped with 3 petals and 3 sepals joined loosely at the base. When sepals and petals are more or less identical as is the case here, they are both referred to as tepals. Flowers are carried singly or in clusters in the axils of the 'branchlets' and are usually either male or female, carried on separate plants though occasionally hermaphrodite flowers are found with both male and female parts.

The fruit is a red berry, 6-10mm in diameter, which is poisonous to humans.

This plant is both poisonous and protected!

It is a perennial plant, overwintering in the form of a network of underground stems (rhizomes) growing up to 50cm deep. At intervals this rhizome produces buds that emerge as a 2 0r 3-leaved stem from a basal leafy sheath. The leafless flower stem emerges separately from the sheath.

The flowers are bulbous and bell-shaped with a strong, sweet scent. The flower tube is formed from 6 fused tepals (3sepals and 3petals indistinguishable in colour and form).

Its berries are red and fleshy, eaten by birds and the indigestible seeds pass out with the droppings and are thus dispersed. They are highly poisonous for humans however and consumption can lead to serious disturbance of breathing, heart-rate and blood pressure as well as intestinal problems. Also the leaves (not to be confused with wild garlic!) and flowers are poisonous.

Eating any part of this plant can be fatal!

All parts of this plant are poisonous!

It is a perennial plant that survives winter in the form of a whitish-coloured rhizome (hence the German name Weisswurz). The rhizome has thickened nodes, each one representing a year’s growth. As many as 17 have been counted along a single rhizome. (Latin name Polygonatum from the Greek poly for many and gony for nodes). Even the name Solomons Seal relates to markings on these nodes that it was thought resemble the markings on a seal.

The fruits are dark blue to black berries that ripen between August and September.

This plant is a native of the Mediterranean and has been introduced to this part of Europe in more recent time (neophyte, garden escapee) but on account of its rarity in the natural environment it has nevertheless been declared a protected plant.

Its leaves are wider and flatter than those of the starch grape hyacinth (also found in the Lobau) and there are generally only 2 per plant, arising from an underground bulb. These bulbs do not normally produce daughter bulbs so the plants usually grow singly and not as spreading clumps, typical of Starch Grape Hyacinth.

Flowers are smaller and rounder than those of Starch grape Hyacynth, forming a shorter, denser spike. They produce nectar but have no scent.

This is a protected flower. It originated in the Mediterranean but is thought to have spread to this part of Europe in ‘ancient’ time (archaeophyte) rather than being a modern introduction as is the common Grape Hyacinth (also found in the Lobau).

Leaves are long and narrow, 3-7 per plant, arising from an underground bulb. A channel runs the length of the upper surface, the leaf is curved in cross section.

Bulbs produce numerous daughter bulbs, hence the plants usually occur in spreading clumps.

The dark blue flowers have an egg-shaped, tubular form with a fringe of white petal tips (6) around the narrow opening. Flowers at the tip of the spike are lighter in colour and closed (sterile), probably serving to make it more visible to visiting insects. The flower is also scented.

This early spring flower inhabits the same woodland areas as snowdrops and is often to be found growing amongst them. Its stems are slender, reddish in colour and often prostrate. Leaves arise in pairs at the base of the plant.