Latin name: Umbilicus rupestris
Common name: Pennywort
Other names: Navelwort, wall penny cross, penny pies, Venus’s navelwort, lady’s navel, kidney wort
How to spot it and where to find it: Look closely at damp rock crevices, shady walls and rocky banks and you might be lucky enough to find pennywort (Navel gazing, 12 December), a succulent that grows throughout the year. With its round, fleshy leaves and navel-like depression — hence the Latin umbilicus — it is unlikely to be confused with anything else. In the spring, it produces a thick, tall and upright spike of yellow-green flowers, sometimes with a pink or red tinge. They appear in May followed by small, green fruits that ripen through the summer.
Interesting facts: Be careful when harvesting pennywort as it has small,…
