Latin name: Polygala vulgaris
Common name: Common milkwort
Other names: Cross flower, fairy soap, gand flower, gay wings, procession flower, rogation flower
How to spot it and where to find it: A low-growing perennial herb, milkwort has a branched, woody stock and upright spreading stems. The narrow, pointed leaves are alternately arranged on the stems, which distinguishes it from other kinds of milkwort. Its flowers are usually blue, though shades of purple, pink and white do sometimes occur. It is found mainly in grassland — particularly over chalk and limestone — and commons, but occasionally it occurs on sand dunes and on heather-clad upland slopes.
Interesting facts: This pretty herb was given its common name by the Greek botanist Pedanius Dioscorides, who called it polugalon, meaning ‘much milk’. It was…
