Fun with Dartmoor's Flora

Growing up on a tropical island, I've always had fond memories of the flowers and trees that grew on my parents' garden. The large plantain palm trees, the flamboyant hibiscus and the elegant orchids felt like the most beautiful childhood companions, and I would sometimes spend hours at a time gazing at them and appreciating their eye-catching display.

I admit that when I first came to Devon for the year I thought I would never see beautiful flowers like the ones in my homeland--but despite those thoughts that I'd never find plants here I could appreciate like that, I was surprised by the beauty of Dartmoor's flora.

It can be a little hard to imagine--flowers? In the wild, rugged moors? But if you look closely enough, you will find how even the most fragile blooms remain strong against the elements in the moor. I would like to show you through these images some of my favorite species of plants growing on our walks through Dartmoor, in hope that maybe, you might appreciate their subtle, delicate beauty as well.

Don't let the appearance of this little sprout fool you--it might not be a giant and colorful bloom, but the way it clings to the stone up on Hay Tor and the other rock formations really gives you a sense of hidden strength and will to grow in the harshest of environments (and despite its appearance close up, this is not moss or lichen: just a little plant growing from the best sunlight it can get at the top of the tors' rock crevices).