Readers driving along the A38 towards Plymouth might recently have noticed a wonderful display of tall, blue, lupin-like flowers on the central reservation, close to the Menheniot turning.
These were a delight to see, up until last Monday or Tuesday (July 5 or 6) when someone cut them all down!
What I would like to know is, what was the person who did this thinking?
The flowers were not lupins, but Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) – not a rare species, but not a very common one in Britain, away from dry sandy areas (a perfect match for a central reservation) and not very common in East Cornwall either, away from the coast.
What harm were these plants doing growing where they were?
In parts of North America, Viper's Bugloss is an invasive species, but not in Europe, and anyway, there is nowhere for it to invade at this locality, except the central reservation, where it was a joy to see.
On the very same day, a Royal Society publication reported that one quarter of all plant species are now in danger of extinction.
This is not surprising, if people just go and cut areas of informal habitat for no apparent reason, just when wild plants are coming into flower.
Again, I wonder what the person who did this was thinking?
What harm were the flowers doing there?
Are we going to restrict our appreciation of other species merely to those which are 'useful'?
If so, we will end up living on a boring utilitarian planet, impoverished of all the things in nature which make life interesting, including beautiful 'weeds' like Viper's Bugloss.
Dr Patrick O'Sullivan
Trewidland