THE white deadnettle, an attractive flower seen at its best from now until well into the autumn, has lots of old names associated with it.

Its leaves look very like those of the stinging nettle but there is no sting - hence dead nettle. Another name is dumb nettle which is just as accurate.

In some places the white deadnettle was called Adam and Eve's plant. If the flower is looked at upside down it looks like a man and a woman with no clothes on. For this naughty reason the old herbalists used white deadnettle as an aphrodisiac.

It has other uses, one of which was in the treatment of skin complaints. These days we go to our nearest chemist but white deadnettle was an accepted cure until the 19th century. Another old name was archangel. Bees love this flower because it is very rich in nectar and this accounts for a number of other old names, including honey flower and white bee nettle.

Here is one of our most common plants growing in hedgerows and it is obviously avoided because its leaves do look like those of the stinging nettle. Those who look closely at the flowers will see that they are not pure white but have a very faint tinge of pale green.

Another old name is deaf nettle but those of us who love our native plants should not be deaf to the charms of Adam and Eve.

Where to watch wildlife: Spring Wood, Whalley

SPRING WOOD is a joy in summer and easily reached off the A671 at Whalley. It is an ideal place to watch birds and flowers, not to mention the grey squirrels.

There is good parking, toilets and an information centre. Despite the presence of traffic it is easy to see that you are literally walking through history. Here are a few points relating to this history.

The wood was once owned by the monks of Whalley Abbey and its old name was Oxheywoode and part of a deer park.

The modern name of Spring Wood refers to the number of small streams which flow through the area and lead down to the River Calder.

When Whalley Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536, the lands were taken over by the monarch. His son Edward VI sold the estate to Richard Assherton and John Bradyll for the then enormous sum of £2,132 3 shillings and 9 pence.

Nature trails lead up to an old quarry and streams have been diverted over it to produce a mini waterfall.

There are some rhododendron which were planted in the 19th century to provide cover for a pheasant and woodcock shoot.