Plants

In early spring, before the new leaves are on the trees, snowdrops are one of the first flowers to appear.  These are followed by wild daffodil, wood anenome and bluebells.  Cuckoo pint, primrose and yellow pimpernel emerge as the canopy closes over. Other early woodland flowers include wood sorrel, ramsons, dog’s mercury, yellow archangel and common dog-violet.

As spring turns to summer the colours change to red and white campion, foxglove, wild raspberry and enchanter's nightshade.  There are also many ancient woodland indicator species reappearing such as herb Paris and broad-leaved helleborine. The woods can become rather overgrown with bracken and bramble at the height of summer, but regular strimming and hacking by the volunteers keep them in check.

The wetter places are brightened up by opposite-leaved golden saxifrage among the ferns, mosses and liverworts. Rushes, sedges and bulrush tower over the pond sides, bogbean and water avens flower in the margins, while water mint and starwort provide underwater cover for the frogs, toads and newts.

The woodland supports a high diversity of tree species with oak, ash and birch overshadowing the hazel, hawthorn and willow. Other species include yew, sweet chestnut and wych elm.

The heather patch offers another colourful place supporting bell heather, ling heather and sunny yellow broom.

Please click here to see a full PDF list of plants on site.

Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia.

Red campion Silene dioica.

Water avens Geum rivale.

Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata.

Wild daffodils Narcissus pseudonarcissus.

Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis.