Articles in ‘Flora of Britain’
March 20th, 2010
Photo by Andy Swash
The location is a secret: somewhere in Herefordshire, and in an oak wood. So secret that it’s taken several months to even disclose the news of its finding to the public.
The last sighting of the Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) was in Buckinghamshire back in 1986 and in 2005 it was declared extinct. But amateur botanist sleuth Mark Jannink never gave up. He runs a motorbike business for a living, but his passion is wild flowers, and last September his persistence paid off. Read the rest of this entry
Flora of Britain, Wild flowers of Britain | Tags: Epipogium aphyllum, ghost orchid appears in Herefordshire, ghost orchid found, ghost orchid not extinct in Britain, rare flowers of Britain|
February 13th, 2010
Poets love snowdrops. Even Linnaeus got lyrical when he classified them as Galanthus nivalis, which translates as “milky flower of the snow” (in Greek, gala = milk and anthos = flower). For St. Francis the snowdrop was an emblem of hope and the touch of green on the inner petals has often been seized upon as a symbol of spring’s return. It is uplifting to see the green sword-shaped leaves piercing the snow and the apparently fragile bell-shaped flowers resisting all that winter can hurl at them.
There is some disagreement about when the snowdrop was introduced to Britain: some say as late as the 16th century. It’s noticeable for its absence in Shakespeare. Snowdrops grow particularly profusely in damp deciduous woodlands, and flower form January to March: this year the Big Freeze has delayed them.
A list of gardens with particularly good snowdrop displays can be found here.
Flora of Britain, Gardens of Britain, Wild flowers of Britain | Tags: best places to see snowdrops, British flowers in winter, gardens with snowdrop displays, introduction of snowdrops to Britain, snowdrops and poets, snowdrops as symbols of hope|
November 27th, 2009
The Guardian has an editorial this week praising the planting of trees, inspired by a scientific study for the Forestry Commission, calling for the mass planting of trees as a reliable and cheap way of soaking up carbon dioxide.
If Britain planted 23,200 hectares of woodland a year for the next 40 years, this country’s forests could soak up 10% of predicted emissions. That might sound like a lot of trees, but even at this rate woodland would cover only 16% of the land, far below the European average. The way this is done matters: no one wants to see a repeat of the endless dark lines of Sitka spruce which harmed the spirit of Ennerdale, in the Lake District, or drained the life from the peat soil of the Flow Country in Caithness. Read
Climate change in the UK, Trees of Britain, Woodland in the UK | Tags: soaking up carbon dioxide|
September 13th, 2009
Some quarters, particularly the forestry sector, are reacting with indignation and protest. In these times of climate change, it is argued, surely woodlands should be preserved, not eliminated. But what the RSPB are doing in Farnham, Surrey, by felling the conifer plantations, is restoring heathland, an increasingly rare habitat in Britain. What’s more, they are lobbying the government to clear more non-native conifers, a move that would favour biodiversity and species such as the nightjar, woodlark, sand lizard and adder, which thrive in more open shrubby areas.
As project manager Mike Coates succinctly puts it, “It should be the right tree in the right place. A field of barley is a field of grass, but it’s not a meadow; it’s a crop. In the same way, these are areas of land dominated by trees, but they are not woods, they are crops.” Photograph: Graham Turner Guardian
Conservation issues in the UK, Trees of Britain, Woodland in the UK | Tags: heath restoration, increasing biodiversity in Britain, RSPB Farnham reserve, RSPB habitat restoration, where to see nightjars|
August 19th, 2009
An airy place to stretch your legs, Rodborough Common is perched steeply over Stroud, on the edge of the Cotswolds. Any time of the year is good for extensive views of the Severn estuary and Welsh mountains on the horizon, but spring to summer are best, as the carefully managed chalk grassland is a haven for butterflies and wild flowers. Read the rest of this entry
England, Flora of Britain, Southern England, Walking in Britain, Wild flowers of Britain, butterflies of Britain | Tags: Autumn ladies tresses, Duke of Burgundy butterfly, greater horseshoe bat, limestone grasslands, Stroud Rodborough Common, walking with good views, walks near Stroud, weekend in Stroud, where to find orchids, where to see butterflies|
August 6th, 2009
A walk through a British wood may be delightful, but according to a new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, woodlands are becoming more similar, leading to an overall homogenization of the landscape. They are, in a word, becoming duller. Read the rest of this entry
Flora of Britain, Woodland in the UK | Tags: Deline in biodiversity in English woods, Dorset, Dorset woods, History of woods in Dorset, Woodland flora in Britain|
July 24th, 2009
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood scandalised the Victorians with their unconventional paintings. But Ophelia by John Everett Millais was loved even when first completed in 1852. It remains one of the most popular paintings in the Tate collection and the gallery’s best-selling postcard.
The Industrial Revolution was in full blast, bringing with it a new freedom of movement. Millais, one of the founders of the Brotherhood, would take the train out of London and paint nature as he saw it, not according to the fixed conventions taught at the Royal Academy. Read the rest of this entry
Flora of Britain, Nature in art and literature | Tags: flower symbology Ophelia, most popular painting in the Tate, nature in Victorian art, Ophelia and flowers, Ophelia John Everett Millais, Pre-Raphaelites and nature, realism in nature painting, Tate Pre-Raphaelite collection, Victorian landscapes, Victorian view of nature|
July 24th, 2009
In a plan to use one non-native species to combat another, DEFRA is considering releasing jumping lice to fight battle against Japanese knotweed. The non-native sap-sucking insect would be released under licence to tackle the weed, which causes serious damage to buildings, roads and railway lines; while driving out other plants; and eroding river banks. Knotweed was originally introduced as an ornamental plant the early 19th century. It now lives unfettered without predators in the countryside. The Indepedent
Japanese knotweed is often considered Britain’s most invasive plant species.DEFRA notes: “The species also causes problems in terms of flood management. It increases the risk of riverbank erosion when the dense growth of the plant dies back in the autumn exposing bare soil. It can also create a flooding hazard if the dead stems are washed into the streams and clog up the channel. A fragment of root as small as 0.8 grams can grow to form a new plant.”
Flora of Britain, Invasive species in Britain | Tags: Controlling Japanese knotweed, Japanese knotweed, Japanses knotweed in Britain, Jumping lice, Non-native species in Britain|
July 22nd, 2009
The National Trust is embarking on a comprehensive survey to identify previously unrecorded ancient trees on its land. The NT’s land holdings are huge – they include more than 25,000 hectares of woodland, 200,000 hectares of farmland and 135 landscape and deer parks.As many as 40,000 trees are to be classified. Read the rest of this entry
Flora of Britain, Trees of Britain | Tags: Ancient trees of Britain, Historic trees of Britain, How many ancient trees are there in Britain?, Monumental trees of Britain, William Wordsworth's yew|
July 16th, 2009
If you’re looking for wildflower seeds, an experienced supplier is Landlife, a registered charity who promote biodiversity. But they don’t simply plant wildflowers. Firm believers in nature’s power to heal and uplift, Landlife strive to improve the environment for people’s wellbeing, focusing particularly on deprived areas. You can support their work by ordering fabulous mixtures of wildflower seeds, or making up your own combinations. They are experts in large-scale conservation projects, as well as transforming small gardens, even balconies. The photograph shows their classic best-selling Cornfield mix.
Read about their products and projects.
Flora of Britain, Green shopping, Wildlife in gardens in Britain | Tags: Landlife, planting wildflowers, wildflower seeds, wildflowers in Britain|
July 13th, 2009
Anyone out of the country that week in October came back to find an altered landscape. An estimated 15 million trees had been toppled, mainly in southern England, which bore the brunt of the hurricane-force winds. The north of Britain is used to ferocious winds, but the south hadn’t experienced anything like it for nearly 300 years. The result was a large population of very tall, old trees that had never been tested by such severe weather conditions. Read the rest of this entry
Natural disasters in Britain, Trees of Britain, Weather and climate | Tags: great storm of 1987, hurricanes in Britain, natural disasters in UK, trees damaged by storm|
July 3rd, 2009
Stinging nettles can give away secrets of our past. They have a strong association with human habitation and buildings. This is because our waste of refuse, ash and bones is rich in phosphate, which then builds up in the soil, and Read the rest of this entry
Flora of Britain, History of the British landscape | Tags: Grovely Ridge, Highland Clearances, nettles and archeology, Nettles on Roman sites, Richard Mabey, Romano-British villages, Stinging nettles in Britain|
June 26th, 2009
The Fortingall Yew is generally considered as the oldest tree in Britain. Like many yews, it stands in a churchyard. Yews were sacred for the Celts, and the Christian church often found it expedient to take over these existing sacred sites for churches. This oldest of yews is the village of Fortingall in Perthshire. Recent tests suggest the tree is some 2,000 years old, rather younger than the 5,000 years claimed by some, but still probably one of the oldest trees in Northern Europe. The yew was vandalised for tourist trinkets in the 19th century, and its once massive girths is now split into several trunks, giving the impression of several smaller trees.
Flora of Britain, Nature trivia about Britain, Scotland, Trees of Britain | Tags: ancient trees of Scotland, Perthshire, Scottish yew trees, Taxus baccata in Britain, The Fortingall Yew, The oldest tree in Scotland, yews in Britain, Yews in churchyards|
June 24th, 2009
Michael McCarthy has written this excellent defence of wild botany in the UK in the Independent. He compares the fewer than 10,000 members of Plantlife, to the love of cultivated plants with the 360,000 members of the Royal Horticultural Society, and the more than one million members of the RSPB. “In 2007/8, 18,405 students were accepted to read biology in British universities, while just 195 for botany.
Flora of Britain | Tags: Michael McCarthy, Plantlife, Studying botany in the UK|
June 22nd, 2009
BBC Radio 4 Nature on tree climber James Aldred climbing and sleeping in one of Britain’s tallest trees, a giant redwood, at a secret location. Lots on the natural history of the giant redwoodwhich was introduced into the UK in the 18th century.
Flora of Britain, Outdoor activities | Tags: Britain's tallest trees, documentary about redwoods, James Aldred, redwoods in England, sleeping in trees, tree climbing in Britain|
The RSPB is gathering extensive information about exactly where swifts are nesting in the UK. It is suspected that their rapid decline in recent years is linked with a drop in suitable nesting sites, as buildings are modernised.
The first year’s survey reveals that of the houses where swifts are nesting:
A new generation of commoners will receive financial support to ensure animals continue to graze in the New Forest and so conserve its rich biodiversity.
The Co-op is further expanding its 
There are now some excellent landscape blogs covering Britain. Here are a few:
With more and more people wanting to grow their own fruit and vegetables, the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners have over 100,000 people on their waiting lists. The National Trust have responded to this demand by allocating land for “super allotments” or community farms. In return for a monthly fee, members will decide what should be grown, and have the opportunity to work on the farms, receiving a share of the produce. 
