Wildflowers have been a part of our interest in the natural world and Liddells has given us the opportunity to concentrate more on flora. As with the birds, the different habitats support different species. As we thin out the wooded areas, the increase in light encourages more flowers to emerge - either because the seeds have lain dormant in the dark, or because birds and the wind bring more seeds into the space. Some of the plugs grown from seed at home have been introduced - for example Yellow Loosestrife and Mugwort in the Top Strip and Aconite in the Pit Wood. We have bought English Bluebell and Wild Daffodil bulbs and added them with Snowdrops, to wooded areas. We discovered some well established Snowdrops in the North-east Strip. All these are gradually spreading and we intend to add a few more each year. We learned from our very first purchase of 50 English Bluebell bulbs, that they don’t make as big an impact on seventeen and a half acres as we had hoped - five thousand may have done the trick!

A particular delight is the established patches of Common Spotted Orchids in the Pit Wood, Wetland and Wildflower Meadow - they feel like a free gift that comes with the land.

For those with a more botanical curiosity, here is a list of all the wildflowers so far identified (many thanks to our friend Mel), and here you can find wildflower surveys.

Adder’s Tongue Fern, Ophioglossum

Anemone, Wood Anemone nemorosa

Avens, Water Geum rivals

Avens, Wood (Herb Bennet) Geum urbanum

Bedstraw, Heath Galium saxatile

Bedstraw, Lady’s Galium verum

Betony Betonica officinalis

Birdsfoot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Bistort Polygonum bistorta

Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara

Bluebell Endymion non-scriptus

Brooklime Veronica beccabunga

Bugle Ajuga reptans

Bugloss, Viper’s Echium vulgare

Buttercup, Bulbous Ranunculus bulbosus

Buttercup, Creeping Ranunculus repens

Catsear, Common Hypochaeris radical

Campion, Bladder Silene vulgarise

Campion, Pink Silene latifolia

Campion, Red Silene dioica

Campion, White Silene alba

Carrot, Wild Daucus carota

Celandine, Lesser Ranunculus ficaria

Chickweed, Common Stellaria media

Cleavers, Common Galium aparine

Clover, Red Trifolium pratense

Clover, White Trifolium repens

Clover, Zigzag Trifolium medium

Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara

Comfrey, Common Symphytum officinale

Cornflower Centaurea cyanus

Cornflower, Perennial Centaurea montana

Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris

Cowslip Primula veris

Cranesbill, Meadow Geranium pratense

Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia

Cuckoo Flower (Lady’s Smock) Cardamine pratensis

Daisy Bellis perennis

Daisy, Michaelmas Aster novi-belgii Daisy, Ox-eye (Moon Penny) Leucanthemum vulgare

Dandelion Taraxacum

Dock, Broad-leaved Rumex obtusifolius

Enchanter’s Nightshade Circaea lutetiana

Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis

Field Woodrush Luzula campestris

Fleabane, Common Pulicaria dysenterica

Forgetmenot, Field Myosotis arvensis

Forgetmenot, Water Myosotis scorpioides

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Garlic Mustard (Jack by the Hedge) Alliaria petiolata

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedris

Golden-rod, Canadian Solidago canadensis

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Hawkbit, Rough Leontodon hispidus

Heather Calluna vulgarise

Heather, Bell Erica cinerea

Hedge Parsley, Upright Torilis japonica

Helleborine, Broad-leaved Epipactis helleborine

Hemp-nettle, Red Galeopsis angustifolia

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum

Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium

Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum

Iris, Yellow Iris pseudacorus

Ivy-leaved Crowfoot Ranunculus hederaceus

Knapweed, Black Centaurea nigra

Knapweed, Greater Centaurea scabiosa

Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis

Loosestrife, Purple Lythrum salicaria

Loosestrife, Yellow Lysimachia vulgaris

Marigold, Marsh Caltha palustris

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acres

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria

Milkwort, Heath Polygala serpyllifolia

Mint, Spear Mentha spicata

Mint, Water Mentha aquatica

Monkshood Aconitum napellus

Mouse-ear, Common Cerastium fontanum

Mugwort Artemisia vulgarise

Nettle, Stinging Urtica dioica

Nipplewort Lapsana communis

Orchid, Common Spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Parsnip, Wild Pastinaca sativa

Persicaria, Pale Persicaria lapathifolia

Pignut Conopodium majus

Plantain, Ribwort Plantago lanceolata

Pimpernel, Scarlet Anagallis arvensis

Poppy, Common Papaver rhoeas

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi

Ragwort (usually removed) Senecio jacobaea

Ramsons (Wild Garlic) Allium ursinum

Redshank Polygonum persicaria

Rest Harrow Ononis repens

Rose, Dog Rosa canina

Rose, Eglantine Rosa rubiginosa

Rush, Hard Juncus inflexus

Rush, Soft Juncus effuses

St John’s Wort, Perforate Hypericum perforatum

Scabious, Field Knautia arvensis

Sedge, Lesser Pond Carex acutiformis 

Self-heal Prunella vulgaris

Silverweed Potentilla anserina

Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica

Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis

Sorrel, Common Rumex acetosa

Sow-thistle, Prickly Sonchus asper

Speedwell, Common Field Veronica persica

Speedwell, Heath Veronica officinalis

Stitchwort, Greater Stellaria holostea

Stitchwort, Lesser Stellaria graminia

Strawberry, Wild Fragaria vesta

Sweet Violet Viola odorata

Tansy Tanacetum vulgar

Teasel Dipsacus fullonum

Thistle, Creeping Circium arvense

Thistle, Marsh Circium palustre

Thistle, Spear Circium vulgare

Tormentil Potentilla erecta

Valerian, Marsh Valeriana dioica

Vetch, Bush Vicia sepium

Vetch, Tufted Vicia cracca

Vetchling, Meadow Lathers pratensis

Vetchling, Yellow Lathyrus aphaca

Water Avens Geum rivals

Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile

Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca

Willowherb, Broad-leaved Epilobium montanum

Willowherb, Great Epilobium hirsutum

Willowherb, Rosebay (Fireweed) Epilobium angustifolium

Woodruff Galium odoratum

Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella

Woundwort, Hedge Stachys sylvatica

Woundwort, Marsh Stachys palustris

Yarrow Achillea millefolium

Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor