Wildflowers – Sirhowy Hill Woodlands https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk Nature Reserve Tredegar Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:27:08 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-32x32.png Wildflowers – Sirhowy Hill Woodlands https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk 32 32 Hawthorn https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/hawthorn/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/hawthorn/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:25:59 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5646

Category: Wildflowers

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Scientific name: Crataegus monogyna

Black Garden Ant

In May, our hedgerows burst into life as Common Hawthorn erupts with masses of creamy-white blossom, colouring the landscape and giving this thorny shrub its other name of ‘May-tree’. During the autumn and winter, red fruits known as ‘haws’ appear. Common Hawthorn is a rich habitat for all kinds of wildlife from Hawthorn Shield Bugs and Yellowhammers that feed on the haws, to Wood Mice and Slow Worms that shelter in the thorny thickets.

How to identify?

Common Hawthorn has shiny leaves, divided into three to seven pairs of lobes, and five-petalled, sweet-smelling flowers. It can be distinguished from the similar Midland Hawthorn by its more deeply lobed leaves and the fact that it only has a single seed in each fruit.

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Scientific Name

Crataegus monogyna

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/hawthorn/feed/ 0 Dog Rose https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dog-rose/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dog-rose/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 20:28:23 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5584

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Scientific name: Rosa canina

Dog Rose

Dog-rose is a scrambling shrub, found in hedgerows, woodland edges, on sand dunes and grasslands. It is the most abundant of our native, wild roses, with sweet-scented pink or white flowers that appear in June and July. In the autumn, it produces bright red rosehips that are often eaten by birds and small mammals such as bank voles.

How to identify?

There are many species of wild rose, which are all very similar and difficult to identify; they all have white or pink flowers, thorns and red hips in the winter. The deciduous Dog-rose has arching stems with curved thorns, blue-green leaves divided into five to seven hairless leaflets, and pink or white flowers (with five petals) often growing in clusters of two or three.

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Scientific Name

Rosa canina

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dog-rose/feed/ 0 Rowan https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/rowan/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/rowan/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 19:13:38 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5554

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Scientific name: Sorbus aucuparia

Rowan

The common hawker is a large hawker dragonfly which is on the wing from the end of June through to October. It is a species found mainly in the uplands of the north and west, particularly moorland pools and lakes as well as garden ponds. Hawkers are the largest and fastest flying dragonflies; they catch their insect-prey mid-air and can hover or fly backwards.

How to identify?

Rowan can be recognised by its Ash-like leaves (15 leaflets arranged in pairs) with toothed edges, and the masses of red berries during the autumn and winter.

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Scientific Name

Sorbus aucuparia

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/rowan/feed/ 0 Gorse https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/gorse/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/gorse/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 19:08:19 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5552

Category: Wildflowers

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Scientific name: Ulex europaeus

Gorse

Windy, open moors or coastal grasslands covered in bright yellow Gorse and purple heathers are synonymous with what we call ‘wild’ landscapes. Yet Gorse can be seen in all kinds of habitats from heaths and commons to towns and gardens. It generally flowers from January to June (although it may flower sporadically throughout the year), while its close relatives – Western Gorse and Dwarf Gorse – flower from July to November. Gorse is a member of the pea family.

How to identify?

Gorse is a large, evergreen shrub covered in needle-like leaves and distinctive, coconut-perfumed, yellow flowers during the spring and summer. There are three species of gorse in the UK, which are all very similar: Common Gorse is widespread and mainly flowers form January to June, Western Gorse flowers in later summer and autumn and is mainly found in western parts of the UK; whereas Dwarf Gorse, which also flowers later, is mainly found in the south and east of England and is absent from Ireland.

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Scientific Name

Ulex europaeus

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/gorse/feed/ 0 Guelder-rose https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/guelder-rose/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/guelder-rose/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 19:00:23 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5535

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Scientific name: Viburnum opulus

Guelder-rose

Guelder-rose is a small tree of woodland edge, hedgerows, grassland scrub, fens and riversides, and is frequently planted along roadsides or in gardens and parks. The flowers appear in June and July and are followed by clusters of red berries.

How to identify?

Guelder-rose is recognisable by its broad, lobed leaves which turn red in the autumn. It has umbels (umbrella-like clusters) of large, china-white flowers, and red berries in the autumn.

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Scientific Name

Viburnum opulus

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/guelder-rose/feed/ 0 Yarrow https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/yarrow/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/yarrow/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 18:55:52 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5530

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Scientific name: Achillea millefolium

Yarrow

Yarrow is a tough plant of many grasslands, from lawns to verges and meadows; clusters of white, flat-topped flower heads appear from June to November. Yarrow has been used to help restore arable land to grassland by sowing it along with other natives.

How to identify?

A strong-smelling perennial, Yarrow has dark green, finely divided, feathery leaves. It has flat-topped clusters of white flower heads; each flower head comprises yellowish disc florets and pinky-white ray florets – together they give the impression of one flower with a yellow centre and white petals.

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Scientific Name

Lasius niger

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/yarrow/feed/ 0 Sneezewort https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/sneezewort/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/sneezewort/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 18:50:32 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5525

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Scientific name: Achillea ptarmica

Sneezewort

Achillea ptarmica (sneezewort, sneezeweed, bastard pellitory, European pellitory, fair-maid-of-France, goose tongue, sneezewort yarrow, wild pellitory, white tansy) is a European species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the genus Achillea. It is widespread across most of Europe and naturalized in scattered places in North America.

 

Achillea ptarmica has loose clusters of showy white, flower heads that bloom from June to August. Its dark green leaves have finely toothed margins. Like many other plants, the sneezewort’s pattern of development displays the Fibonacci sequence.

 

The name ptarmica comes from the Greek word ptairo (=sneeze) and means ’causes sneezing’.

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Scientific Name
Achillea ptarmica

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/sneezewort/feed/ 0 Ground-elder https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/ground-elder/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/ground-elder/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 18:25:30 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5519

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Scientific name: Aegopodium podagraria

Ground-elder

Ground-elder was most probably introduced into the UK from continental Europe as a medicinal herb many years ago; it soon became established as a pernicious weed of gardens and cultivated ground. Compact umbels (umbrella-like clusters) of white flowers appear between June and August and are attractive to a range of insects.

How to identify?

Ground-elder leaves has three-lobed like a pointed clover-leaf at the base of its stems and rounded clusters of small white flowers.

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Scientific Name

Aegopodium podagraria

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/ground-elder/feed/ 0 Agrimony https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/agrimony/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/agrimony/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 13:09:57 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5499

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Scientific name: Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony

Agrimony is a member of the rose family although the flowers actually smell weakly of apricots. In the language of flowers agrimony means ‘thankfulness or gratefulness’. It grows in a range of grassy habitats including hedge banks, woodland edges, roadside verges and open grassland. The fruit of agrimony has rough burs which catch in the coats of animals to distribute the seed. A similar but less widespread species called fragrant agrimony also grows in Norfolk; this is a more fragrant and robust plant.

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Scientific Name

Agrimonia eupatoria

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/agrimony/feed/ 0 Thyme-leaved Sandwort https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/thyme-leaved-sandwort/ https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/thyme-leaved-sandwort/#respond Sat, 18 Jun 2022 12:39:03 +0000 https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/dev/?p=5471

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Scientific name: Arenaria serpyllifolia

Thyme-leaved Sandwort

Low to short, prostrate or bushy, roughly hairy plant, which is much branched. Leaves oval, pointed. Flowers in a spreading cluster, white with yellowish anthers, 5 to 8 mm, petals shorter than the sepals. A flask shaped capsule with a ‘neck’ is the subspecies A. serpyllifolia ssp. serpyllifolia.

“20170316Arenaria serpyllifolia” by AnRo0002, licensed under Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
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Scientific Name

Arenaria serpyllifolia

Other Wildlife

]]> https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/thyme-leaved-sandwort/feed/ 0