Wild flower Specification Manual By Grahame Dixie and Matthew Swift
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47 Ramson or Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) Description and Habitat: Ramson or Wild garlic is a particularly pretty plant which smells strongly of garlic when crushed. It has a large stork with a cluster of white flowers on the end which appear from April to June. Ramson is a predominantly woodland plant and enjoys similar conditions to Anemone nemorosa, and prefers natural woodland growing on a limestone base. (W8,9,12,21). Ramsons are found in soils with a pH range of 4 to 8, but are most abundant in the range 6 to 7.5. The habitat needs to be moist but well drained. The sites often experience winter flooding and can be moderately fertile. In Eastern Britain the Ramson is found in damp woods while in the West and North they are also found in more open locations.
Role: Ramson is relatively immobile and a poor coloniser of new sites and often needs to be introduced to woodland plantings. The plant can propagate vegetatively to cover a significant portion of the woodland floor, providing a dark green carpet and an explosion of colour and smell in late spring. Mixed with Bluebells a woodland planting of Ramson can look spectacular in the spring. 48 Red Campion (Silene dioica) Description and Habitat: The Red Campion is an attractive perennial plant with arrow shaped leaves and narrow stems. They usually grow to 30-100 cm tall and produce a number of pink flowers between April and July with peak flowering in May till June. The Red Campion commonly occurs in damp, fertile soils in lightly shaded habitats such as in woodlands (particularly broad-leaved woods), scrub and hedgerows but can also be seen on some tall mesotrophic grasslands ( W6,7,8,9,10,12,21,22,23, 24,25, MG1,2,11, U17). The plant likes well drained, slightly moist, fertile soil in dappled sunlight. Red Campion is found in pHs of 3.5 to 8, but in calcareous woodlands the Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) will partly replace the Red Campion. It can often be found on the shaded banks of rivers and streams.
Role:. The Red Campion is an ideal species for the planting at the interface between grassland and woodland. Planted in front of hedgerows and on north facing banks the Red Campion can create a solid mass of colour in May and June. The plant can also be established successfully in woods by seeding given sufficient shade to provide significant areas of bare earth for plant establishment. In open sites Red Campion appears to prefer calcareous soils. Red Campion is an important nectar source for butterflies. 49 Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) Description and Habitat: The name Ragged refers to its ragged red/pink flowers which appear in May to June. At the base of the plant is a conical set of leaves standing 10cm up right while the stem of the plant totals 30-50cm. Ragged Robin is common in wet grassland throughout the United Kingdom and is also found in mires, wetlands and can be found in some damp woodlands. (M5,9,13,22,23,24,26,27,28, MG 3,8,10, W1,3,5,7). Ragged Robin prefers reasonable fertility and neutral or slighly acidic soils.
Role: The Ragged Robin plays an important role in wetlands, wet meadows and damp grasslands where it can create sheets of pink colour during its season. Its very tolerant of cutting as long as its not in the flowering or seeding stage, and can feature in damp flowering lawns. The normal management is a cut in the autumn and will not persist in unmanaged grasslands. Ragged Robin is an important nectar source. 50 Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus) Description and Habitat: Rough Hawkbit has low growing rosette and produces its flowers on the end of a stem some 10 cm to 40 cm tall. The golden yellow flowers are produced between June and September and are similar to the Dandelion, except its has smaller and has more distinctive, well spaced petals. Rough Hawkbit is a plant of calcareous, low fertility and dry grasslands in full sun (M26, MG1,2,3 ,4,5,8, CG1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, U1). The Rough Hawkbit thrives best in pHs above 7, in relatively disturbed sites and un-productive grasslands.
Role: The Rough Hawkbit is plant of managed grassland and thrives under gazing and cutting. In the garden it can feature in a wildflower lawn, with cutting being only being withheld when in flower or has its grey fluffy seeds still attached. This is a plant is a key ingredient of chalk grasslands. Rough Hawkbit is a an important source of nectar and pollen for insects and is a preferred nectar source for the Grizzled Skipper and Marsh Fritillary. 51 Sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia) Description and Habitat: Sainfoin is a tall attractive plant possibly native on chalk grasslands in the Southern part of Britain, and now found in southern and central Britain. The plant is some 30-60cm tall. The flower head is a spire of pink/red blooms which usually appear between June and September. Sainfoin is found on calcareous and chalk grasslands (CG2,3) The plant prefers a south facing slopes and dry conditions.
Role: Sainfoin is successful on dry, chalk banks and in calcareous grassland. It normally responds well to an autumn cut, but can tolerate no management given dry, infertile conditions. Densely planted the flowers can create a dramatic effect of pink flowers in the early summer on a road cutting or on waste land. Sainfoin can also play a role at the back of a herbaceous wild flower border. The flower is an important nectar source for many chalk butterflies and bees. 52 Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) Description and Habitat: As its name suggests Selfheal was thought to have some medicinal value and is an attractive wild flower. Selfheal is a small plant of only 5-25cm in height. Its purple/violet flowers are produced on a spike from June to September. Its normally found on mesotrophic or calcareous grasslands and in pastures. It is particularly frequent in short, or open turf that has been heavily grazed or trampled. It can also be found on mires, marshes, heaths and woodland rides. (H7,10, M10,11,22,23,24 ,26,27,32,38, MG1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, CG1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14, U4,15,19,20). Selfheal is typically associated with moist, moderately fertile soils of moderate disturbance. Selfheal is normally found in soils of pH above 5. The flower is widely distributed throughout the United Kingdom.
Role: Selfheal can feature in most grasslands provided it is grazed or regularly cut. It can also withstand some trampling. It can be introduced into sites with significant amounts of exposed soil and will rapidly colonise any gaps in a grass sward. Self Heal is an important nectar source. 53 Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria) Description and Habitat: Small Scabious is a very attractive flower of short turf. The beautiful flowers are blue/lilac colour and found at the end of a 15 to 70 cm stem during the months of July and August. interesting plant that has a number of attractive aspects. The Small Scabious mainly grows on calcareous grasslands (CG1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, MG1,2). In particular the Small Scabious is associated with moist to dry soils with a pH of over 5.5 in infertile semi-natural grasslands.
Role: Small Scabious an important and attractive flower for relatively infertile grasslands of pH 6 and over. The flower thrives under grazing and cutting, but is out competed in amongst tall vegetation. Small Scabious is an excellent plant of the wild flower herbaceous borders where it flowers profusely. It attracts many types of bees by its ample pollen and the Small Scabious is the preferred nectar source of the Adonis Blue butterfly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||