Wild flower Specification Manual By Grahame Dixie and Matthew Swift
|
|  Yüklə 0.89 Mb.
|
54 Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) Description and Habitat: Snowdrops so called because they often flower there is still snow on the ground . Most plants found in semi-natural habitats are believed to be garden escapes but the species is probably both naturalised and a native. Snowdrops are common sight throughout most of the county but are those from the south -west have the greatest claim to be of native stock. The plants are usually between 10-25cm tall and have several narrow leaves growing from the base of the plant. The flower itself is pure white and droops towards the ground. Flowering takes place from January to March. The Snowdrop appears mainly in shaded banks and woodlands where the soil is fertile.
Role: Snowdrops have an important role in the landscape because of their very early flowering and ability to colonise woodland and hedgerows. They can also feature in grassland, particularly under dappled shade. In a flowering lawn cutting can commence after the plant has died back. Snowdrops are of limited use to insects and bees as most are still hibernating when the plant is in flower. Propagation is almost exclusively by division of the bulb and will colonise open woodland. 55 Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) Description and Habitat: Sweet Woodruff grows to 15-30cm and produces sets of six dark green leaves. The attractive white star like flower, with 4 petals, are produced from May to June. Sweet Woodruff is a plant that needs shade and is found almost exclusively in woodland habitats (W8,9,10,12,14). The plant is found throughout the British Isles but is scarce in East Anglia. In Southern and Central England the Woodruff is generally found in woodland and hedgebanks on chalky soil, while in the North and West the plant is found on a variety of shady sites such as stream banks and sunken lanes. Sweet Woodruff prefers fertile, alkali soils which are damp for most of the year.
Role: In shaded woodland Sweet Woodruff does well and provides colour after the early bulbs have finished flowering. Sweet Woodruff propagates using underground runners. 56 Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) Description and Habitat: Tufted Vetch is a long-lived perennial plant which scrambles and grows around other vegetation. It can grow up to 130cm tall and has a number of stems coming off the main stem either with a dozen pairs of leaves or a very beautiful row of flowers. The plant sprawls and clambers over the surrounding vegetation. The colour of the flowers range from blue/purple to pink/red and are usually observed between July and September. Tufted Vetch is mainly found in mesotrophic (neutral) and calcareous grasslands but is also recorded in marshes, banks, hedgerows and wastelands. (M9,13,22,24,27 ,28,MG1,4,5,7,9,10,12,CG2,3,4,5,6,7,8). The Tufted Vetch mainly grows on relatively fertile, dry to moist soils. It is absent from acidic soils below pH 4.5 and is intolerant of grazing and multiple cutting.
Role: Tufted Vetch is beautiful plant for tall unmanaged grassland and hedgerows. In the garden it makes a highly attractive climbing plant and is useful for growing over hedges and fences. The plant should only be cut at the end of the season. 57 Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare) Description and Habitat: The name Vipers Bugloss is taken from its use for counteracting the venom of the spotted viper. Vipers Bugloss is very beautiful biennial plant, growing to a height of 50-120cm it produces 30-40 flowers on each head from June to September. The flowers are violet/blue in colour flecked with dark pink and long red stamens and can create spectacular shows of colour. The plant only thrives in southern south east England on chalk soils (CG1). The plant is associated with dry, alkaline soils of low fertility.
Role: Vipers Bugloss is a highly attractive flower and should feature in dry, sandy and chalky sites. It is also suitable for introduction into open and wasteland sites. It is often able to colonise polluted soils and contaminated sites. The Vipers Bugloss should not be cut down until after seed set in the late summer. The plant has such an attractive flower that it warrants inclusion in dry herbaceous borders. Once established its happy to be left on its own to self propagate. It is larval host plant of the Wood White Butterfly. 58 Water Avens (Geum rivale) Description and Habitat: Water Avens is a perennial plant that is very closely related to its relation the Wood Aven. Its a member of the rose family and grows to 45-60cm. The leaves are club shaped and form a green backdrop to display its multi-coloured flowers. These are purple, pink and orange and look like small drooping bells. Water Avens is a plant well adapted to wet or moist conditions in damp grasslands. It can also be found in moderate shade. (M9,11,12,26,27,32,38, MG2,38, CG10,11,12,14,U15,17, W3,7,8,9,19,20). Water Avens is mainly found in damp woods and river sides in Southern England.
Role: The Water Avens is a plant of damp, shaded places and can be grown on the sides of ponds and streams. It also makes an attractive feature in herbaceous borders. 59 White Campion (Silene alba) Description and Habitat: The White Campion grows from 30cm to 100cm tall and produces a large number of paired leaves up to the flower head. The flowers consist of 5 broken petals and are of pure white colour except for the very centre which is tinted yellow. The normal flowering period is from May to August. This short lived perennial is found abundantly in the British Isles in fields and waste places. The plant prefers dry soils of pH over 6 and full sun.
Role: White Campion is a plant that has adapted well in living in dry grasslands. It can look particularly effective in small or large clumps where the white of the flowers stands out. The flower is moderately tolerant of cutting which can be carried out either in the spring or in the autumn. The White Campion is an important nectar source and very attractive to moths. 60 Wild Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) Description and Habitat: The Wild Daffodil is a smaller plant than the garden daffodil.. The plant grows to around 20-30cm tall. The flower petals are yellow or white/yellow in colour with the trumpet being of a very pure yellow. The Wild Daffodil is found in woodland environments and in damp and often slightly shaded meadows (W8,10). The numbers have declined leaving a disjointed distribution with greater abundance in the West.
Role: The Wild Daffodil can be planted in Oak and Beech woodlands and in shaded, damp meadows. Grass should not be cut back until after the daffodils have died back. In the garden situation the Wild Daffodil is much more delicate and smaller than the typical garden daffodil. It is ideal for smaller boarders or for adding colour in the more shaded areas of a garden as well as in woodlands and damp meadows. Daffodils are important nectar source. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||