Meadow Crane's-bill
The striking blue and violet flowers of Meadow Crane's-bill can be seen in lowland hay meadows, roadside verges and grasslands, particularly on chalk soils. It flowers between June and August, colouring the roadsides of areas like the Cotswolds. It is also a popular garden plant that will grow well in sunny spots.
The loss of many of our natural habitats in the countryside mean that the flowers and plants in our gardens provide vital food and shelter for a range of wildlife including butterflies, bees, birds and small mammals. To encourage wildlife into your garden, try planting native species such as Meadow Crane's-bill. To find out more about wildlife-friendly gardening, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there's plenty of facts and tips to get you started.
Stork's-bill
Common Stork's-bill is hairy plant of dry grasslands, bare and sandy areas, inland and around the coast. Its bright pink flowers appear in May and last through the summer until August. The resulting seed pods are shaped like a crane's bill and explode when ripe, sending the seeds - which have feathery 'parachutes' - flying.
The Wildlife Trusts look after many coastal habitats for the benefit of all kinds of plants and wildflowers, and are working closely with farmers, landowners and developers to promote wildlife-friendly practices in these areas. We have a vision of a 'Living Landscape': a network of habitats and wildlife corridors across town and country, which are good for both wildlife and people. You can support this greener vision for the future by joining your local Wildlife Trust.
Fairy Flax
Fairy Flax is a delicate annual of mostly dry grasslands, particularly those on chalky soils. Its small white flowers bloom on the end of wiry stems from May to September.
Areas of rare and unique wildlife, chalk grasslands have been likened to rainforest for the diversity of species they hold. But they are being lost at an alarming rate due to changes in land use causing the decline of grazing: it's estimated that we've lost 80% of our chalk grassland over the last 60 years. The Wildlife Trusts manage many grassland nature reserves for the benefit of the rare wildlife they hold. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from scrub-cutting to stockwatching.
Milkwort
Common Milkwort is a low-growing, sometimes trailing flower of grasslands, particularly those of chalky soils. It blooms from May to September, the delicate flowers appearing in a variety of colours from dark-blue, through pink to white.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many grassland habitats for the benefit of all kinds of wildlife. Careful grazing with traditional breeds, hay-cutting at the right time and scrub clearance are just some of the ways these fragile habitats are kept in good condition - supporting wildflowers like Common Milkwort and, in turn, invertebrates and the larger animals that prey on them. By volunteering for your local Trust you can help too, and you'll make new friends and learn new skills along the way.
Cuckooflower
Cuckooflower, also commonly known as 'Lady's-smock', is a pretty springtime perennial of damp, grassy places like wet meadows, ditches and riverbanks, as well as roadside verges. Its pale pink flowers bloom from April to June and are thought to coincide with the arrival of the first cuckoo - a sure sign that spring has arrived at last.
Once awash with wildflowers and alive with insects, our floodplain meadows have been drained, damaged and destroyed; now, only 1,600 hectares of these precious habitats are left in the whole of the UK. This has had a detrimental effect on wildlife and once common plants and animals, from Cuckooflowers to Curlew, Ragged-robin to Reed Buntings, are becoming a rarer sight. The Wildlife Trusts look after many meadow and wetland habitats for the benefit of local wildlife and are working closely with farmers, landowners and developers to promote wildlife-friendly practices in these areas. You can support this vital work by joining your local Wildlife Trust.
Honesty
Originally from south-east Europe, Honesty is a garden escapee that can often be found on waste ground, railway cuttings and roadside verges. Its purple are attractive enough, but it’s the seed pods that most people will recognise - translucent and papery silver 'coins' that hang on the skeleton of the plant throughout the winter. In fact, it is known as the 'Money Plant' in South East Asia and 'Coins of Judas' in The Netherlands. Here, the name Honesty likely arose from the see-through nature of the pods.
To encourage wildlife into your garden, try planting native flower species in your borders to provide a 'nectar-cafe' for bees and butterflies. But if you do prefer some non-native varieties, be careful when you throw away cuttings - species can easily escape into surrounding habitats and can cause problems for local wildlife. To find out more about wildlife-friendly gardening, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there's plenty of facts and tips to get you started.
Horse-radish
Horse-radish is a common perennial of waste ground, railway cuttings and roadside verges mainly in England. Arriving here from western Asia sometime before the 16th century, the use of prepared Horse-radish roots as a condiment for meat quickly became popular. But the preparation of Horse-radish is pretty hard-going - the pungent roots can cause tears worse than those from chopping an onion! Today, commercial production is widespread.
Horse-radish is an introduced species that has become widespread and naturalised in the UK over hundreds of years without much cause for concern. However, the effects of introduced species are not always as benign. The Wildlife Trusts work with researchers, scientists and other conservationists to monitor changes in our native wildlife to determine the effects of environmental change, such as the introduction of new species or climate change. You can help: volunteer for your local Trust and you'll be able to monitor populations and survey habitats, adding to a growing bank of data.
Shepherd's Purse
A widespread annual of fields, farmland, tracks and roadside verges, Shepherd's Purse gets its common name from its heart-shaped seed pods which resemble little pouches that were worn by medieval peasants. It flowers all year-round.
Although they sometimes don't look especially wildlife-friendly, our roadside verges, field edges and waste grounds can provide valuable habitats for all kinds of plants and animals. The Wildlife Trusts get involved in different projects to help make these places as beneficial for wildlife as possible. We have a vision of a 'Living Landscape': a network of habitats and wildlife corridors across town and country, which are good for both wildlife and people. You can support this greener vision for the future by joining your local Wildlife Trust.
Hairy Bitter-cress
Hairy Bitter-cress is a common, edible weed of rocky areas, walls, gardens and cultivated ground which flowers almost all year-round. This plant self-pollinates; when the seeds are ripe they burst from their pods and can be dispersed up to a metre away in all directions, especially if the plants are shaken by the wind. New seedlings tend to grow in summer and early winter.
Gathering wild food can be a satisfying experience and provides a chance to learn about our native plants. However, if you do fancy giving it a go, remember that it is an offence to totally uproot a wild plant and please just take what you need, leaving some for the wild creatures, too. Don't eat anything you can't identify, either - it could make you very ill. To find out more about wild plants, both edible and not, why not come along to a Wildlife Trust event? From fungi forays to woodland walks, there's plenty of variety for everyone and lots of opportunities to learn more about the natural world and your local patch.
Thrift
Cushion-like bunches of the rounded, pink flowers of Thrift are a common sight on coastal cliffs, shingle beaches and sand dunes around the UK, as well as on inland marshes. Thrift is a perennial and flowers mainly from April to July, but can hang on until early autumn. It is also commonly known as 'Sea-pink' and 'Cliff Clover' and makes an excellent garden plant for well-drained, sandy soils, providing nectar for a range of insects.
The Wildlife Trusts look after many coastal habitats for the benefit of plants like Thrift, and are working closely with farmers, landowners and developers to promote wildlife-friendly practices in these areas. We have a vision of a 'Living Landscape': a network of habitats and wildlife corridors across town and country, which are good for both wildlife and people. You can support this greener vision for the future by joining your local Wildlife Trust.
