The yellow trumpets of daffodils brighten up the dullest spring day as they cluster together in gardens, on roadsides and roundabouts, and in parks during March and April. But these are often the planted or escaped garden varieties. A real treat is spotting a Wild Daffodil amongst the dappled shade of an ancient woodland or pushing up through the grasses of a damp meadow. Once abundant and hand-picked for markets, these wild flowers are now much rarer, having declined during the 19th century as a result of habitat loss. Now it can be seen in parts of south Devon, the Black Mountains in Wales, the Lake District in Cumbria and along the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from Wild Daffodils with their spring-heralding trumpets to fragrant Ramsons, showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
