A common plant of hedgerows and woodlands, Wood Avens is also known as 'Herb Bennet'. Small, quickly drooping, yellow flowers appear on slender stems from May to August and are a good source of nectar. Wood Avens is also a foodplant of the caterpillars of the Grizzled Skipper Butterfly.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of flowers, from drooping Wood Avens 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.
