Road verges

Last refuge for some of our rarest wild flowers and plants

Our floral verges

“No botanist, nor any other decent human being, could help loving those wide grassy ‘verges’, frequently bush-strewn, which add so much charm and elbow-room to almost every lane and road in the district. It is a countryside of quiet beauty, still largely unspoiled, retaining much of the old-time fragrance of the true England, before petrol and its attendant horrors were permitted to defile our most precious heritage.”

Edmund B Bishop (1933). A few additions to the Flora of Northamptonshire. The Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles.

Across the landscapes of Great Britain, our roadside verges are rich and varied habitats home to a wealth of different flowering plants and ferns.

This tapestry ranges from dry chalk grassland on the South Downs of England to acidic roadside bogs of Mull in western Scotland. Some verges are damp, lush and shaded - think of the sunken wooded lanes of South West England lined with primroses and bluebells, or the oak-lined avenues of mid Wales, rich with ferns and foxgloves. Others, like those of sandy heaths in the Breckland of East Anglia, are baked dry and brown under the summer sun.

Many verges are effectively fragments of ancient hay meadows and grasslands, white with oxeye daisies, yellow with buttercups and purple with orchids. Wet or dry, acid, neutral or calcareous, each is home to a characteristic suite of species. In northern England, the grassy verges support iconic flowers like wood crane’s-bill (Geranium sylvaticum) and common bistort (Persicaria bistorta) that lend local identity to the roadside display.

Some verges have persisted for centuries, tracing an unbroken history back hundreds of years as old drover’s roads, with wide grassy margins where livestock once grazed on their way to

market. But others seem to be in constant flux, always being excavated, bulldozed and dug-over. Here, the disturbed soil can support a flora of poppies, sun spurge and other plants that you’re more likely to find in a cornfield.

Then there are our motorways and A-roads that are regularly salted in winter. The burnt edges of these highways are now exploited by a whole host of coastal plants that have found this niche to their liking.

Danish scurvy-grass (Cochlearia danica) is the most famous colonist, spreading inland from the coast, but even lesser sea-spurrey (Spergularia marina) and thrift (Armeria maritima) are now gaining a foot-hold.

At the back of the verge, hedges, earth walls and ditches provide further habitats and can shelter a vast diversity of wildlife. Hedges emulate transitions between woodland and grassland, and can be lined with plants of semi-shade such as red campion (Silene dioica), spreading bellflower (Campanula patula) and Bath asparagus (Ornithogalum pyrenaicum). Ditches are especially valuable, allowing flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), bulrush (Typha latifolia), flowering-rush (Butomus umbellatus) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) to flourish on our roadsides.

2Our floral verges

The road verge listThis list has been produced in order to document the diversity of plants on road verges and help us appreciate their value

In order to provide an answer, we have consulted many sources, including county floras, county rare plant registers, ecological floras, and species dossiers published by BSBI and Plantlife. However, two sources were especially useful in indicating whether species have been recorded from road verge habitats:

Species accounts in Preston CD, Pearman DA, Dines TD (2002) New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lists of species by county given in Way, JM (1974) Co-operation for Conservation of Rural Road Verges. Institute of Terrestial Ecology Occassional Reports No. 2. Monks Wood: Huntingdon.

Which plants grow on

our verges?

We have listed all native and archaeophyte taxa for which we can find evidence of records from road verge habitats in Great Britain. We have not included all subspecies, hybrids or critical taxa. The list is unlikely to be completely comprehensive and we invite anyone with information about additional species to contact us so we can add them to the list (enquiries@plantlife.org.uk).

We have included all species growing within the boundary of the wide verge habitat, ie from the enclosed boundary (wall, hedge or fence) to the road edge. This can include plants growing on and around the enclosed boundary, the adjacent verge and any ditch and bank features. This therefore includes all species that may be affected by road verge management.

Many verges are unenclosed – especially in upland areas of Wales, England and Scotland – and in these cases we have taken a pragmatic view an included species likely to be found within 3m of the road edge.

In the list, we have indicated on which types of verge each species can generally be found growing. This is again not comprehensive and neither is it exclusive: many species grow on many different types of verge. The categories for where plants are generally found growing are as follows:

3Our floral verges

Dry verges – either grassy or heathy in nature, including calcareous, neutral and acidic soils

Damp verges – either grassy or heathy in nature, including calcareous, neutral and acidic soils

Disturbed verges – regularly or occasionally disturbed soils, often supporting cornfield annuals.

Wooded verge – verges in all wooded and shaded habitats, including sunken lanes and banks shaded by trees.

Salted verges – halophytes (salt-tolerant plants) spreading on roads salted in winter.

Ditches – emergent vegetation growing in drainage ditches, but not submerged or totally aquatic species.

Hedgerow – found growing in and around hedgerows of all types, including woody hedgerow species.

4Our floral verges

We asked the question: which plants grow on our verges? The answer is unexpectedly high.

The breakdown by verge habitat as follows (note that species often occur in more than one category, so the percentage doesn’t add up to 100%):

Verge habitat Number of species % of all species

Grassy verges 579 36.3

Disturbed verges 86 5.4

Wooded verges 187 11.7

Salted verges 17 1.1

Total verge species 724 45.4

Ditches 51 3.6

Hedgerows 290 18.2

Total roadside species 809 50.7

Of the 1,596 species we looked at 724 or 45.3% grow on verge habitats.

If we add in hedgerow and ditch habitats, the total rises to 809 species or over 50.7% of our flora.

This is an astonishing total. As well as highlighting the sheer diversity of our verges and roadsides, it really drives home their value for wildlife.

How many plants grow on our verges?

Latin name Common Name GB Threat Category Verge habitat type(s)

Adder's-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum Dry, HedgerowAgrimony Agrimonia eupatoria DryAlder Alnus glutinosa Wooded, HedgerowAlder Buckthorn Frangula alnus Wooded, HedgerowAlexanders Smyrnium olusatrum Damp, HedgerowAlmond Willow Salix triandra HedgerowAlpine Clubmoss Diphasiastrum alpinum DryAngular Solomon's-seal Polygonatum odoratum WoodedAnnual Meadow-grass Poa annua Dry, DisturbedAnnual Pearlwort Sagina apetala DryArctic Eyebright Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis DD DampAsh Fraxinus excelsior Wooded, HedgerowAutumn Gentian Gentianella amarella DryAutumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis Dry, DampAutumn Lady's-tresses Spiranthes spiralis NT DryBalm-leaved Figwort Scrophularia scorodonia Dry, HedgerowBarberry Berberis vulgaris HedgerowBarren Brome Anisantha sterilis DisturbedBarren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis Wooded, HedgerowBasil Thyme Clinopodium acinos VU DryBastard Balm Melittis melissophyllum VU Wooded, HedgerowBastard-toadflax Thesium humifusum DryBay Willow Salix pentandra Wooded, HedgerowBearded Couch Elymus caninus Dry, Wooded, HedgerowBedstraw Broomrape Orobanche caryophyllacea NT DryBee Orchid Ophrys apifera DryBeech Fagus sylvatica Wooded, HedgerowBell Heather Erica cinerea DryBetony Betonica officinalis DryBifid Hemp-nettle Galeopsis bifida Dry, Damp, Disturbed, HedgerowBilberry Vaccinium myrtillus DryBird Cherry Prunus padus WoodedBird's-eye Primrose Primula farinosa VU DampBird's-nest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis NT Wooded, HedgerowBithynian Vetch Vicia bithynica VU HedgerowBiting Stonecrop Sedum acre DryBitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius Dry, HedgerowBittersweet Solanum dulcamara Damp, Wooded, HedgerowBlack Bog-rush Schoenus nigricans DampBlack Bryony Tamus communis HedgerowBlack Horehound Ballota nigra Dry, HedgerowBlack Medick Medicago lupulina DryBlack Mustard Brassica nigra DisturbedBlack Spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Wooded, Hedgerow

5Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Black-bindweed Fallopia convolvulus Dry, DisturbedBlackthorn Prunus spinosa Wooded, HedgerowBladder Campion Silene vulgaris DryBladderseed Physospermum cornubiense Wooded, HedgerowBlinks Montia fontana DampBloody Crane's-bill Geranium sanguineum DryBlue Fescue Festuca longifolia DryBlue Fleabane Erigeron acris DryBlue Water-Speedwell Veronica anagallis-aquatica Damp, Ditch Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowBlunt-flowered Rush Juncus subnodulosus DitchBog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum DampBog Pimpernel Anagallis tenella DampBog Stitchwort Stellaria alsine DitchBog-myrtle Myrica gale DampBoreau's Ramping-fumitory Fumaria muralis subsp. boraei HedgerowBorrer's Male-fern Dryopteris borreri Damp, Wooded, HedgerowBorrer's Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia fasciculata VU SaltedBracken Pteridium aquilinum Dry, Wooded, HedgerowBramble Rubus fruticosus agg. Dry, Wooded, HedgerowBristly Oxtongue Helminthotheca echioides DryBristly Oxtongue Picris echioides DryBroad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata Damp, Wooded, HedgerowBroad-leaved Cottongrass Eriophorum latifolium DitchBroad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius Dry, Damp, Disturbed, Wooded,

HedgerowBroad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine Dry, WoodedBroad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum Dry, HedgerowBrooklime Veronica beccabunga Damp, DitchBroom Cytisus scoparius DryBuck's-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus SaltedBuckthorn Rhamnus cathartica HedgerowBugle Ajuga reptans Wooded, HedgerowBugloss Anchusa arvensis DryBulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus DryBulbous Celandine Ficaria verna subsp. verna Damp, Wooded, HedgerowBulbous Meadow-grass Poa bulbosa DryBulbous Rush Juncus bulbosus DampBulrush Typha latifolia DitchBur Chervil Anthriscus caucalis DryBur Medick Medicago minima VU DryBurnet Rose Rosa spinosissima HedgerowBurnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga DryBurnt Orchid Neotinea ustulata EN DryBush Vetch Vicia sepium Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowButcher's-broom Ruscus aculeatus Hedgerow

6Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Butterbur Petasites hybridus DampCaper Spurge Euphorbia lathyris DryCarline Thistle Carlina vulgaris DryCarnation Sedge Carex panicea DampCat-mint Nepeta cataria VU Dry, HedgerowCat's-ear Hypochaeris radicata DryCelandine Ficaria verna Damp, Wooded, HedgerowChalk Milkwort Polygala calcarea DryChanging Forget-me-not Myosotis discolor Dry, DisturbedCharlock Sinapis arvensis Dry, DisturbedChewing's Fescue Festuca rubra subsp. commutata DryChicory Cichorium intybus DryChives Allium schoenoprasum DryCleavers Galium aparine DisturbedClustered Bellflower Campanula glomerata DryClustered Dock Rumex conglomeratus Damp, HedgerowCock's-foot Dactylis glomerata DryColt's-foot Tussilago farfara Dry, Damp, Disturbed, HedgerowColumbine Aquilegia vulgaris Wooded, HedgerowCommon Bent Agrostis capillaris Dry, Damp, HedgerowCommon Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus DryCommon Bistort Persicaria bistorta DampCommon Broomrape Orobanche minor DryCommon Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris DampCommon Calamint Clinopodium ascendens Dry, HedgerowCommon Centaury Centaurium erythraea DryCommon Chickweed Stellaria media Dry, DisturbedCommon Comfrey Symphytum officinale Damp, HedgerowCommon Cornsalad Valerianella locusta DryCommon Cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium DitchCommon Couch Elytrigia repens DryCommon Cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense Dry, Wooded, HedgerowCommon Cudweed Filago vulgaris NT DryCommon Dog-violet Viola riviniana Dry, Wooded, HedgerowCommon Duckweed Lemna minor DitchCommon Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa DryCommon Figwort Scrophularia nodosa Damp, Wooded, HedgerowCommon Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica DampCommon Fumitory Fumaria officinalis DisturbedCommon Gromwell Lithospermum officinale DryCommon Hemp-nettle Galeopsis tetrahit Dry, Damp, Disturbed, HedgerowCommon Ivy Hedera helix Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowCommon Knapweed Centaurea nigra DryCommon Mallow Malva sylvestris DryCommon Meadow-rue Thalictrum flavum Damp, DitchCommon Milkwort Polygala vulgaris Dry

7Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum DryCommon Nettle Urtica dioica Dry, Damp, Disturbed, Wooded,

HedgerowCommon Orache Atriplex patula Dry, DisturbedCommon Poppy Papaver rhoeas DisturbedCommon Ragwort Senecio jacobaea Dry, DampCommon Ramping-fumitory Fumaria muralis HedgerowCommon Reed Phragmites australis DitchCommon Restharrow Ononis repens DryCommon Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium DryCommon Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia maritima SaltedCommon Scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis sens.lat. Dry, Damp, Salted, HedgerowCommon Sedge Carex nigra DampCommon Sorrel Rumex acetosa Dry, HedgerowCommon Spike-rush Eleocharis palustris DitchCommon Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii DryCommon Stork's-bill Erodium cicutarium DryCommon Toadflax Linaria vulgaris Dry, HedgerowCommon Valerian Valeriana officinalis Dry, Damp, Ditch, Wooded, HedgerowCommon Vetch Vicia sativa Dry, Damp, HedgerowCommon Whitlowgrass Erophila verna sensu Stace DryCommon Whitlowgrasses Erophila verna sens.lat. DryCommon Wintergreen Pyrola minor Damp, WoodedCommon Yellow-sedge Carex demissa DampCompact Rush Juncus conglomeratus Damp, DitchConfused Eyebright Euphrasia confusa DD DryCopse-bindweed Fallopia dumetorum VU Wooded, HedgerowCoralroot Cardamine bulbifera Wooded, HedgerowCorky-fruited Water-dropwort Oenanthe pimpinelloides DryCorn Marigold Glebionis segetum VU DisturbedCorn Mint Mentha arvensis Dry, DisturbedCorn Parsley Petroselinum segetum DryCorn Spurrey Spergula arvensis VU DisturbedCornflower Centaurea cyanus DisturbedCornish Heath Erica vagans DryCornish Moneywort Sibthorpia europaea Wooded, HedgerowCow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris Dry, Wooded, HedgerowCowslip Primula veris Dry, HedgerowCrab Apple Malus sylvestris sens.lat. HedgerowCrack-willow Salix fragilis HedgerowCreeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera Dry, Damp, HedgerowCreeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens Dry, DampCreeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans DryCreeping Forget-me-not Myosotis secunda DitchCreeping Soft-grass Holcus mollis Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowCreeping Thistle Cirsium arvense Dry, Disturbed

8Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Creeping Willow Salix repens DryCreeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia Damp, Wooded, HedgerowCrested Cow-wheat Melampyrum cristatum EN Dry, Wooded, HedgerowCrested Dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus DryCross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix DampCrosswort Cruciata laevipes Dry, HedgerowCuckooflower Cardamine pratensis Damp, Wooded, HedgerowCurled Dock Rumex crispus Dry, HedgerowCut-leaved Crane's-bill Geranium dissectum Dry, DisturbedCut-leaved Dead-nettle Lamium hybridum DisturbedDaffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus subsp.

pseudonarcissusWooded, Hedgerow

Daisy Bellis perennis DryDandelion Taraxacum Dry, Damp, Disturbed, Wooded,

HedgerowDanish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica SaltedDark Mullein Verbascum nigrum DryDark-red Helleborine Epipactis atrorubens DryDeadly Nightshade Atropa belladonna Dry, Wooded, HedgerowDeptford Pink Dianthus armeria EN DryDevil's-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis Dry, Damp, HedgerowDewberry Rubus caesius HedgerowDog-rose Rosa canina sens.str. Dry, Wooded, HedgerowDog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis Wooded, HedgerowDogwood Cornus sanguinea HedgerowDorset Heath Erica ciliaris DryDove's-foot Crane's-bill Geranium molle Dry, HedgerowDowny Birch Betula pubescens WoodedDowny Oat-grass Avenula pubescens DryDowny Woundwort Stachys germanica EN Dry, Wooded, HedgerowDowny-fruited Sedge Carex filiformis DryDropwort Filipendula vulgaris DryDwarf Cherry Prunus cerasus HedgerowDwarf Elder Sambucus ebulus Dry, HedgerowDwarf Mallow Malva neglecta DryDwarf Mouse-ear Cerastium pumilum NT DryDwarf Thistle Cirsium acaule DryDyer's Greenweed Genista tinctoria DryEarly Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana Dry, Wooded, HedgerowEarly Forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima Dry, DisturbedEarly Hair-grass Aira praecox Dry, HedgerowEarly Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata DampEarly Meadow-grass Poa infirma DryEarly-purple Orchid Orchis mascula DryElder Sambucus nigra Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowElecampane Inula helenium Dry

9Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Enchanter's-nightshade Circaea lutetiana Wooded, HedgerowEnglish Elm Ulmus procera HedgerowEnglish Stonecrop Sedum anglicum DryEqual-leaved Knotgrass Polygonum arenastrum Dry, DisturbedEyebright Euphrasia officinalis agg. Dry, DampFairy Flax Linum catharticum DryFalse Fox-sedge Carex otrubae Damp, HedgerowFalse Oat-grass Arrhenatherum elatius DryFalse-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum Dry, Wooded, HedgerowFat Duckweed Lemna gibba DitchFat-hen Chenopodium album DisturbedFen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum DampFen Ragwort Senecio paludosus CR Damp, DitchFennel Foeniculum vulgare DryFeverfew Tanacetum parthenium Dry, DisturbedFiddle Dock Rumex pulcher DryField Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis DisturbedField Cow-wheat Melampyrum arvense EN Dry, HedgerowField Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis DisturbedField Garlic Allium oleraceum VU DryField Gentian Gentianella campestris VU DryField Horsetail Equisetum arvense Dry, Damp, HedgerowField Madder Sherardia arvensis DisturbedField Maple Acer campestre Wooded, HedgerowField Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense DryField Penny-cress Thlaspi arvense Dry, DisturbedField Scabious Knautia arvensis DryField Wood-rush Luzula campestris DryField Wormwood Artemisia campestris VU DryField Woundwort Stachys arvensis NT Dry, DisturbedField-rose Rosa arvensis Dry, Wooded, HedgerowFine-leaved Sheep's-fescue Festuca filiformis DryFir Clubmoss Huperzia selago DryFloating Club-rush Eleogiton fluitans DitchFloating Sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans DitchFlowering-rush Butomus umbellatus DitchFly Orchid Ophrys insectifera VU DryFool's Parsley Aethusa cynapium DisturbedFool's-water-cress Apium nodiflorum DampFoxglove Digitalis purpurea DryFragrant Agrimony Agrimonia procera DryFragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea DryFrench Oat-grass Gaudinia fragilis Dry, DampFringed Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis DryFrog Orchid Coeloglossum viride VU Dry

10Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae VU DitchGarlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata Dry, Wooded, HedgerowGermander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowGiant Bellflower Campanula latifolia Dry, Wooded, HedgerowGiant Fescue Schedonorus giganteus Wooded, HedgerowGlabrous Whitlowgrass Erophila glabrescens DryGlaucous Dog-rose Rosa caesia subsp. vosagiaca Dry, Wooded, HedgerowGlaucous Sedge Carex flacca Dry, DampGoat Willow Salix caprea HedgerowGoat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis Dry, HedgerowGoldenrod Solidago virgaurea HedgerowGoldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowGood-King-Henry Chenopodium bonus-henricus VU DryGorse Ulex europaeus Dry, HedgerowGrape-hyacinth Muscari neglectum VU DryGrass Vetchling Lathyrus nissolia DryGrass-leaved Orache Atriplex littoralis SaltedGrass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris DampGreat Burnet Sanguisorba officinalis DampGreat Horsetail Equisetum telmateia Damp, Ditch, HedgerowGreat Lettuce Lactuca virosa DryGreat Mullein Verbascum thapsus Dry, HedgerowGreat Pignut Bunium bulbocastanum DryGreat Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum Damp, HedgerowGreat Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica Wooded, HedgerowGreater Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus pedunculatus DampGreater Broomrape Orobanche rapum-genistae NT HedgerowGreater Burdock Arctium lappa Dry, HedgerowGreater Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella major DryGreater Butterfly-orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT Dry, WoodedGreater Celandine Chelidonium majus DryGreater Chickweed Stellaria neglecta Damp, Wooded, HedgerowGreater Dodder Cuscuta europaea DryGreater Duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza DitchGreater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa DryGreater Plantain Plantago major DryGreater Sea-spurrey Spergularia media SaltedGreater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea Dry, Wooded, HedgerowGreen Field-speedwell Veronica agrestis DisturbedGreen Figwort Scrophularia umbrosa Damp, WoodedGreen Hellebore Helleborus viridis Wooded, HedgerowGreen-flowered Helleborine Epipactis phyllanthes Wooded, HedgerowGreen-ribbed Sedge Carex binervis DryGreen-winged Orchid Anacamptis morio NT DryGrey Sedge Carex divulsa subsp. divulsa Dry, Hedgerow

11Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowGround-ivy Glechoma hederacea Dry, Wooded, HedgerowGroundsel Senecio vulgaris DisturbedGuelder-rose Viburnum opulus Wooded, HedgerowGypsywort Lycopus europaeus DitchHairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus subbiflorus DryHairy Bitter-cress Cardamine hirsuta Disturbed, WoodedHairy Buttercup Ranunculus sardous DampHairy Dog-rose Rosa caesia subsp. caesia Dry, Wooded, HedgerowHairy Lady's-mantle Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita DryHairy Rock-cress Arabis hirsuta DryHairy Sedge Carex hirta Dry, Damp, HedgerowHairy St John's-wort Hypericum hirsutum Dry, HedgerowHairy Tare Vicia hirsuta Dry, HedgerowHairy Violet Viola hirta Dry, Wooded, HedgerowHairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa Damp, Wooded, HedgerowHairy-brome Bromopsis ramosa HedgerowHard Rush Juncus inflexus Damp, DitchHard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum Wooded, HedgerowHard-fern Blechnum spicant Wooded, HedgerowHare's-foot Clover Trifolium arvense DryHarebell Campanula rotundifolia DryHarsh Downy-rose Rosa tomentosa HedgerowHart's-tongue Asplenium scolopendrium Wooded, HedgerowHawkweeds Hieracium agg DryHawthorn Crataegus monogyna HedgerowHazel Corylus avellana Wooded, HedgerowHeath Bedstraw Galium saxatile DryHeath Fragrant-orchid Gymnadenia borealis DryHeath Milkwort Polygala serpyllifolia DryHeath Pearlwort Sagina subulata DryHeath Rush Juncus squarrosus DampHeath Speedwell Veronica officinalis Dry, Wooded, HedgerowHeath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata Dry, DampHeath Wood-rush Luzula multiflora DryHeath-grass Danthonia decumbens DryHeather Calluna vulgaris DryHedge Bedstraw Galium album Dry, HedgerowHedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium Wooded, HedgerowHedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale Dry, Disturbed, HedgerowHedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica Dry, Wooded, HedgerowHemlock Conium maculatum DryHemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata Damp, DitchHemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowHenbane Hyoscyamus niger VU Dry, DisturbedHenbit Dead-nettle Lamium amplexicaule Disturbed

12Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum Dry, Wooded, HedgerowHoary Cinquefoil Potentilla argentea NT DryHoary Mullein Verbascum pulverulentum Dry, HedgerowHoary Plantain Plantago media DryHoary Ragwort Senecio erucifolius DryHoary Willowherb Epilobium parviflorum DampHog's Fennel Peucedanum officinale DampHogweed Heracleum sphondylium Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowHolly Ilex aquifolium Wooded, HedgerowHoneysuckle Lonicera periclymenum Wooded, HedgerowHop Humulus lupulus HedgerowHop Trefoil Trifolium campestre DryHornbeam Carpinus betulus WoodedHorse-radish Armoracia rusticana DryHorseshoe Vetch Hippocrepis comosa DryImperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum Dry, DampIntermediate Lady's-mantle Alchemilla xanthochlora DryIntermediate Polypody Polypodium interjectum Wooded, HedgerowIsle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis subsp. monensis HedgerowItalian Lords-and-Ladies Arum italicum subsp. neglectum Wooded, HedgerowIvy Broomrape Orobanche hederae HedgerowIvy-leaved Crowfoot Ranunculus hederaceus DitchIvy-leaved Duckweed Lemna trisulca DitchIvy-leaved Speedwell Veronica hederifolia Dry, Disturbed, HedgerowJointed Rush Juncus articulatus DitchJuniper Juniperus communis DryKeeled-fruited Cornsalad Valerianella carinata DryKidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria DryKnapweed Broomrape Orobanche elatior DryKnotgrass Polygonum aviculare Dry, DisturbedKnotgrasses Polygonum aviculare agg. Dry, DisturbedKnotted Clover Trifolium striatum DryLady-fern Athyrium filix-femina Wooded, HedgerowLady's Bedstraw Galium verum DryLanceolate Spleenwort Asplenium obovatum NT HedgerowLarge Bitter-cress Cardamine amara Wooded, HedgerowLarge Garden Thymus pulegioides DryLesser Burdock Arctium minus Dry, HedgerowLesser Butterfly-orchid Platanthera bifolia VU Dry, DampLesser Calamint Clinopodium calamintha DryLesser Celandine Ficaria verna subsp. fertilis Damp, Wooded, HedgerowLesser Chickweed Stellaria pallida DryLesser Hairy-brome Bromopsis benekenii Wooded, HedgerowLesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis DryLesser Meadow-rue Thalictrum minus Dry

13Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Lesser Periwinkle Vinca minor Dry, Wooded, HedgerowLesser Quaking-grass Briza minor DisturbedLesser Sea-spurrey Spergularia marina SaltedLesser Skullcap Scutellaria minor DampLesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula DitchLesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea Dry, Wooded, HedgerowLesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium Dry, Damp, HedgerowLily-of-the-valley Convallaria majalis Wooded, HedgerowLittle Mouse-ear Cerastium semidecandrum DryLittle-Robin Geranium purpureum Dry, HedgerowLizard Orchid Himantoglossum hircinum DryLong-headed Poppy Papaver dubium DisturbedLong-stalked Crane's-bill Geranium columbinum HedgerowLoose Silky-bent Apera spica-venti NT DisturbedLords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum Wooded, HedgerowLousewort Pedicularis sylvatica DampMaiden Pink Dianthus deltoides NT DryMaidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes Wooded, HedgerowMale-fern Dryopteris filix-mas Damp, Wooded, HedgerowMan Orchid Orchis anthropophora EN DryMany-leaved Sedge Carex divulsa subsp. leersii Dry, HedgerowMarsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre Damp, DitchMarsh Cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum DampMarsh Foxtail Alopecurus geniculatus DampMarsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa DampMarsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre Damp, Ditch, HedgerowMarsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris DampMarsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris HedgerowMarsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus DitchMarsh Sow-thistle Sonchus palustris DampMarsh Thistle Cirsium palustre DampMarsh Valerian Valeriana dioica DampMarsh Violet Viola palustris DampMarsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre Damp, DitchMarsh Woundwort Stachys palustris DampMarsh-bedstraw Galium palustre DampMarsh-marigold Caltha palustris DampMartin's Ramping-fumitory Fumaria reuteri HedgerowMasterwort Imperatoria ostruthium NT DampMeadow Barley Hordeum secalinum DampMeadow Brome Bromus commutatus DampMeadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris DryMeadow Clary Salvia pratensis NT DryMeadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense Dry, DampMeadow Fescue Schedonorus pratensis Dry, Damp

14Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Meadow Foxtail Alopecurus pratensis Dry, DampMeadow Oat-grass Avenula pratensis DryMeadow Saffron Colchicum autumnale NT DampMeadow Saxifrage Saxifraga granulata DryMeadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis Dry, HedgerowMeadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria Damp, HedgerowMelancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum DampMidland Hawthorn Crataegus laevigata HedgerowMonk's-rhubarb Rumex alpinus NT DryMoon Carrot Seseli libanotis NT DryMoonwort Botrychium lunaria DryMoschatel Adoxa moschatellina Wooded, HedgerowMountain Everlasting Antennaria dioica DryMountain Melick Melica nutans Wooded, HedgerowMountain Pansy Viola lutea DryMouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum DryMousetail Myosurus minimus VU DisturbedMugwort Artemisia vulgaris DryMusk Orchid Herminium monorchis VU DryMusk Stork's-bill Erodium moschatum DryMusk Thistle Carduus nutans Dry, DisturbedMusk-mallow Malva moschata DryNarrow Male-fern Dryopteris cambrensis Damp, Wooded, HedgerowNarrow-fruited Water-cress Nasturtium microphyllum DitchNarrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus tenuis DampNarrow-leaved Bitter-cress Cardamine impatiens NT DampNarrow-leaved Cudweed Filago gallica EW DryNarrow-leaved Everlasting-pea Lathyrus sylvestris HedgerowNarrow-leaved Helleborine Cephalanthera longifolia VU WoodedNarrow-leaved Lungwort Pulmonaria longifolia Wooded, HedgerowNarrow-leaved Pepperwort Lepidium ruderale SaltedNarrow-lipped Helleborine Epipactis leptochila DD Wooded, HedgerowNavelwort Umbilicus rupestris Dry, Wooded, HedgerowNettle-leaved Bellflower Campanula trachelium Dry, Wooded, HedgerowNipplewort Lapsana communis Dry, Disturbed, Wooded, HedgerowNodding Bur-marigold Bidens cernua DitchNorthern Bedstraw Galium boreale DampNorthern Dock Rumex longifolius Dry, DisturbedNorthern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella DampNottingham Catchfly Silene nutans NT DryOpium Poppy Papaver somniferum DisturbedOpposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage

Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Damp, Wooded, Hedgerow

Orpine Sedum telephium Dry, HedgerowOsier Salix viminalis HedgerowOval Sedge Carex leporina DryOxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare Dry

15Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Oxlip Primula elatior NT Wooded, HedgerowPale Dog-violet Viola lactea VU DryPale Flax Linum bienne DryPale Persicaria Persicaria lapathifolia DisturbedPale St John's-wort Hypericum montanum NT HedgerowPale Toadflax Linaria repens DryPale Willowherb Epilobium roseum DryParsley-piert Aphanes arvensis Dry, DisturbedPear Pyrus communis sens.lat. Wooded, HedgerowPedunculate Oak Quercus robur Wooded, HedgerowPendulous Sedge Carex pendula Ditch, HedgerowPepper-saxifrage Silaum silaus DampPerennial Flax Linum perenne DryPerennial Rye-grass Lolium perenne DryPerennial Sow-thistle Sonchus arvensis Dry, Damp, HedgerowPerennial Wall-rocket Diplotaxis tenuifolia DryPerforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum Dry, HedgerowPetty Spurge Euphorbia peplus DisturbedPetty Whin Genista anglica NT DampPignut Conopodium majus DryPill Sedge Carex pilulifera DampPlicate Sweet-grass Glyceria notata DitchPloughman's-spikenard Inula conyzae DryPlymouth Pear Pyrus cordata VU HedgerowPolypodies Polypodium vulgare sens.lat. Wooded, HedgerowPolypody Polypodium vulgare Wooded, HedgerowPrickly Lettuce Lactuca serriola Dry, DisturbedPrickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper Dry, DisturbedPrimrose Primula vulgaris Damp, Wooded, HedgerowProcumbent Pearlwort Sagina procumbens Dry, Damp, DisturbedProliferous Pink Petrorhagia prolifera EN DryProstrate Perennial Knawel Scleranthus perennis subsp.

prostratusEN Dry

Purple Milk-vetch Astragalus danicus EN DryPurple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea DampPurple Ramping-fumitory Fumaria purpurea HedgerowPurple Willow Salix purpurea HedgerowPurple-loosestrife Lythrum salicaria DampPurple-stem Cat's-tail Phleum phleoides DryPyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis DryQuaking-grass Briza media DryRagged-Robin Silene flos-cuculi Damp, DitchRampion Bellflower Campanula rapunculus EN DryRamsons Allium ursinum Wooded, HedgerowRaspberry Rubus idaeus HedgerowRat's-tail Fescue Vulpia myuros Dry

16Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Red Bartsia Odontites vernus DryRed Campion Silene dioica Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowRed Clover Trifolium pratense Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowRed Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum Dry, DisturbedRed Fescues Festuca rubra agg. DryRedshank Persicaria maculosa Dry, DisturbedReed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea DampReed Sweet-grass Glyceria maxima DitchReflexed Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia distans SaltedRibwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata DryRock Samphire Crithmum maritimum DryRosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium DryRough Chervil Chaerophyllum temulum DryRough Hawk's-beard Crepis biennis DryRough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus DryRough Meadow-grass Poa trivialis DryRound-headed Rampion Phyteuma orbiculare DryRound-leaved Crane's-bill Geranium rotundifolium Dry, HedgerowRound-leaved Dog-rose Rosa obtusifolia Dry, Wooded, HedgerowRound-leaved Mint Mentha suaveolens DD DryRound-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia DampRound-leaved Wintergreen Pyrola rotundifolia subsp.

rotundifoliaNT Damp, Wooded

Rowan Sorbus aucuparia Wooded, HedgerowRoyal Fern Osmunda regalis Damp, HedgerowRue-leaved Saxifrage Saxifraga tridactylites DryRusty Willow Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia HedgerowSainfoin Onobrychis viciifolia VU DrySalad Burnet Poterium sanguisorba subsp.

sanguisorbaDry

Sand Catchfly Silene conica VU Dry, DisturbedSand Leek Allium scorodoprasum DrySand Sedge Carex arenaria DrySanicle Sanicula europaea Wooded, HedgerowSaw-wort Serratula tinctoria DryScaly Male-fern Dryopteris affinis Damp, Wooded, HedgerowScarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis DisturbedScented Mayweed Matricaria chamomilla DisturbedScentless Mayweed Tripleurospermum inodorum Dry, DisturbedSea Barley Hordeum marinum VU SaltedSea Carrot Daucus carota subsp. gummifer DrySea Fern-grass Catapodium marinum SaltedSea Mayweed Tripleurospermum maritimum Dry, SaltedSea Mouse-ear Cerastium diffusum DrySea Pearlwort Sagina maritima DrySea Plantain Plantago maritima Salted

17Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Sea Stork's-bill Erodium maritimum DrySelfheal Prunella vulgaris Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowSessile Oak Quercus petraea Wooded, HedgerowSharp-flowered Rush Juncus acutiflorus Damp, DitchSheep's Sorrel Rumex acetosella DrySheep's-bit Jasione montana Dry, HedgerowSheep's-fescue Festuca ovina DrySheep's-fescues Festuca ovina agg. DryShepherd's Cress Teesdalia nudicaulis NT DryShepherd's-needle Scandix pecten-veneris CR DisturbedShepherd's-purse Capsella bursa-pastoris DisturbedSherard's Downy-rose Rosa sherardii Dry, Wooded, HedgerowShining Crane's-bill Geranium lucidum Dry, HedgerowShining Lady's-mantle Alchemilla micans EN DryShort-styled Field-rose Rosa stylosa HedgerowSickle Medick Medicago sativa subsp. falcata DrySilky Lady's-mantle Alchemilla glaucescens DrySilver Birch Betula pendula WoodedSilver Hair-grass Aira caryophyllea Dry, HedgerowSilverweed Potentilla anserina DrySkullcap Scutellaria galericulata DampSlender Eyebright Euphrasia micrantha DD DampSlender Hare's-ear Bupleurum tenuissimum VU DrySlender Parsley-piert Aphanes australis Dry, DisturbedSlender St John's-wort Hypericum pulchrum Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowSlender Tare Vicia parviflora VU DampSlender Thistle Carduus tenuiflorus DrySlender Trefoil Trifolium micranthum DrySmall Fleabane Pulicaria vulgaris EN DampSmall Nettle Urtica urens Dry, DisturbedSmall Scabious Scabiosa columbaria DrySmall Sweet-grass Glyceria declinata DitchSmall Teasel Dipsacus pilosus HedgerowSmall-flowered Crane's-bill Geranium pusillum DrySmall-flowered Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa subsp.

parvifloraWooded

Small-flowered Sweet-briar Rosa micrantha Wooded, HedgerowSmall-fruited Prickly-sedge Carex muricata subsp. pairae DrySmall-leaved Elm Ulmus minor sensu Stace Wooded, HedgerowSmaller Cat's-tail Phleum bertolonii DrySmooth Brome Bromus racemosus DampSmooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris DrySmooth Lady's-mantle Alchemilla glabra DrySmooth Meadow-grass Poa pratensis sens.lat. DrySmooth Meadow-grass Poa pratensis sens.str. DrySmooth Rupturewort Herniaria glabra Dry

18Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Smooth Sow-thistle Sonchus oleraceus Dry, DisturbedSmooth Tare Vicia tetrasperma Dry, Wooded, HedgerowSneezewort Achillea ptarmica DampSoapwort Saponaria officinalis Dry, Damp, HedgerowSoft Brome Bromus hordeaceus Dry, DisturbedSoft Downy-rose Rosa mollis Dry, Wooded, HedgerowSoft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum Wooded, HedgerowSoft-leaved Sedge Carex montana DrySoft-rush Juncus effusus Damp, DitchSolomon's-seal Polygonatum multiflorum Wooded, HedgerowSouthern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa DampSouthern Wood-rush Luzula forsteri Damp, Wooded, HedgerowSpanish Catchfly Silene otites EN DrySpear Mint Mentha spicata DrySpear Thistle Cirsium vulgare Dry, DisturbedSpear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata Disturbed, SaltedSpear-leaved Willowherb Epilobium lanceolatum DrySpignel Meum athamanticum NT DrySpiked Rampion Phyteuma spicatum EN Damp, WoodedSpiked Sedge Carex spicata Damp, Wooded, HedgerowSpiked Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum pyrenaicum Dry, Wooded, HedgerowSpiny Restharrow Ononis spinosa DrySpotted Cat's-ear Hypochaeris maculata NT DrySpotted Medick Medicago arabica DrySpreading Bellflower Campanula patula EN Dry, Wooded, HedgerowSpreading Meadow-grass Poa humilis DrySpring Cinquefoil Potentilla tabernaemontani DrySpring Squill Scilla verna DrySpring Vetch Vicia lathyroides DrySpring-sedge Carex caryophyllea DrySpurge-laurel Daphne laureola Wooded, HedgerowSquare-stalked St John's-wort Hypericum tetrapterum DampSquare-stalked Willowherb Epilobium tetragonum Dry, DampSquinancywort Asperula cynanchica DrySquirreltail Fescue Vulpia bromoides DryStag's-horn Clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum DryStar Sedge Carex echinata DampStarry Lady's-mantle Alchemilla acutiloba VU DryStarved Wood-sedge Carex depauperata EN WoodedSticky Mouse-ear Cerastium glomeratum DryStiff Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia rupestris SaltedStinking Iris Iris foetidissima Wooded, HedgerowStone Parsley Sison amomum Dry, HedgerowStrawberry Clover Trifolium fragiferum DrySulphur Clover Trifolium ochroleucon VU Dry, HedgerowSummer Snowflake Leucojum aestivum Dry, Damp

19Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Sun Spurge Euphorbia helioscopia DisturbedSweet Chestnut Castanea sativa WoodedSweet Vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum DrySweet Violet Viola odorata Dry, Wooded, HedgerowSweet-briar Rosa rubiginosa HedgerowSwine-cress Lepidium squamatum DryTall Fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus Dry, DampTall Melilot Melilotus altissimus Dry, DisturbedTall Ramping-fumitory Fumaria bastardii HedgerowTansy Tanacetum vulgare DryThale Cress Arabidopsis thaliana DisturbedThistle Broomrape Orobanche reticulata NT DryThree-nerved Sandwort Moehringia trinervia Wooded, HedgerowThrift Armeria maritima Dry, SaltedThyme-leaved Sandwort Arenaria serpyllifolia DryThyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowTimothy Phleum pratense DryTimothy Phleum pratense sens.lat. DryToadflax-leaved St John's-wort Hypericum linariifolium NT DryToothwort Lathraea squamaria HedgerowTormentil Potentilla erecta DryTower Mustard Turritis glabra EN DryTrailing St John's-wort Hypericum humifusum DryTrailing Tormentil Potentilla anglica DryTraveller's-joy Clematis vitalba Wooded, HedgerowTreacle-mustard Erysimum cheiranthoides DryTrifid Bur-marigold Bidens tripartita DitchTrue Fox-sedge Carex vulpina VU DampTufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa subsp.

cespitosaDry

Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca Dry, Wooded, HedgerowTurnip Brassica rapa DisturbedTutsan Hypericum androsaemum Wooded, HedgerowTwayblade Neottia ovata Dry, Wooded, HedgerowUpright Brome Bromopsis erecta Dry, HedgerowUpright Hedge-parsley Torilis japonica Dry, Wooded, HedgerowVelvet Lady's-mantle Alchemilla monticola EN DryVervain Verbena officinalis DryViolet Helleborine Epipactis purpurata Wooded, HedgerowViper's-bugloss Echium vulgare Dry, DisturbedWall Barley Hordeum murinum Dry, DisturbedWall Lettuce Mycelis muralis Wooded, HedgerowWall Speedwell Veronica arvensis DisturbedWall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria HedgerowWater Avens Geum rivale DampWater Figwort Scrophularia auriculata Ditch

20Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides DitchWater Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Ditch, HedgerowWater Mint Mentha aquatica DampWater-cress Nasturtium officinale DitchWater-cresses Nasturtium officinale agg. DitchWater-violet Hottonia palustris DitchWavy Bitter-cress Cardamine flexuosa Disturbed, WoodedWavy Hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa DryWayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana HedgerowWeld Reseda luteola DryWelsh Groundsel Senecio cambrensis NT Dry, DisturbedWelsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica HedgerowWelted Thistle Carduus crispus Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowWestern Gorse Ulex gallii Dry, HedgerowWestern Ramping-fumitory Fumaria occidentalis Dry, HedgerowWhite Bryony Bryonia dioica Wooded, HedgerowWhite Campion Silene latifolia Dry, HedgerowWhite Clover Trifolium repens Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowWhite Dead-nettle Lamium album Dry, HedgerowWhite Helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium VU WoodedWhite Mullein Verbascum lychnitis DryWhite Mustard Sinapis alba Dry, DisturbedWhite Ramping-fumitory Fumaria capreolata HedgerowWhite Stonecrop Sedum album DryWhite Willow Salix alba HedgerowWild Angelica Angelica sylvestris Damp, WoodedWild Basil Clinopodium vulgare DryWild Cabbage Brassica oleracea DisturbedWild Carrot Daucus carota subsp. carota DryWild Cherry Prunus avium WoodedWild Clary Salvia verbenaca DryWild Leek Allium ampeloprasum DryWild Liquorice Astragalus glycyphyllos Dry, WoodedWild Madder Rubia peregrina HedgerowWild Marjoram Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare Dry, HedgerowWild Mignonette Reseda lutea DryWild Onion Allium vineale DryWild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa DryWild Plum Prunus domestica Wooded, HedgerowWild Privet Ligustrum vulgare HedgerowWild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum subsp.

raphanistrumDry

Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca Dry, HedgerowWild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum sens.lat. DryWild Thyme Thymus polytrichus DryWild-oat Avena fatua Disturbed

21Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Winter-cress Barbarea vulgaris Damp, Disturbed, Wooded, HedgerowWood Anemone Anemone nemorosa Wooded, HedgerowWood Avens Geum urbanum Dry, Wooded, HedgerowWood Barley Hordelymus europaeus HedgerowWood Bitter-vetch Vicia orobus NT Dry, HedgerowWood Calamint Clinopodium menthifolium VU WoodedWood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum DryWood Dock Rumex sanguineus Dry, Disturbed, Wooded, HedgerowWood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica Dry, Wooded, HedgerowWood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum DampWood Meadow-grass Poa nemoralis Wooded, HedgerowWood Melick Melica uniflora Wooded, HedgerowWood Millet Milium effusum WoodedWood Sage Teucrium scorodonia Dry, Wooded, HedgerowWood Small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos DampWood Speedwell Veronica montana Wooded, HedgerowWood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides Wooded, HedgerowWood Stitchwort Stellaria nemorum Damp, HedgerowWood Vetch Vicia sylvatica Wooded, HedgerowWood-sedge Carex sylvatica Wooded, HedgerowWood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella Wooded, HedgerowWoodruff Galium odoratum Wooded, HedgerowWoolly Thistle Cirsium eriophorum DryWormwood Artemisia absinthium DryWych Elm Ulmus glabra Wooded, Hedgerow

Yarrow Achillea millefolium DryYarrow Broomrape Orobanche purpurea VU DryYellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp.

montanumWooded, Hedgerow

Yellow Bird's-nest Hypopitys monotropa EN Wooded, HedgerowYellow Iris Iris pseudacorus Damp, DitchYellow Loosestrife Lysimachia vulgaris DitchYellow Oat-grass Trisetum flavescens DryYellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum Wooded, HedgerowYellow Star-of-Bethlehem Gagea lutea Wooded, HedgerowYellow Vetchling Lathyrus aphaca VU DryYellow-juiced Poppy Papaver lecoqii DisturbedYellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DryYellow-vetch Vicia lutea NT DryYellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata DryYew Taxus baccata Wooded, HedgerowYork Groundsel Senecio eboracensis EW DryYorkshire-fog Holcus lanatus Dry, Damp, Wooded, HedgerowZigzag Clover Trifolium medium Dry, Damp, Hedgerow

22Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

The story of loss and destruction of road verge plants is a long one. In 1641 a roadside in West Kent was widened, destroying the first colony of lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) ever recorded in Great Britain.

Threatened road verge plants

1 http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/pub05_speciesstatusvpredlist3_web.pdf, with updates

Of the 724 species that grow on our verges, 91 (12.6%) are either threatened or near threatened (data from The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain1). If we include ditches and hedgerows the figure rises to 97 out of 809 (12%).

A few rare species, such as Welsh groundsel (Senecio cambrensis), have long been restricted to just a handful of roadside sites.

But for many other more widespread but declining plants, roadside verges are becoming increasingly important as their last refuge. Threatened species such as sulphur clover (Trifolium ochroleucon), crested cow-wheat (Melampyrum cristatum) and wood bitter-vetch (Vicia orobus) were once more frequently found in meadows, pastures and woodlands. As the management of these habitats has changed over the past 60 years, they’ve become increasingly confined to roadside verges.

Proper management of verges is critical if these species are to

avoid extinction

Management of verges is therefore critical if these species are to avoid extinction.

23Our floral verges

Common Name Latin name % on verges

% of what...

GB threat category Comments

Fen ragwort Senecio paludosus 100 sites CR Only site is a road-side ditch, which is part of a Road Verge Nature Reserve

Wood calamint Clinopodium menthifolium

100 sites VU In and around two laybys along a single-track road

Welsh groundsel Senecio cambrensis 79 sites NT On disturbed verges, pavements and walls

Sulphur clover Trifolium ochroleucon 68 sites VU More sites on grassy verges than meadows

Crested cow-wheat Melampyrum cristatum 51 records EN Sites on shaded/wooded road verges and hedgerows

Wood bitter-vetch Vicia orobus 48 sites NT Sites on grassy verges and steep roadside banks

Tower mustard Turritis glabra 47 sites EN Sites on disturbed grassy and scrubby verges on limestone

Lesser calamint Clinopodium calamintha

44 sites VU On open, grassy verges.

Spiked rampion Phyteuma spicatum 42 sites EN On damp, shaded hedgerows and road verges beside woodland

Bath asparagus Ornithogalum pyrenaicum

31 records LC In hedgebanks and along shaded lane sides and roadside banks

Yarrow broomrape Orobanche purpurea 27 sites VU In a variety of open grassy verges

Velvet lady’s-mantle Alchemilla monticola 26 records EN In species-rich communities of plants on limestone verges and banks

Shining lady’s-mantle

Alchemilla micans 22 sites EN In species-rich communities of plants on limestone verges and banks

Starry lady’s-mantle Alchemilla acutiloba 21 records VU In species-rich communities of plants on limestone verges and banks

Purple-stem cat’s-tail

Phleum phleoides 20 sites LC On well-drained sandy and chalky soil with open vegetation

Man orchid Orchis anthropophora 18 sites EN In species-rich communities of plants on chalk and limestone verges and banks

Grape-hyacinth Muscari neglectum 17 records VU On well-drained sandy and chalky soil with open vegetation

Lizard orchid Himantoglossum hircinum

17 records NT On calcareous verges with sometimes quite unremarkable vegetation

Spanish catchfly Silene otites 10 records EN On well-drained sandy and chalky soil with open vegetation

Meadow clary Salvia pratensis 4 records NT In species-rich communities of plants on chalk and limestone verges and banks

We’ve looked at the occurrence of some threatened and restricted species (see table below) to show what proportion of remaining sites are on verges.

24Our floral verges

DD – Data Deficient NT – Near Threatened VU - Vulnerable EN - Endangered CR – Critically Endangered EW – Extinct in the Wild

Spiked rampion (Phyteuma spicatum)

Threat status: Endangered.

An elegant woodland plant, spiked rampion carries its beautiful greenish white flowers on tall stems in April and May. It makes its home in coppiced woodland in Sussex, where its feet can get down into damp, clayey soil and plants can revel in the dappled light.

As recently as 1945 one report described woodland floors in the county ‘carpeted’ with spiked rampion. However, coppicing is rarely practised these days and, as canopies have closed over and woodlands have become overgrown and neglected, it has disappeared from many locations.

Today, it’s restricted to just eight sites, mostly woodlands with a scattering of plants along the edges of paths and rides. But by far the largest population is along several wooded lanes in mid Sussex, where it grows in the road verges and along the hedgerows. Three quarters of spiked rampion plants in Britain grow here, with nearly 150 plants in some years. Surprisingly, despite their importance, these verges receive no special protection.

2

10 Top threatened plantsgrowing on road verges

Here is our Top 10 list of threatened plants growing on road verges

Fen ragwort (Senecio paludosus)

Threat status: Critically Endangered.

This has always been one of Britain’s rarest plants. Fen ragwort is a plant of the wet, lime-rich fens of East Anglia and at one time it grew in scattered locations through Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Drainage of many fenland sites led to its demise, though, and today the final native site is an unprepossessing roadside drainage ditch beside the A142 near Ely in Cambridgeshire.

This ditch is home to just a single plant. Despite its designation as a Road Verge Nature Reserve to afford it some protection, this poor plant is still often buried in plastic cups from a nearby burger van and has survived at least one burning car landing on top of it. In an effort to rescue the species, seed from this plant has been grown and reintroduced to several former fenland sites, and has survived for over 20 years at one of them.

1

25Our floral verges

Crested cow-wheat (Melampyrum cristatum)

Threat status: Endangered.

A remarkable semi-parasitic plant whose roots tap into those of plants growing around it to steal nutrients and water. It grows in the warm, dappled sunlight of woodland rides, woodland edges and hedgebanks in eastern England. However, since we no longer manage our woodlands traditionally for timber, canopies have closed over and populations have been lost.

Crested cow-wheat is now extinct in seven counties. Where roads cut through woodland, though, the dappled light is maintained on the verges. Half of all remaining crested cow-wheat populations grow in such situations. Indeed, some of the largest populations are on road verges, such as the 2,735 flowering spikes counted along a 70m stretch of Road Verge Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire. Not all are safe, though. Plants in another Road Verge Nature Reserve in Huntingdonshire were mown down, despite clear labelling of the site as a roadside reserve.

Tower mustard (Turritis glabra)

Threat status: Endangered.

Once found at many scattered locations throughout England, the blue-green leaves of this tall and dramatic plant show that it’s a type of cabbage. It grows on well-drained, lime-rich soil and likes grassy places where the soil has been disturbed; a lack of this disturbance is the main reason it’s been lost from so many sites. Nearly half of the remaining 30 or so sites are now on road verges, including the M50 near Bromsberrow in Gloucestershire, the Thetford Bypass in Suffolk, and a road verge near Kingsley in Hampshire where up to 150 plants have been sighted following clearance of brambles and scrub by the County Council.

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5 Velvet Lady’s-mantle (Alchemilla monticola)

Threat status: Endangered.

Lady’s-mantles are small herbs with frothy green flowers. Their rounded leaves often collect rain water, which was considered by alchemists to be so pure it could be used it in their experiments to turn base metals into gold, hence the name Alchemilla, meaning ‘little alchemist’.

In northern England, six very rare and closely-related species grow in upland hay meadows and flower-rich pasture where limestone rocks come to the surface. Conversion of these habitats to intensively farmed silage and grazing pastures mean the lady’s-mantles are increasingly restricted to roadside verges. Over a quarter of all sightings of velvet lady’s-mantles, one of the species that has suffered the most, now come from roadside verges.

26Our floral verges

Yarrow broomrape (Orobanche purpurea)

Threat status: Vulnerable.

This remarkable annual plant is parasitic on the roots of yarrow (Achillea millefolium), with only the spike of purple flowers ever appearing above ground. Underground, the plant taps into the roots of the yarrow, gaining all its nutrient and water from its host.

Given that yarrow is one of our commonest wild flowers, the broomrape is inexplicably rare, with only around 40 sites currently known in Britain. It grows in a wide range of grassy habitats – often on cliff tops and steep banks – and 28% of sites are roadside verges. Some of these, such as that Arreton on the Isle of Wight, can support dozens of plants, but most are small with just a handful of flower spikes. While seed is thought to be long-lived, repeated early cutting of verges will eventually lead to its demise if plants are not allowed to set seed.

Sulphur clover (Trifolium ochroleucon)

Threat status: Vulnerable.

This beautiful, creamy-yellow clover was once a feature of grassy pastures in eastern England, where it grew on soils of chalky boulder clay. However, these areas of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire have perhaps suffered some of the worst vagaries of agricultural intensification.

Ploughing of most pasture for arable cropping and conversion of the rest to silage production, means that sulphur clover is now literally pushed to the edge, found mostly on narrow strips and slithers of road verge grassland. Over two thirds (68%) of remaining sites are on verges. Even here it’s not safe, with a lack of cutting leading to scrub encroachment and other sites destroyed by road widening and re-routing schemes. In a bizarre twist of fate, seed from some of these relic road verge populations are now being used to create new wild flower meadows on farmland.

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8 Wood calamint (Clinopodium menthifolium)

Threat status: Vulnerable.

Another very rare plant, wood calamint grows in a single valley on the Isle of Wight, where it once grew luxuriantly through and around coppiced woodlands and thickets of scrub on the chalk. Today, the landscape is intensively farmed, and the few fragmented woods that survive are no longer coppiced. As a result, their canopies have closed over. Wood calamint can’t grow in the dense shade and the only remaining plants are found along a narrow road bordering the wood, where it grows in dappled shade on the verge and in several lay-bys. Here, however, positive conservation management has brought it back from the brink: the population has risen from five clumps in the late 1950s to nearly 2,000 flowering shoots in 2012.

27Our floral verges

Welsh groundsel (Senecio cambrensis)

Threat status: Near Threatened.

Found nowhere else in the world, the endemic Welsh groundsel was first discovered in 1948 on a roadside near Ffrith, near Wrexham. It appears to have evolved as a new species from a hybrid that arose when groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) crossed with Oxford ragwort (Senecio squalidus). The result looks like groundsel on steroids – a larger plant with bigger, brighter flowers.

Welsh groundsel grows on the disturbed edges of road verges, pavement cracks and in walls. Of the 19 currently-known sites, 15 (79%) are on roadside verges; it’s especially abundant along the A5 and B5070 between Chirk and Llangollen. It has suffered from verge cutting on the A5152 from Wrexham to Rhostyllen and may recently have become extinct in Mochdre (Conwy) due to a roadside development.

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Wood bitter-vetch (Vicia orobus)

Threat status: Near Threatened.

In England and Wales, this beautiful bushy vetch was once frequent in pastures and hay meadows. Indeed, one famous botanist in mid Wales commented in 1924 that a ‘...pasture field was gaily carpeted with wood bitter-vetch, acres of it...’

Sadly, such a spectacle cannot be enjoyed today. Wood bitter-vetch is very sensitive to the right level of grazing, with both overgrazing (especially by sheep) and under-grazing (leading to scrub encroachment) leading to its demise, and it cannot survive in modern intensive silage fields.

Now it’s a plant of grassy road verges, rocky roadside banks and roadside walls, where 48% of remaining sites in England and Wales can be found. Some of these are home to huge populations, such as the 60m stretch of verge near Cerrigydrudion in Denbighshire with over 100 plants. But road verge plants aren’t safe; many were mown for example on a verge near Tafarn-y-bwlch in Pembrokeshire, despite it being designated a Road Verge Nature Reserve.

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28Our floral verges

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© Plantlife, April 2017Design: evansgraphic.co.uk

We are PlantlifeFor over 25 years, Plantlife has had a single ideal - to save and celebrate wild flowers, plants and fungi. They are the life support for all our wildlife and their colour and character light up our landscapes. But without our help, this priceless natural heritage is in danger of being lost.

From the open spaces of our nature reserves to the corridors of government, we work nationally and internationally to raise their profile, celebrate their beauty and to protect their future.

HRH The Prince of Wales is our Patron