A field in Shropshire, England
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We have now identified a total of 123 different wildflowers at Tipton’s Croft. Some have become very common and can be seen every summer all over the meadow: such as common knapweed and bird’s-foot trefoil. Others we are unlikely to see that much: common poppies and cornflowers like ploughed fields rather than meadows. All are welcome though.
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Now we’re heading into autumn there won’t be any more wildflowers this year so here are all the new ones we’ve spotted. This takes the total number of different wildflowers at Tipton’s Croft to 123.
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Nine new appearances so far this year. Some likely from seed we’ve sown but not all.
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The meadow looks different every year. This year the mass of common knapweed on the small hill has been replaced by rosebay willowherb, hedge bedstraw, bird’s-foot trefoil and oxeye daisy with even more bird’s-foot trefoil in the field. The bees will be pleased.
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Six Five new wildflowers identified so far this year. They may not be rare but they’re joining a growing list, now up to 106 different wildflowers her at Tipton’s Croft.
Make it seven six! Here’s garlic mustard (but not in flower yet).
Update: we have misidentified the yellow archangel as a native wildflower. This one is actually an invasive non-native subspecies (Lamiastrum galeobdolon spp argentatum) so we are now busy removing it from the edge of the field. The pale patches on the leaves are what makes it distinct from the native variety.
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We have now identified 100 different wildflowers in the field. Some are common, some are rare, some were here before us, some we introduced and some arrived on their own. All of them are native or naturalised English wildflowers and though many of them would be considered weeds in a garden they are all welcome here!
www.tiptonscroft.org.uk/blog/flora/
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Oxeye daisies, meadow buttercup, yellow rattle, ragged robin and a sunset
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The first time we’ve seen this wildflower in the field. Particularly attractive to long-tongued bees, apparently.
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Cuckoo flowers have appeared in the meadow: small clusters of pink flowers amongst the raggedy early growth of grasses. A sure sign that spring has finally arrived, though a little later than last year and for some reason that flowers a lot pinker than usual.
The ground is getting very dry now and the clay soil turning to rock. We’re probably going to have to start watering all the new saplings that we planted this winter as their new roots will be desperately searching for moisture. Not something we usually have to do in April.
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