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Conservation Volunteers of St.Mellons & Trowbridge
Hendre Lake
Plants of the Area
Red campion
Distinctive pink-red coloured flower with five petals that are fused at their base. This species is an ancient woodland indicator, so may give a clue to the age of a wood. Important for various pollinating insects, including bees, butterflies and hoverflies.
Bluebell
The bluebell is an unmistakeable woodland flower with blue bell-shaped flowers. The bluebell spends most of the year as bulb underground in ancient woodland, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards, attracting plenty of pollinating insects.
Wood Anemone
The Wood anemone is a pretty spring flower of ancient woodlands, flowers bloom between March and May . Large, white or purple-streaked 'petals' surround a cluster of distinctive yellow anthers. The wood anemone grows in dappled shade in ancient woodlands.
Yellow Iris or Yellow Flag Iris
The water-loving yellow iris can be found along the margins of lakes and ponds . Its large, yellow flower petals fold back on themselves and hang down around the outer edges of the flower.
Purple loosestrife
A tall plant found in wet habitats, with dense stands of bright purple flower spikes. It flowers between June and August, and acts as valuable nectar source for long-tongued insects such as brimstone butterflies and red-tailed bumblebees.
Bogbean
Aquatic perennial that blooms from March until June. The flower spikes of Bogbean grow above the water on tall stems with white flowers that are often tinged with pink, and are star-shaped .
Common Knapweed
Thistle-like plant that can be found on all kinds of grasslands. Can be identified by its slightly spherical black/brown flower head, growing alone, topped with purple. Blooms from June to September and is a huge favourite of all kinds of butterflies, including common blues, marbled whites and meadow browns.
Hemp Agrimony
Vigorous upright red stemmed perennial that loves moist soil, growing to about 1.5m tall. The pink buds will open into flowers from July to September attracting various insects including butterflies like the Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral.
Great Willowherb
Great willowherb is an aggressive UK native semi-aquatic perennial with four rose-purple petals blooming in July and August. Narrow willow-like leaves are arranged around tall stems that grow up to 1.5m. It can be found in damp places, such as wet grasslands, ditches and riversides.
Common evening-primrose
Large yellow flowers (only open in the evening) comprising four petals that appear in loose formation on tall stems. These blooms appear on tall spikes from June to September and attract bees, butterflies and moths searching for nectar.
Common Ragwort
Common ragwort is a relatively tall-growing plant that has clusters of yellow, flattened flower heads which are highly attractive to bees and other insects, including the cinnabar moth. The daisy-like yellow flower heads of common ragwort may be pretty but they are poisonous to livestock .
Hedge Bindweed
Climbing and twisting through hedgerows, woodlands, ditches and riverbanks, the white flowers of Hedge bindweed are a familiar sight. Aggressive climbing nature and flowers between June and September. Hedge bindweed has the ability to root from even the smallest fragments.
Blackberry BRAMBLE flower
Here in Britain they are called brambles. First to appear are the glorious flowers, once pollinateed the fruit begins to develop. Clusters of little green globes and then, as they ripen in the summer sun the hints of red appear, then finally the black berry.
Common Dandelion
Yellow flower heads displaying closely packed florets, leaves are lobed and spoon-shaped, and the stem exudes a milky white sap if it is broken. When it fruits, the seeds appear with their downy, white parachutes. Dandelions are an important early source of food for pollinators.
Marsh Thistle
A native, biennial thistle reaching to around 1.5m in height, typically found growing in moist soils. The upright, spiny and hairy stem bears dark green, spiny-edged leaves and is topped by clusters of dark purple, thistle flower heads in summer. Important food source for bees, butterflies and moths.
Meadow Buttercup
A widespread and common perennial in meadows and pastures. It prefers slightly damp ground where it can grow so dense that it forms yellow meadows. The yellow flowers are about 2cm wide that comprise five, shiny petals.
Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet is a plant with large leaves and small white flowers in the form of beautiful bouquets. It flourishes in damp soil, growing up to 120 cm tall and blooms between June and September. Many species of insects are attracted to to flowers.
Stinging Nettle
Identified by hairs on its stem, drooping catkin flowers, and oval toothed leaves. Great wildlife attractors, caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies use them as foodplants, ladybirds feast on the aphids that shelter among them; and seed-eating birds enjoy their autumn spoils.
Buddleia (Butterfly bush)
Familiar purple flowers bloom from June to October. Each drooping flower spike is not just a single flower but is made up of hundreds of tiny flowers, each one rich in nectar which attracts butterflies. It is an introduced species from China but is now found on many nature sites.
Hogweed
Hogweed is a native umbellifer to Britain appearing throughout the summer months. It has as many as 45 umbells (floral stalks like an umbrella) covered in white flowers which are attractive to a range of insects. Hogweed grows as high as two metres, the stems are thick and covered with coarse hairs.
Common Mugwort
Common Mugwort is a perennial native herb with flowers that grow in clusters and are yellow-greens that bloom in the late summer and Autumn. Stems can grow up to 6 feet tall, grooved and tend to have a red/purple tinge. This aromatic plant is attractive to many butterflies.
Marsh Woundwort
Marsh Woundwort is a member of the mint family, a native plant with dense spikes of purple/ pink flowers on upright stems. It loves sunlit places beside ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. Wildlife friendly and loved by bees.
Black Mustard
Black mustard is a tall, aggressive weedy-looking plant. Bright yellow flowers occur in small clusters on small stems at the ends of the main branches. Preferring a moist habitat & pollinated by bees and flies with Butterflies occasionally eating the foliage.
Bird's-foot-trefoil
Common bird's-foot-trefoil is a member of the pea family. Its yellow flowers appear in small clusters. They are followed by seed pods that look distinctly like bird's feet. A low-growing plant, its leaves have five leaflets and are downy. An important food source for bees and caterpillars.
Plant descriptions created with the help of Gwent Wildlife Trust & the Woodland Trust.
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