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Conservation Volunteers of St.Mellons & Trowbridge
Hendre
Lake
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.
Ragged Robin
The pink, frayed, delicate flowers of Ragged-robin can be a joy to behold in any wildflower meadow or damp pasture. Bumblebees, butterflies and Honeybees all enjoy the nectar it produces. Flowers May to August growth height upto 75cm
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.
Common Vetch
Common vetch is a member of the pea family, a scrambling plant with long twining stems that have curly tendrils on the ends. Its flowers are pink-purple and pea-like. Groups of one or two pink flowers appear between May and September. Height up to 75cm
Marsh Woundwort
Also known as marsh hedge nettle, Native perennial plant typically found growing in marshes and water margins and grows to a up to 90cm tall.
Flowers are pink to lavender with white and darker purplish spots on the inside,very attractive to Honey bees and Bumble bees
Flowers are pink to lavender with white and darker purplish spots on the inside,very attractive to Honey bees and Bumble bees
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.
Dotted Loosestrife
A wild shrub from the primrose family displaying clusters of bright yellow petals adorned with crimson spots. Very attractive to pollinators, inviting bees and other insects to their nectar. Loving moist soils the blooms light up the side of the reens around Hendre Lake. Height up to 1m and flowers between June and September.
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 .
Common Mallow
A large, spreading plant with beautiful deep pink, stripy flowers which provide nectar for insects throughout the summer. A magnet for Honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees and Small/Large White butterflies. Flowers between June to October and grows up to 1.5m tall.
Water Mint
Water Mint prefers damp habitats, flowering from July to October and spreads vigorously using its creeping runners. It produces dense clusters of lilac-pink flowers at the ends of its stems. Attractive to many insects including Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma butterflies. Height up to 50cm.
Lesser Celandine
A member of the buttercup family, shiny flowers can carpet an area between March and May. One of the first spring flowers hence provides a nectar source for early insects. The flowers are about 3cm across and typically open in the sunlight. Common at both Hendre Lake & Cath Cobb woodlands.
Flowering Rush
A wetland plant with cup-shaped pink flowers appearing July/August along the water's edge. The flowers have three pale pink petals, interspersed with three dark pink sepals. Attractive to bees and butterflies, and the seeds provide a food source for water birds. Height up to 1m .
Cuckoo Flower
Bluebell
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.
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.
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.
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.
Plant descriptions created with the help of Gwent Wildlife Trust & the Woodland Trust.
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