Hawthorn Shrub – Photo Credit Jarrod Sneyd
Our Live Interpreter David Tregidgo has been out and about on the reserve and has some very interesting facts for us about some of the wildflowers that grow and flower around the reserve and how they fit into the biodiversity of the site. Dave delves into the scientific purposes of the plants and the benefits to other wildlife such as bees and butterflies and even the medicinal benefits for humans.
Orange Tip – Photo Credit Steve Ripley
It’s May and the number and variety of wildflowers is increasing daily at Leighton Moss. Cuckoo flowers occasionally peep through at the damp edges of the reedbed. There’s a large stand of them off the Causeway next to the Bearded Tit grit trays. These delicate white to pink flowers first started appearing a few weeks ago. They got their name because their appearance was said to coincide with the arrival of the first cuckoos in Britain. The whole plant is edible to humans, having a similar taste to watercress. More importantly it provides food, largely in the form of nectar for the insects on the Moss, including bees and butterflies and for the Orange Tip butterfly, it is a vital host plant. Orange Tips are regularly seen on the wing at Leighton Moss at the moment. They lay their eggs on its stems and seed pods and then hatch and develop there until they are mature caterpillars. At some point they attach themselves to a nearby woody stem before pupating.
Cuckoo Flower - Photo Credit Jarrod Sneyd
Another major host of the Orange Tip is Garlic Mustard. You will find plenty of these white flowered plants at the shady edges of woody and scrubby parts of the Moss. The butterfly has a similar relationship with this plant, although they develop all the way to adulthood without leaving the Garlic Mustard. The name Jack-by-the-Hedge for this plant is still commonly used in Britain. “Jack” was an old English word for the devil whose breath was said to smell of garlic. After turning into adults, the Orange Tips are on the wing throughout May. So come and see them soon.
Garlic Mustard – Photo Credit Jarrod Sneyd
If our first two plants are signs of Spring, then the flowering of our next, the Hawthorn is a sign that Summer is on the horizon. It is seen everywhere in May, and it gives one of the most spectacular displays of the year. Also known as May Blossom, its numerous dense flower heads provide nectar and food for hundreds of species of birds, insects and small mammals whilst its thorny branches providing safe shelter.
Hawthorn was an important pagan symbol for fertility and the source of mediaeval mayday garlands. However, people would not bring the plant indoors and as they said it had a smell of the plague. Interestingly, scientists now tell us that Hawthorn produces trimethylamine, a substance that is one of the earliest products of decaying animal flesh. Hawthorn has a long history of medicinal uses; most significantly for heart- related conditions including blood pressure and heart failure.
Hawthorn – Photo Credit Jarrod Sneyd
Dave will be back again with some more seasonal updates on the plant life on the Moss.