ADVENTURES IN BOTANY: 3 GREAT SITES

CUMBRIAN COAST

Much of upland Cumbria is a botanist’s dream – but it’s the oft-overlooked coastline that offers the most surprising diversity, thanks to its calcareous, limestone soils. Look out for heath dog violet, Isle of Man cabbage and coralroot orchid on the sand dunes at Sandscale; the limestone cliffs of the south Cumbrian coast harbour Lancastrian whitebeam, maidenhair fern and the extremely rare spotted cat’s ear. On the sandstone cliffs of St Bees Head you can find the fabulously nautical-sounding scurvygrass, sea campion and sea spleenwort.

KEY LOCATIONS Sandscale dunes, St Bees Head, Humphrey Head

SNOWDONIA

Snowdonia was a magnet for 18th century botanists – the first ‘tourists’ to the area. Cwm Idwal (above) is a wonderland of geology (See July’s issue) and alpine botany. Purple, starry and alpine saxifrages are found, and the insectivorous common butterwort and roundleaved sundew both occur. Elsewhere, huge mosses have been developing in the ruined slate mines. Cadair Idris and Snowdon’s Clogwn D’ur Arddu cliffs are also rich in unusual, hardy plants: the ultimate prize being the very rare – and inaccessible to walkers – Snowdon lily.

KEY LOCATIONS Cwm Glas Mawr, Cwm Idwal, Snowdon, Cadair Idris

KNOYDART

The remote and fecund environs on the Knoydart Peninsula have given rise to a fascinating and rich diversity of plant life. This area – which is designated as a National Scenic Area – on the west coast of Scotland, has woodland, heather moorland, bog, beach and mountain in bountiful supply, and steep-sided valleys have given rise to much in the way of local variation. Look out for wood sorrel, thrift, violet, the distinctively antler-like reindeer lichen, liverwort, marsh lousewort (red rattle), common butterwort and common sundew.

KEY LOCATIONS Barrisdale, Ladhar Bheinn, Doune, Gleann na Guiserein