Wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) or Pribhéad in Irish bears heavily scented white flowers in June and July. (1) For hundreds of years this plant was used for hedging because its shoots regenerate quickly when cut and it afforded privacy to houses near one another. It is a deciduous shrub but if often retains some leaves…
The Ox-Eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) Dog daisy, Moon daisy or Nóinín mór in Irish is a very noticeable common wildflower flower.(1a;1b) It blooms from June to August on tall stems on roadside verges, meadows, wildlife gardens and cultivated fields. There are several rows of bracts edged with reddish-brown colouring below each flower-head. (2) The flower-heads…
The Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) or Fáinneog in Irish is a common butterfly and can be found this month in all parts of the country. (1a;1b) It is dark brown in colour with yellow fringed eyespots on the forewings and hindwings. Its name is derived from these. The female lays eggs on meadow grasses such as…
There are 77 species of Solitary bee resident in Ireland and all are excellent pollinators. They do not live in colonies like honeybees or bumblebees. Instead of egg-laying queens in hives solitary bees have females that mate, lay eggs and build nurseries. If you erect a solitary bee nursery like the one in the picture…
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) or Cranesbill or Ruithéal rí in Irish is quite a common plant and can be found on waste ground, walls, roadsides and hedges. (1) The triangular leaves are fern-like in appearance and can be tinged with red like the stems. It is pollinated by bees, beetles and flies. As the fruit…
The Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) or Lus mór or Méirín púca in Irish displays its spikes of purple-pink bells from June to August. (1) The genus “Digitalis” derived from the Latin word “digitus” which means finger. A finger can easily be inserted into any of the tubular bells. The “fox” in foxglove may be derived from…
Plants that are pollinated by the wind lack the striking colours and strong scents of insect-pollinated plants. Colour and scent attract insects; wind-pollinated plants don’t need either. One common flowering plant that is wind-pollinated is the Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) or Neantóg in Irish. (1a) The whorls of yellowish-green flowers can be male or female. …
Plants that are pollinated by the wind lack the striking colours and strong scents of insect-pollinated plants. Colour and scent attract insects. In contrast, the flowers of grasses are dull because they only require wind to scatter their pollen. One very common grass seen now on roadside verges and hay meadows is Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata)…
There are several wild rose species growing on Irish hedgerows but the commonest is the Dog rose (Rosa canina) or Feirdhris in Irish. (1a:1b;1c) This rose which bears pale pink or white flowers suddenly appears in June to brighten our spirits but for the rest of the year remains unseen. These flowers with their five…
The flat-topped, creamy-white flower clusters or corymbs of the Elder (Sambucus nigra) or Trom in Irish form lofty, fragrant tiers as they dominate the hedgerows in June. The anthers which hold the pollen are pale yellow and this is gathered by flies, hoverflies and bees. These flowers are used to make wine, cordials and elderflower…
Masses of Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) or Persil bhó in Irish have been dominating and brightening up roadsides, hedgerows and woodland edges since April and are always a herald of summer. They are beginning to fade now and leave nature’s stage. (1a;1b) It is sometimes called Queen Anne’s lace because of the delicate and beautiful…
Hedge garlic (Alliaria petiolate), Garlic mustard or Jack by the Hedge or Bóchoinneal in Irish is one of those plants that is regularly weeded without a moment’s thought for the spectacular contribution it makes to biodiversity in the garden and on the roadside. Alliaria means that it smells of garlic and indeed it does if…