Happy May Nature Lovers!

We are in bloom at the Falls of Clyde! Why not come visit us and see how many wildflowers you can find. Here are five little beauties to get you started.

Cuckoo Flower

Also known as Lady’s smock, Mayflower or Fairy Flower. This wildflower is easily identified by its delicate lilac petals and tall bright green stem. The cuckoo flower can be found in damp habitats such as grasslands, marshes, stream sides and ditches. The flower gets its name as the bloom coincides with the arrival of the cuckoo bird in the UK, so listen out for its call whenever you see it. It is also a great food source for Orange-tip and Green veined Butterflies.

Wood Anemone

Wood anemone is one of the first spring flowers to bloom and will continue flowering into May. By now Woodlands are carpeted with the beautiful white star like petals. Wood anemone can be identified by a solitary white flower with five-eight petals, some have a pinkish tinge on the underneath. The flower is a favourite of hoverflies which also act as pollinators. The presence of wood anemone is a good indicator of an ancient woodland but can also be found in shaded areas such as banks and hedges.

Wood Sorrel

Wood sorrel is a low creeping woodland flower that has five white, rounded petals with lilac veins. Its leaves make it easy to identify as they are a beautiful light green and trefoil in shape, meaning the leaf is divided into three leaflets. Wood sorrel prefers shaded habitats and can thrive in coniferous woodlands, in hedgerows and banks. Wood sorrel also acts as a weather-vane, folding its leaves before and during rainfall.

Greater Stitchwort

Greater stitchwort is a common wildflower found in deciduous woodlands and hedgerows. The flower has five white delicate petals that are split half way up. The stem and leaves are grass like in appearance. Listen carefully in late spring and you might just hear the “popping” sound they make during their “explosive” seed dispersal.

Red Campion

Red campion is a beautiful wildflower that will start to bloom as the bluebells go over. The flower has five bright pink petals that are notched half way up. The stem and leaves are hairy and grow in opposite pairs. Red campion is also known as ‘Adders flower’ and is very attractive to Butterflies, Bees and Moths.