The Road to Rewilding

When the traffic stopped on 23 March the first sign of resurgent nature was the clarity of birdsong. Heard properly for the first time in decades, it gave a taste of what life could be like if we were no longer drowning in pollution and road noise.

And then, as weeks passed in which councils switched staff from grass cutting and other non-essential tasks, a second wave of wonder emerged when wildflowers began to bloom in parks, green spaces and on roadside verges.

Primroses and cowslips appeared; the white flowers of  wood anemones spangled the bottom of hedges; wild garlic gave off a pungent scent and red campion flourished in places where the ground was damp. And now, as we approach summer, frothing cow parsley, sweet-scented honeysuckle and the golden flowers of buttercups are bursting into life.

Their appearance is giving strength to the argument that we need to change the way in which we manage our open spaces. Do we want them neat but sterile or are we willing to sacrifice tidiness for species-rich grassland, filled with insects, invertebrates and small mammals?

It’s been an argument that wildflower charity, Plantlife, has been making since 2018 when it launched its Road Verges campaign, urging local authorities to cut verges just twice a year, a maintenance regime that would allow wild flowers to flourish.

Some councils were already doing this before Lockdown, but this spring’s enforced regime has given us all a glimpse of what our road verges would look like if the campaign was adopted countrywide.

But how well do you know the flowers that have been appearing in recent weeks? Here is our guide to just some of our wayside wild flowers.

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia)
This is the most widespread of all wild orchids, flourishing along verges and in hedgerows. It’s green leaves have purple blotches and the flowers range from pink to white.

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
This is the first of the wild carrots to appear, brightening up roadsides with its flat heads of white flowers, which attract a wide range of butterflies and hoverflies.

Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
The scrambling stems of this wild rose carry sweet-scented pink or white flowers in early summer, followed by rosehips that provide food for voles and birds.

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
This is the Scottish bluebell, a delicate, nodding flower that thrives on grassy banks. It provides nectar for many different kinds of bee.

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
This wild cranesbill has pink flowers and it grows best in shady spots where the soil remains moist.

Lady’s Bedstraw (Gallium verum)
The frothy, yellow flowers, which smell of newly-mown hay, appear in grassland and meadows. Once the stalks would have been used as mattress stuffing.

Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis)
Other names for this pale mauve bloom, including Cuckoo Flower and Mayflower, derive from its appearance in late spring. It grows in damp meadows and along ditches.

Ox Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
These cheerful, white daisies brighten roadside verges and field margins in early summer.

Water Avens (Geum rivale)
Growing in damp verges and along riversides, the bell-shaped flowers of water avens attract butterflies and bees, which in turn feed toads and frogs.

Wild Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
This is a familiar site, twining through hedgerows and scenting roadsides with its sweet-perfumed flowers. The red berries, which follow, are food for squirrels and birds.

WILDFLOWER FACTS
*   Wildflower meadows are disappearing fast. Since the 1930s, 97% have been lost.
*   More than 700 species - 45% of our total flora - are found on road verges.
*   Verges are the last remaining habitat for some rare flowers, including wood calamint.