Hundreds of different wild flowers can be found when walking along the coast path and during the course of our guided walking holidays we get the chance to observe many flowers throughout the season.
Below you will find some of the varieties of wild flowers that we have photographed as we travel along.
Agrimony
Characteristics: Long spires make this an unusual member of the rose family. Between 20 and 80 cm tall. The leaflets have a grey-green, hairy underside and are coarsely toothed. The flowers are yellow and are produced on a long erect stem.
Habitat: Tall grassland, scrub, road verges and meadows.
Alexanders
Characteristics: Said to be brought in to the UK by the Romans as a foodstuff this grows vigorously in salt air. The large leaves set it apart from similar species and the flowers have a pungent smell.
Habitat: Sea Cliffs, Roadsides and Wasteland.
Bastard Balm
Characteristics: Generally scarce but prolific where found this plant is easy to recognise with its large multi-coloured flowers. 40 - 70 cm high.
Habitat: Hedgerows Woodland Glades.
Betony
Characteristics: The flowers can be a variety of colours such as yellow, purple and white. Each flower has an upper and lower lip, the upper lip forms a hood over the flower and the lower one has 3 lobes.
Habitat: Grassy Margins, Woodland and Hedgerows
Bird In A Bush
Characteristics: With distinctive leaves this member of the Corydalis family is easy to identify and may be found cultivated in gardens.
Habitat: Open Woodland and disturbed ground.
Common Birds Foot Trefoil
Characteristics: Herbs with 5 leaflets to each leaf. The flowers are yellow or orange.
Habitat: Grassland, Heath , Moor and Coastline
Bitter Vetch
Characteristics: This vetch can be identified by its irregular coloured flowers and leaf shape.
Habitat: Woodland Paths and Hedgerows
Bittersweet
Characteristics: The flowers of this plant are instantly reconisable and are similar to those of the related potato and tomato. The plant also produces berrys often seen in clusters of red and green. This plant is highly poisonous although was once used medicinally.
Habitat: Climbing Over Other Vegitation in Marsh, Scrub and Costal Fringes
Black Medick
Characteristics: This is identified from other clovers by its yellow peaflowers and tiny black seed pods.
Habitat: Grassland
BlackThorn
Characteristics: The thorney bush is widley use in hedges and the tiny white flowers are often the first flower to be seen after winter.
Habitat: Hedgerows
Bluebell
Characteristics: Bluebells, as we know them, grow only in north-western Europe, with the British Isles being their main stronghold. Bluebells can carpet the ground in suitable woodland almost to the exclusion of other plants.
Habitat: Woodland
Bugle
Characteristics: The flower has a very short upper lip and comparatively large, three lobed, lower lip. Inside the flower tube is a ring of hairs.
Habitat: Woodland, Grassland, Scrub and Hedgerows
Bush Vetch
Characteristics: The leaves of this vetch are more upright and grouped and this climber is does not travel far.
Habitat: Grassland, Scrub and Hedgerows
Cats Ear
Characteristics: Easily dismissed as "Another plant that looks like a Dandelion". However, closer inspection will reveal many differences. The leaves are in a rosette, from which is produced a branched flowering stalk. A leafless flower stalks of this kind is known as a scape. This scape gets thicker beneath each flower head. The flowers are bright yellow. The achenes are cylindrical and have a single row of feathered hairs around one end.
Habitat: Grassland, Meadows and Verges
Comfrey
Characteristics: The flowers are a creamy-white colour or purplish. Distinctive in having strongly winged stem.
Habitat: Damp Grassland and Verges
Common Cow Wheat
Characteristics: The yellow floors of this plant stand out in the late summer particulary in woodland glades and paths.
Habitat: Shady Woodland Paths
Common Dodder
Characteristics: A parasitic plant usually found on cliffs growing on Gorse.
Habitat: Cliffs and Moorland
Common Field Speedwell
Characteristics: Small blue flowers mostly in grassland.
Habitat: Culitvated Grassland
Fleabane
Characteristics: A member of the Daisy family, this flower was once burnt to rid houses of fleas. It can be identified by the flat top to the centre of the flower.
Habitat: Grassland, Meadows and Ditches
Common Scurvy Grass
Characteristics: A succulent this is typical of many costal plants. Mostly found on rocky outcrops but also in hedgerows close to coast.
Habitat: Coastline and Coastal Fringes
Common Toadflax
Characteristics: The long flower makes this plant quite distinctive and very attractive.
Habitat: Grassland, disturbed soil, hedge banks and waste places
Common Vetch
Characteristics: The most common of vetch growing in a wide range of cultivated land.
Habitat: Grassland, Verges, Wasteland
Creeping Buttercup
Characteristics: This Buttercup is quite common and appears on grassland of all types.
Habitat: Grassland, Verges, Wasteland
Dame's Violet
Characteristics: Found in very damp areas of woodland and also on river banks.
Habitat: Damp Woodland and River Banks
Dog Rose
Characteristics: There are several different species of Dog Rose with flowers pink or white. It is a common shrub and climber with hooked prickles on the stems.
Habitat: Coastal Scrub and Hedgerows.
Early Purple Orchid
Characteristics: This can be easily identified by the large purple blotches on the leaves even before the flower has appeared.
Habitat: Grassland, Woodland, Verges and Hedgerows
Enchanters Nightshade
Characteristics: Tiny white flowers make it visible in the dark wooded areas it habitats.
Habitat: Dark Woodland and Similar Shaded Areas
English Stonecrop
Characteristics: Prolific succulent on coastline and rock outcrops the flower buds are red in contrast with the rich green of the plant. White flowers bust out of the buds to change the appearance dramatically.
Habitat: Coastline, Rocks, Short Turf.
Eyebright
Characteristics: There are many different species of this plant but all have the same two lipped flowers with the lower being three lobed. Flowers are usually white or lilac with a yellow blotch and purple streaks.
Habitat: Grassland, Heaths and Woodland Clearings.
Field Pansy
Characteristics: This small plant is often seen at the margins of arable fields or bare ground.
Habitat: Arable Fields.
Field Rose
Characteristics: Dwarfed by the salt winds this rose can be seen on the cliffs of the North Devon coast. Very small it is easy to overlook.
Habitat: Coastal Margins.
Foxglove
Characteristics: Unmistakable tall flowers found in scrub and hedgerows.
Habitat: Scrub and Hedgerows
Garlic Mustard
Characteristics: With large triangular leaves this plant is seen in hedges and verges in early spring. The white flowers appear on the tips of the stems and later it has long seed pods. The plant has a smell of garlic and has been used as a culinary herb.
Habitat: Hedgerows, Verges and Woodland Margins.
Gorse
Characteristics: Widespread on coastal cliffs and scrub this spiky yellow flowered shrub flowers much of the year and has a smell of coconuts.
Habitat: Costal scrub, cliffs and heathland.
Great Willowherb
Characteristics: A hairy plant up to 1.5m tall with rounded leaf stems and pink flowers.
Habitat: Damp Hedgerows, River Banks and Ditches.
Greater Stitchwort
Characteristics: Seen in woodlands, this white flowers really brighten the spring. The flowers have five notched petals with yellow stamens.
Habitat: Woodland, Shady Hedgerow Margins.
Hawthorn
Characteristics: A common hedgerow shrub whose leaf buds appear just before the flowers unlike the similar Blackthorn. Red berries appear in Autumn and often last throughout the winter.
Habitat: Hedgerows and Dense Scrub.
Heath Dog Violet
Characteristics: Similar to the common Dog Violet this plant is found in damp grassland and heath. The flower is very delicate and pale blue has dark veins on the lower petal.
Habitat: Grassy Heath land and Coastal Fringes.
Heather
Characteristics: Found all along the coastal this brings a flush of pink to the coastline. It grows slowly and lives a long time.
Habitat: Coastal cliffs and heath land.
Hedge Woundwort
Characteristics: This grows in dark woodland where it's matt purple flowers do not stand out very well. The leaves are distinctive with their heart shape and finely toothed edges.
Habitat: Woodland Margins and Damp Hedgerows.
Herb Robert
Characteristics: one of the most frequent flowering plants, easily recognised by the purple stems and pink flowers.
Habitat: Walls, Hedges and Verges.
Honesty
Characteristics: Although originally introduced as a garden plant now naturalised in th UK. The large purple or white flowers and heart shaped leaves make this quite distinctive along with the transparent seed heads.
Habitat: Verges, Wasteland and Cultivated Land.
Ivy Leaved Toadflax
Characteristics: A creeping hairless plant with thread stems. Leaves have long stalks with 5-7 lobes. The flowers are also long stalked and are pale violet with a yellow spot.
Habitat: Rocks, Walls and Scree.
Kidney Vetch
Characteristics: Woolly yellow flowers in heads. Basal leaves in simple fashion with a few leaflets.
Habitat: Rocks, Coastal Scrub.
Common Knapweed
Characteristics: Identified by its slender leaves this knapweed is often seen isolated on grassland and scrub that is not grazed.
Habitat: Grassland and Scrub
Lesser Celandine
Characteristics: Often seen on the edges of woodland paths, this yellow flower is a welcome sight in early spring. The leaves are heart shaped and quite fleshy.
Habitat: Woodland, Damp Meadows and Scrub.
Common Lungwort
Characteristics: A creeping plant found often in woodland and sometimes at the base of hedges.
Habitat: Woodland and Hedgerows
Marsh Marigold
Characteristics: Broad shiny leaved, heart shaped with fine toothed margins. The flowers are very bright shiny yellow which makes the plant stand out very boldly in its habitat.
Habitat: Stream Edges, Damp Meadows and Wet Woodland.
Meadow Vetchling
Characteristics: A Straggling plant with yellow flowers very visible in the scrub or meadow margins. The leaves are similar to common vetch.
Habitat: Scrub, Meadows and Woodland Margins.
Navelwort
Characteristics: Also known as Pennywort this is found growing in a wide variety of damp places. The leaves are very fleshy and round with an indentation as it joins the stem.
Habitat: Damp Walls, Rocks and Damp Woodland.
Oxeye Daisy
Characteristics: A perennial found in dry grassy places often on coastal cliffs.
Habitat: Coastal Scrub, Meadows and Disturbed Ground.
Periwinkle
Characteristics: Trailing plant seen in shady hedges and walls with bright violet to purple flowers.
Habitat: Hedges, Woodland and Scrub.
Primrose
Characteristics: One of the first spring flowers, the primrose flowers each have their own stalk with orange markings in the centres.
Habitat: Woodland glades, embankments and on the meadow margins
Purple Toadflax
Characteristics: An introduced plant, found sometimes on walls this flowers has dense violet flowers.
Habitat: Walls, Verges and Waste ground.
Ragwort
Characteristics: Hairy to hairless plant growing to 1m tall. Mass of leaf stems with clusters of yellow flowers. This plant is poisonous and is a problem for horses and sheep as it destroys the liver so is incurable.
Habitat: Meadows and Grassland.
Red Campion
Characteristics: Hairy and tall with purple flowers from reddish stems. Found in all manner of places and flowering sometimes in mild winter weather.
Habitat: Wet Woodland, Rich Meadows and Verges.
Red Clover
Characteristics: Bright lush clover with large pinkish red flower heads seen in meadows and other grassy places.
Habitat: Footpaths, Meadows, Costal Fringes.
Restharrow
Characteristics: This tough rooted creeper is very tough and is seen at field margins and permanent pasture.
Habitat: Pasture and Grassy Areas.
Rhododendron
Characteristics: Introduced from the Himalayas, this woody shrub is said to be the world’s most prolific weed as it becomes rampant in woodland excluding other growth.
Habitat: Woodland.
Rosebay Willowherb
Characteristics: Upright plant growing up to 1.6m tall with long leafy stems and lots of purple flowers along the stem.
Habitat: Damp Verges and Woodland Clearings.
Sanicle
Characteristics: Small umbels of white flowers on long stems make this plant quite unusual. The leaves are deeply lobed and have three or five deep cut lobes.
Habitat: Shady Woodland and Hedgerow Margins.
Scarlet Pimpernel
Characteristics: Small plant in grassy places it has a very distinctive reddish flower with a purple centre. Easily overlooked
Habitat: Grassland and Coastal Scrub Margins.
Sea Carrot
Characteristics: This unusual plant is relative to the carrot and grows along the coastline.
Habitat: Coastal Cliff paths.
Sea Campion
Characteristics: Clump forming on costal grass and cliffs with purple veined buds that open to white flowers. Very distinctive and coastal.
Habitat: Cliffs and Coastal Paths.
Self Heal
Characteristics: Very unusual flower pattern with small purple flowers emerging from the tightly clustered buds on a single stem.
Habitat: Meadows and Pasture.
Sheeps Bit
Characteristics: An early blue flower that goes right on through the year. Found on coastal paths and pasture edges.
Habitat: Dry Grassland and Coastline.
Silverweed
Characteristics: A hairy creeper found at the edges of footpath on the coastline and other dry places.
Habitat: Dry Grassland and Coastline.
Southern Marsh Orchid
Characteristics: Found in damp meadows and fens. It has glossy leaves that are not marked and wonderful tall flower heads.
Habitat: Wet Meadows and Grassland.
Spear Thistle
Characteristics: A very prickly thistle indeed, it has deep green leaves which have pale undersides.
Habitat: Dry Grassland and Margins.
Spring Squill
Characteristics: Very compact perennial found in dry grassland on cliffs.
Habitat: Costal Grassland.
Sweet Woodruff
Characteristics: Very defined leaf shape with seven leaves around the stem at intervals. White flowers have just four petals and has a aroma that is used as a flavouring.
Habitat: Shady Woodland and Hedgerows.
Thrift
Characteristics: Dense clump forming with bright pink flower buds which open to light pink.
Habitat: Costal paths and Sandy Places.
Tufted Vetch
Characteristics: Clambering up to 1.5m in hedgerow margins this is a very vibrant vetch as the tufted flowers form in upright clumps.
Habitat: Hedgerows and Verges.
Tutsan
Characteristics: Low growing shrub found in shady places, often in woodland. Bright yellow flowers studded with a pincushion of long stamens.
Habitat: Woodland and Shady Hedges or Walls.
Water Mint
Characteristics: A wonderful blue flower makes this mint very distinctive as it grows at the margins of running water and springs.
Habitat: Edges of Streams and Springs.
Wild Strawberry
Characteristics: This plant bears very small fruits which have a wonderful taste. It creeps with runners and the flowers are very easily spotted.
Habitat: Woodland, Scrub and Hedgerows.
Wild Thyme
Characteristics: Very distinctive when in flower the tiny flowers and creeping stems. Widespread on cliffs and coastal scrub margins.
Habitat: Sea Cliffs, and other High Ground.
Wood Sage
Characteristics: This plant looks very similar to culinary sage and is seen widely along the footpaths on the coastline.
Habitat: Dry Grassy Areas and Coastal Scrub.
Wood Sorrell
Characteristics: Tiny white flowers on this clover like plant appear in woodland clearings and is said to be edible.
Habitat: Woodland and Hedgerows.
Wood Spurge
Characteristics: There is about 7,000 species of Spurge. The flowers of this Spurge are at the end of un-branched stems are unusual in that they do not have any petals.
Habitat: Woodland Clearings.
Woodrush
Characteristics: Found in damp woodland this grass forms large clumps. The faint reddish brown flowers are borne in clusters on stalks.
Habitat: Damp Woodland.
Yellow Archangel
Characteristics: In woodlands this plant really brightens the landscape. It has large flowers for a member of the mint family. The leaves are quite triangular with toothed edges.
Habitat: Shady Woodland and Hedges.
Yellow Flag Iris
Characteristics: A classic wetland plant with stunning colour when in sunlight.
Habitat: Stream Margins, Damp Meadow.
Yellow Rattle
Characteristics: This plant is parasitic in that it derives nutrients and water from the roots of grasses. The yellow flowers have two lips and the distinctive leaves are long and toothed.
Habitat: Open Grassland, Verges and Meadows.
Come and discover these and more wildflowers on our guided walking holidays.
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