A Tricolour of Spring Flowers

Bluebell, Celandine and Wood Anemone
at Dibbinsdale. Photo: Paul Loughnane

Flora Locale, a national education charity whose aim is to promote and advance the conservation and enhancement of native wild plant populations and plant communities, hosted a course on “Managing Woodlands for Ground Flora”. It was on my door step, Bromborough, Wirral. How could I not go? I asked Natural Futures would they sponsor the cost of my attendance, which they were pleased to do.

The course facilitators were Dr Phil Putwain, ecological consultant and Dr Hilary Ash, Wirral Wildlife. There was an initial hour background talk at Dibbinsdale Visitor Centre on ancient woodlands and the different classes of ancient woodland plant  indicator species, classes I to IV, within the Cheshire County context. It is a situation that is not static as previous ancient woodland indicators for example pendulous sedge, either by hybridisation from garden centre supplies or milder winters, are now considered invasive. Milder winters also mean that ivy, holly, bramble and yew are all more competitive, possibly future problem species! Woods are now the darkest they have been for 5,000 years. The hazel coppice regime of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Thornton Wood was highlighted in how it had benefited the ground flora by nutrient cropping.

Hilary Ash, explaining how to distinguish a
native black poplar from other black poplars.
Photo: Paul Loughnane

They then discussed how there been many successful tree planting schemes but they have often resulted in “boring” ground flora, as nettles and brambles have colonised the areas due to high phosphate and nitrogen levels in the soil. A good ground flora makes the woods more attractive and provides additional pollinator space. Woodlands are similar to wild flower grasslands in that reducing the nutrient status of the soil, especially phosphate, is the key to an attractive ground flora. The removal of the nutrient rich top soil prior to planting would be a good start and reduce the competition to new saplings.

Then into the field where nature led the discussion. Hilary has visited Dibbinsdale Woods for over thirty years, so knew exactly where isolated clumps of sanicle, barren strawberry and hairy woodrush could be found. Hilary was able to bring alive biological distinctions between species which are not readily appreciated by technical botanical descriptions, but easily understood in the field with actual samples to hand.

The party walked past the Trust’s own reserve, Patrick’s Wood, a non-intervention woodland as it is too difficult to access. Interestingly it has a calcareous spring from an undetermined geological source. Walking through Otter's Tunnel you could see the calcium deposits accumulating in the tunnel’s ceiling. On to Marford's Wood, part of Dibbinsdale SSSI and owned by the Poulton Lancelyn Estate. This was tremendous with tricolours of blue, white and yellow - bluebell, wood anemone and celandine flowers, roughly a third of each. Inspirational. Just to think I became excited earlier this spring to see a single flowering wood anemone which had appeared in Heavy Oak Coppice, Thornton Wood. Here in Marfords Wood the anemone grow in extensive carpets.

Please look at www.floralocale.org for further information on interesting courses.

Paul Loughnane

Honorary Reserve Warden Thornton Wood