Six spring flowers to spot

Woodlands and hedgerows in Sussex are bursting into life, here are six wild flowers to spot this spring.

Here are our top six blooms to spot this spring

1. Lesser Celandine

© Roger Wilmshurst

The Lesser Celandine is a welcome sight at the end of winter. Its golden –yellow flowers cover the woodland floor and damp banks. Most people think daffodils were Wordsworth favourite flower, but it was actually the Lesser Celandine.

"There's a flower that shall be mine,
'Tis the little Celandine."

- William Wordsworth, "To the Small Celandine"

2. Wood Anemone

Drifts of Wood Anemones carpet woodland glades, the flowers open and follow the sun during the day. This delicate flower is an indicator of ancient woodland, spreading slowly over time through the growth of its roots.

3. Dog Violet

With its purple flowers and heart shaped leaves, the Dog Violet is a distinctive flower of the Sussex countryside. The ‘dog’ part of its name refers to the fact that it produces no scent (unlike its sweet-smelling relative the scented violet). The Dog Violet is important as a food plant for rare woodland butterflies including the Pearl Bordered Fritillary and Silver-washed Fritillary.

4. Early Purple Orchid

© Stephen Watson

As the name suggest this is one of the first orchids to flower. Impressive deep-purple flower spikes appear from a rosette of spotty leaves. Sadly this beautiful plant is not as common as it once was, but it is adapted to a variety of habitats including in meadows, woodland and often on roadside verges.

5. Blackthorn

© Roger Wilmshurst

This small tree, also known as Sloe, will be familiar to many as it is seen in hedgerows across Sussex. The flowers appear in early spring, before the leaves, turning hedgerows into fluffy clouds of blossom. Blackthorn is brilliant for wildlife, providing an early source of pollen for bees and other insects, it is a food plant for moths and brown hairstreak butterflies and the dense thorns provide protection for numerous nesting birds.

6. Bluebell

Nothing is more evocative of a Sussex spring then a walk through a wood awash with bluebells. Their deep violet-blue colour and distinctive bell-shaped flower make native bluebells one of our best known plants. We are lucky enough in the UK to be home to half of the world’s total population of bluebells and spectacular displays can be seen across most of Britain, particularly in the South. Their rich nectar provides food for many butterflies such as brimstone, orange-tip, and peacock along with other insects including newly emerged queen bumblebees.

Unfortunately our bluebells face a series of threats from habitat destruction, illegal collection of bulbs, climate change and competition from non-native species.