Hawthorn, also known as the whitethorn and the May tree, is one of our most common native trees, and one that is steeped in legend and folklore. It grows quickly for the first fifteen years or so of its life, and it’s thorny, gnarled branches make an ideal barrier to….

The bee orchid has to be one of our most exquisite wildflowers. At first glance its exotic looks may make it seem like an interloper from far flung shores — but this is a native Irish plant through and through. In Ireland bee orchids tend to flower during June and….

From early spring to late autumn the common daisy, with its pretty white-petalled flower heads and golden-eye waves cheerily at us from garden lawns, parks, meadows and pastures. Although classed as a weed, this ubiquitous little wild flower holds very broad appeal – a legacy perhaps of its associations with….

Ivy is common climbing shrub found throughout Ireland, its attractive green foliage carpeting the façade of old buildings, stone walls and trees. Many climbing plants support themselves by entwining themselves around the supporting structure, but Ivy is different. It attaches itself to the substrate directly using short, sucker-like aerial “roots”….

The birds-foot-trefoil is a common flowering plant that has, over the years, amassed a host of common names; names like “lady’s shoes and stockings”, “crow-toes”, “lady’s slipper”, “bacon and eggs”, and “God-Almighty’s thumb and finger”. In all it has been attributed more than 70 different names, most of them related….

The bright red berries and waxy green leaves of the holly tree are a familiar sight in our winter hedgerows. An attractive combination, the contrast between the deep lustrous green of the foliage and the bright scarlet berries has led to holly being used as a Christmas decoration for many….

Bladder wrack, also known as Black Tang, Rockweed, Bladder Fucus, Seawrack, Sea Oak, Black Tany, Cut Weed, and Rockwrack, is a common seaweed species found on the middle-shore of rocky coastal areas. It can occur in high densities where conditions are suitable, forming a dense, multi-layered carpet of fronds over….

Most of us are familiar with the long, branching fronds of bracken. This common deciduous fern is found all over Ireland and grows in all sorts of habitats. It is a large fern: fronds often grow to 2 metres (6½ feet) or more and have been known to reach 3….

Herb Robert is pretty little pink-flowering herb that frequents ditches, walls, hedgerows and woodland all over Ireland. According to the “doctrine of signatures” widely adopted in the middle ages a plant with curative properties would reveal its divine purpose through its appearance. Because the foliage of Herb Robert turns a….

The foxglove, with its elegant tall stems, luxuriant foliage and proliferation of purple-pink flowers is one of our most beautiful indigenous plants. A prominent flower of Irish hedgerows, ditches and woodland, it is found throughout the country, and in the summer, when in full flower, it’s almost impossible to miss…..

There’s nothing quite like walking into an Irish woodland in spring and being greeted by a vibrant carpet of flowering bluebells. One of Ireland’s most familiar and striking wild flowers, bluebells are found all over the country. A display of the flowers en-masse is breath-taking: a true wild phenomenon. The….

Dandelions are found all over Ireland and are one of our most widespread and successful wildflowers. They grow almost anywhere; their unmistakable yellow flowers, their downy seed-heads and their familiar toothed leaves greet us from hedgerow and pasture, meadow and parkland, roadside verge and garden. The plants are at their….