The Flora of Castlewarden

Latin:  Galium verum Irish:  Bolach cnis   Lady’s Bedstraw is a rather delicate native perennial with slender, square, trailing stems (up to 100cm) bearing whorls of 8 or more needle-like leaves.  It flowers in late June and produces golden heads of tiny (2-4mm across) bright yellow flowers. The only incidence of this species noted thus far has been on the west-facing slope of the motte behind the the 10thgreen. Lady’s bedstraw has a long history of use as a herbal medicine, though it is little used in

Latin:  Galium aparine Irish:  Garbhlus   This native annual, also known by the common name “Robin-Run-The-Hedge”, has straggling stems that, like the leaves, are clothed with small, hooked prickles that behave like “Velcro” allowing the stems to tenaciously adhere to clothing, etc.. It has small relatively inconspicuous flowers that appear in late May-June and the fruits are small (3-4mm) spheres covered in Velcro-like bristles.   It is a serious weed of field and garden because the stems spread rampantly and quickly and shade out any plants

Latin:  Filipendula ulmaria Irish:  Airgead luachra   This is a close relative of the Spirea, the flowering shrubs long-used by gardeners.  In fact this species is referred to as “Spirea” in North America.  It is a native perennial that often escapes attention despite its attractive features.  It favours roadsides and bushy places and in Castlewarden it can be found growing beside the open drain separating the Builder’s Paddock from the large practice area and in other parts of the course. It is somewhat woody, with attractive pinnate

Latin:  Fallopia convolvulus Irish:  Glúineach dhubh Specimens were collected at Castlewarden in a patch of bare ground on the mound beside the spinney at the pumphouse near the 13th green. This is probably not a native species.  It is a twining annual that can grow to a length of 80cm.  It produces many small greenish-white or pink flowers from July onwards.  It can be found frequently on roadsides, in hedges and on cultivated ground.   The seeds are edible, and were used in the past as a

Latin:  Lotus corniculatus Irish:  Crobh éin   This is a native perennial is a wildflower that brightens up roadsides and most grassy places from June with its yellow pea-like flowers.  Like peas and clovers, it is a legume and like the majority of legumes it has the ability to extract nitrogen from the air and can, thus, flourish witout any application of organic or artificial nitrogen fertilizer.   It has a solid, spreading stem that is usually hairless and carries an umbel of 2-7 flowers (each 10-16mm

Latin:  Epilobium hirsutum Latin:  Saileachán mór   A native perennial that in broad outline is similar to Epilobium angustifolium except that the whole plant is downy-hairy.  It has stout, erect stems growing to a height of 80-150 cm. It flowers slightly later than Epilobium angustifolium in late June.  The flowers are deep purple-pink, about 20mm across, and have 4 notched petals. It normally occurs in damp wasteland, ditches, river banks and occasionally on drier ground.  It is particularly abundant in the eastern half of the country.  

Latin:  Epilobium ciliatum Irish:  Saileachán sráide   This is a non-native species that was first recorded as an introduction to the British Isles from North America in 1891.  It is a perennial that is increasingly frequent in Ireland and is now commonly found on waste ground in cities and gardens and on roadsides. At Castlewarden it can be found in the Builder’s Paddock and in many of the spinneys populated by broadleaf trees – such as beside the 2nd and 3rd fairways and beside the path from

Latin:  Epilobium angustifolium Irish:  Lus na tine                                          Rosebay Willowherb is a native perennial that is very striking because of its flower colour, its size and its capacity to quickly colonise areas that have become bare because of human disturbance, fire, etc.  In North America, for example, it is called “Fireweed” because of this capacity. This species grows in profusion in the Builder’s Paddock and several other locations at Castlewarden.   It has an erect, unbranched, stem up to 150 cm tall.  Striking, deep purple-red flowers

Latin:  Crepis biennis Irish:  Lus cúráin garbh   Rough Hawks-Beard grows in the Builder’s Paddockon where it can be seen flowering in May. This is generally regarded as a non-native species that may have been unwittingly introduced as seeds in contaminated grass seed.  It is spreading and is now a very common weed of roadsides and waste places – it has been particularly abundant in the grass verges around the exit from the N7 to Castlewarden.   With its yellow seed head and deeply divided leaves, it can

Latin:  Cirsium vulgare Irish:  Feochadán colgach This is a robust native biennial with a stout stem that has prickly wings and grows to a height of 70-150cm. The leaves are wavy and deeply lobed and the upper surface is rough with short prickles.  The underside is white and cottony.  The lobes and the end of the leaf carry a stout prickle. Flower heads (25-30mm across) are produced in late June and the florets are deep purple. This is probably the plant adopted as a national emblem by