The Flora of Castlewarden

Latin:  Rosa canina Irish:  Feirdhris   This native species is a member of the Rose family all of which are shrubs with erect or scrambling growth and thorny stems. It is one of the most familiar wildflowers and is very frequent throughout Ireland in hedges, thickets and waste places. Dog Rose has particularly strong, hooked thorns and it had been suggested that the name “Dog Rose” is a corruption of “Dag Rose” where “dag” means a dagger and refers to the sharpness of the thorns.  It

Latin:  Ranunculus repens Irish:  Fearbán reatha   This is a native perennial that occurs in abundance in damp field, roadsides and ditches throughout the country.  It and its close relative, Meadow Buttercup, is probably one of our most familiar wild flowers. It is erect (up to 40 cm tall) and hairy and spreads by runners that creep across the soil surface, sending down roots at intervals. The leaves are roughly triangular in outline and divided into 3 lobes that are roughly toothed. The flowers (20-300mm across)

Latin:  Vinca major Irish:  Fincín mór This is not a native plant and was probably brought toIrelandfrom southernEuropeas a garden plant.  It is usually found growing in hedges and roadsides and, typical of a garden escape, is often found close to old houses or ruins. It is a hairless perennial with long, creeping stems that root at intervals.  The leaves are evergreen, glossy and grow in opposite pairs on the stem.  Flowers are produced as early as March and flowering may continue until June or July. 

Latin:  Vicia sepium Irish:  Peasair fhiáin   This is a native perennial that can be seen, often as dense clumps, in hedges and overgrown grassy areas throughout the country.  It has slightly hairy, straggling stems that grow up to a length of up to 80cm.  The leaves are pinnate, consisting of 5-7 pairs of leaflets that tend to be broadest towards their base.  Each leaf terminates in a branched tendril, a thread-like structure that twines around other plants to climb or for support. From May onwards,

Latin:  Veronica serpyllifolia Irish:  Lus an treacha   This is a native Veronica species.  It is a hairless perennial with a short creeping stem and upright flowering branches.  Its normal habitat includes waste places, lawns, cultivated areas and roadsides. The leaves are slightly toothed, oval, have very short stalks and grow in opposite pairs.  The flowers, which appear from May onwards, are small (about 6mm across) and have 4 light blue or, sometimes, white petals with dark veins.   Collected in the Builder’s Paddock during May when

Latin:  Veronica persica Irish:  Seamar chré   This is a small, prostrate, widely distributed annual that often occurs as a weed in tilled fields but also occurs in grassland.  It has tiny (10-12mm across) but very attractive flowers with 3 sky-blue petals and 1 white petal.  Although individual flowers endure for only a short time, seeds germinate and flowers open during most of the year (March – September). It is not native and is believed to have been introduced from south-west Asia several centuries ago. It is

Latin:  Veronica beccabunga Irish:  Lochall   This native is a rather fleshy perennial with stout spreading stems that is usually found growing by the side of streams, lakes and ditches and other wet areas.  The stems can grow to a length of 50cm and carry oval, glossy, toothed leaves in opposite pairs.  Racemes of small (7mm across), bright blue flowers are produced from June onwards in the leaf axils – they are very similar to the flowers on other Veronica species that are seen at Castlewarden, such

Latin:  Urtica dioica Irish:  Neanntóg The Stinging Nettle is a dark green native perennial that grows to a height of 60-100cm and has oval, pointed, strongly toothed leaves that are covered with stinging hairs, as is the stem.  In June numerous, small, greenish or brownish flowers are produced in dense axillary inflorescences. These hairs on the leaves and stems act like hypodermic needles that inject histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans or other animals.  Anyone experiencing this sensation and the

Latin:  Senecio jacobaea Irish:  Buachalán buī   This native perennial is from the same family as the daisy (Compositae) is an abundant and colourful resident of roadsides, pastures and waste places.  It grows to a height of 30-150cm.  Its leaves are cut into mostly blunt, toothed lobes and have no, or a very short, stalk.  Dense, flat-topped clusters of deep yellow flowers are produced during June to September. Since Ragworth is a “noxious weed” there are legal consequences for landowners on whose land it grows but there

Latin:  Senecio vulgaris Irish:   Gronnlus This is a native annual that is closely related to Ragworth that is often found on open, disturbed ground.  Although a considerably smaller plant (10-30cm tall) and can be found in flower in any month of the year its flowers and leaves, in particular, do bear a striking resemblance to those of Ragworth.  It is a very common garden weed that can multiply rapidly because it can set seed even in the absence of pollination and its seeds can remain