Flowers

Look out for native flowers and blossoms blooming in hedgerows, woodlands and gardens this month

May

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Across the UK this month, colourful flowers will be blooming in woodlands, hedgerows, fields and gardens.

Many of these will be flowers that are native to the UK. Native plants are particularly useful for wildlife, and growing them can really boost biodiversity – RHS research has found that including as many native plants as possible in gardens and green spaces is the best way to support pollinating insects and other wildlife.

Native plants are uniquely adapted to thrive in the particular climate and conditions of a country or geographic region, and many creatures rely on the flowers, leaves and berries these plants produce. Some insects are particularly dependent on native plants – yellow loosestrife bees, for example, feed mostly on the nectar of yellow loosestrife plants.

In turn, insects can support plant populations too. The rare bilberry bumblebee is found in very few locations across the UK, including the Peak District. It feeds on the flowers of the bilberry plant, a native bush that produces edible berries similar to a blueberry. The bilberry bumblebee has helped keep the bilberry plant alive through pollination – so the insect and the plant are helping each other survive.

Here are four native plants to spot when out and about in May.

Hawthorn blossom

May blossom blooming in hedgerows is a sure sign that summer is almost here. Also known as May tree, quickthorn or white thorn, hawthorn has long been associated with May Day celebrations. The white flowers are used to decorate the May Queen's crown – although it's supposed to be unlucky to bring the flowers inside the house.

Hawthorn trees were once closely associated with witchcraft, magic and fairies, and it was often left uncut in hedgerows to avoid angering the tree's supernatural guardians.

Hawthorns are excellent for wildlife, offering food and shelter to more than 150 different species of insect, including bumblebees, peacock butterflies and ladybirds. And the red berries, or haws, provide an autumn feast for all sorts of birds, such as chaffinches, blackbirds and greenfinches.

With their long, sharp thorns, hawthorns are often planted as a hedge to create a secure, impenetrable barrier. Small creatures also appreciate this dense protection – dunnocks and robins nest in hawthorn hedges, and toads may shelter or overwinter in leaf litter at the base of the hedge.

Wild garlic

Wild garlic is easy to spot in woodlands during May, with its silky, sword-shaped green leaves and white star-like flowers. But you'll probably smell it before you see it – the distinctive garlicky aroma wafts through the woods on warm spring days.

Wild garlic is a favourite with foragers. With their mild garlic flavour, the leaves make a great addition to a salad or a sandwich, or can be chopped and added to pasta, pizza, or mayonnaise.

They can be also added for extra flavour when baking bread or cheese scones. Or make a delicious pesto by blending wild garlic leaves with Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil and lemon juice.

When foraging for wild food, remember that some wild plants and berries are poisonous – so make sure you know exactly what you're picking. Take along a good reference book, with clear illustrations – Food for Free by Richard Mabey* is good – or go with someone with experience of foraging.

As an example, all parts of the arum maculatum plant (also known as cuckoo pint or lords-and-ladies) are highly toxic. Arum maculatum often grows in woodland amongst wild garlic, and although the mature leaves are a distinctive heart shape, young arum leaves can look similar to wild garlic – so you could accidentally gather some if picking handfuls of leaves.     

Arum maculatum

For this reason, it's best to collect wild garlic one leaf at a time – a quick sniff should confirm you've picked the right plant. And only gather wild garlic from areas where you can be sure no pesticides or herbicides have been sprayed.

Bluebells

The UK is one of the best places in the world to see these beautiful, fragrant flowers – almost half of the global population of bluebells grows in this country.

Although common, bluebells are under threat, and are a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). This means it's illegal to dig up wild bluebell plants or bulbs. Threats to bluebells include loss of habitat, and if the leaves are trampled the plants can take years to recover – so stick to footpaths when walking through bluebell woods.

Another threat to bluebells is hybridisation with non-native species. Spanish bluebells were introduced to the UK as an ornamental garden plant by the Victorians, but have since escaped into the wild – and could pose a threat to our native species, as they spread rapidly and compete for light and space.

Left: native English bluebells; right: Spanish bluebells. English bluebells are highly scented, and have darker flowers and thinner leaves than Spanish bluebells. The flowers of English bluebells grow from just one side of the stem

So if you fancy planting bluebells in a shady part of your garden, be sure to buy the native variety. This will help to prevent the spread of invasive, non-native species into the wider countryside, and will also provide food and shelter for a range of our native insects, including butterflies, bees and hoverflies.

Wood anemones appear in ancient woodlands between March and May

Bluebells and wild garlic, along with some other plant species such as wood anemones, primroses and red campion, are ancient woodland indicators. This means that, when you see these flowers you are standing in a special area of woodland that has remained relatively unchanged for at least four hundred years.

Dandelions

Dandelions create a dazzling display of yellow from March to October, and provide an excellent source of nectar for bumblebees and other insects. In fact, dandelions can support more than 50 insect species – so allowing dandelions to grow is an easy way to help our struggling pollinators.

The name dandelion comes from 'dent de lion', French for 'lion's tooth' – perhaps referring to the jagged shape of the leaf edges. Dandelions are one of the easiest wildflowers to grow – just leave a patch of grass unmown for a couple of weeks, and the bright yellow blooms should soon appear.

With many insect species facing extinction, we can all help in our gardens and community spaces by planting native, nectar-rich flowers and trees. Not being too tidy, and avoiding use of weedkillers and pesticides will also help.

And why not take part in No Mow May this month, and see how many native wildflowers bloom in a patch of uncut grass? It's a fantastic way to boost biodiversity and bring more bumblebees, butterflies and other wildlife into gardens and community green spaces.

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