Flora of Dorset
We took Ethel the van for a weekend away last June. We had booked a boat trip to see the few puffins that can be found on the coast nearby during the summer but unfortunately it was cancelled due to high winds. Instead we spent a lovely day rambling over RSPB Arne.
June flowers of Wareham
Yellow water-lily – Nuphar lutea
I’ve spied this many times before but always been too far away to get a pic. I thought it looked great mixed with the reflections of the sky.
Common Valerian – Valeriana officinalis
Only the second one of these I’ve seen, the first being in Cheddar Gorge.
Flora of RSPB Arne – Inland
The site at Arne has a real mix of habitats from coastal to woodland, heath and arable.
Greater birds-foot trefoil – Lotus pedunculatus
There was a large patch of these yellow flowers in amongst the trees soon after leaving the car park. I hadn’t confidently identified this flower before, but this one was clearly taller and more substantial looking than Common Bird’s-foot trefoil.
Arable wildflowers
We came to an open field with these beautiful grasses on our left and Corn Marigold on our right. I’m guessing the grass is mostly Yorkshire Fog Holcus lanatus but I’ve barely forayed into grasses yet!
Corn marigold – Glebionis segetum
There was such a show of these flowers that I’m guessing they were deliberately sown.
Bugloss – Anchusa arvensis
As you can see in the pic above, the royal blue Bugloss was mixed in with the sunshine yellow Corn Marigold for quite a colour combo!
Redshank – Persicaria maculata
These were dotted about in the same field. I haven’t ID’d this wildflower before but am confident that it’s Redshank due to its red stems resembling the bird’s knees and its branching nature.
Cross-leaved Heath – Erica tetralix
Wandering into a more heathy area, we came across some Heather.
Tormentil flowers – Potentilla erecta
This Tormentil was under some trees. I think it commonly has four petals but the height and leaf shape looks to me more like Tormentil than any other Potentilla.
Wood sage – Teucrium scorodonia
Nearby we found this, which is new to me – clearly related to Salvias.
Common centaury – Centaurium erythraea
We found this heading out of the woodland towards the sea.
Flora of RSPB Arne – Coastal
We had a picnic lunch on the beach looking at the fabulous view.
Sea lavender – Limonium vulgare
When we finally arrived at Shipstal Beach, we found sand and a sea of Sea Lavender, as you can see from the main photo at top of page. This grows near where I live so I’m familiar with it, but not in such profusion!
Sea campion – Silene uniflora
This lovely little Campion had formed a mat surrounding the red stems of Curled dock Rumex crispus.
Lyme grass – Leymus arenarius
As I said before, I’m new to grasses, but am reasonably confident as Lyme grass is famous for holding together dunes but is more silver-grey than Marram.
Sea purslane – Atriplex (Halimione) portulacoides
I recognised this plant from my visit to Reculver in North Kent a while ago.
Possible Cordgrass – Spartina
It’s the long thin stems with tiny white flowers you can see in this picture. I’m not sure but it reminded me of a photo I saw recently by Leif Bersweden.
Glasswort – Salicornia
Greater sea-spurrey – Spergularia media
This is the little white flower you can see growing in amongst the Glasswort and Sea Lavender in the pic above. It has long thin spreading foliage and stems which you can see top left in the pic below.
Back to the cafe at Arne
Lavender hedge – Lavandula
Back to civilisation, we hit the cafe and found this beautiful lavender growing along the path. Given my day job at daisyshop.co.uk, lavender is a passion of mine, so photograph it wherever I go!
By the way were nearby at Studland Bay, Poole Harbour and Corfe Castle in the previous October