Farmland and croftland plants

Farmland contains a mosaic of habitats many of which are relicts of the landscape from the time before man grew crops and kept animals. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands and lakes may have been changed by farming but in contrast arable fields, grass lands and heathlands are the product of centuries of farming. Each has its distinctive flowering plants.

Heathland – a wood without trees

Much of our heathland at lower altitudes was formed from land cleared of tress so it's not surprising that the heather and blaeberry which now dominate are also plants found in woodland and woodland clearings. Likewise the patches of bluebells, wood anemone and, more rarely, intermediate wintergreen amongst the heather are reminders of a time when wood land was more widespread. Follow the link to the heathland pages to find out more about this habitat and the plants within it.

Grasslands

On deeper richer soils grassland rather than heathland replaced woodland when farming became widespread. Today remnants of this ancient grassland form the tiny fragments of meadowland rich in orchids and other attractive flowers. Displays of greater butterfly orchid, wood crane's-bill and cowslip require grazing or hay cutting to thrive. Follow the link to the lowland grassland page to find out more about this habitat.

Arable fields – a history of man and the plough

Cornfields filled with a riot of colour from poppies, oxeye daisies and corn marigolds may be a rare sight but these 'weeds' which thrived before the time of modern herbicides along with less showy species such as common hemp-nettle and fat hen tell a story. Many are not native to our shores but came with the first farmers and have been here so long we often think of them as native. Follow the link to the plants of arable fields page to find out more.

Machair – a unique display

Machair is only found in Scotland and Ireland and the displays of plants which the sandy soils and strip cultivation support should not be missed. Many of the species may not be rare and some are common plants (daisies, oxeye daisies, buttercups, clovers and cowslips) but the vastness of the displays and the abundance of flowers growing is unique. See our machair page to find out more about this special habitat