WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Description

A site of recent road works which has arisen an impressive plethora of plant life. Well over 130 species have emerged; a number of which are rare and highly unusual locally. And it's far from finished revealing its surprises.

The major disturbance of the soil brought on by machinery has caused long dormant seeds to 're-awaken' with the right conditions coming to light. The last time the soil was disturbed here was during WWII when the site was used for allotments. Know your place 1946 aerial shows how the place would have looked. Some of the plants recorded are clear garden escapes or birdseed aliens; having been deposited more recently but the majority are often associated as being colonising species - which lack the ability to compete and so require regular disturbance to remain permanent such as in cultivated land. Otherwise their presence disappears in all but the form of set seeds - organic 'time capsules' which wait and can remain viable in the soil's 'seed bank' for a very long time - often tens, hundreds and sometimes even thousands of years!

Many surprising species have 'popped up' here but by far the most incredible find has been Cat-mint (Nepeta cataria) - a plant which was previously considered extinct in Bristol! It was last recorded from Kingsweston Down in 1907 after an absence of well over 100 years! It has come back from the dead!

Future Management:

The spot will remain uncut over the winter and for the whole of next summer to allow the Cat-mint and other biennial and perennial species to set seed (some of which will be collected as backup). After this period the site will be razed to the ground and turned over with a special rotavator machine ('the Blackenator!') which heavily disturbs the surface, bringing it back to square one and the site left alone again for the cycle to continue. This process will be repeated every 2 or 3 years ensuring a near permanent presence for all the plants existing here.

Species List: (159)

• Papaver somniferum ssp. somniferum (Opium Poppy)
• Papaver rhoeas (Corn Poppy)
• Papaver lecoqii (Yellow-juiced Poppy)
• Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-mist)
• Ranunculus acris subsp. acris (Meadow Buttercup)
• Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup)
• Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup)
• Ficaria verna ssp. verna (Lesser Celandine)
• Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine)
• Vicia sativa ssp. segetalis (Common Vetch)
• Medicago lupulina (Black Medick)
• Medicago arabica (Spotted Medick)
• Trifolium repens (White Clover)
• Trifolium dubium (Lesser Trefoil)
• Trifolium pratense var. pratense (Red Clover)
• Rubus armeniacus (Giant Bramble)
• Potentilla anserina (Silverweed)
• Potentilla reptans (Creeping Cinqueifoil)
• Geum urbanum (Wood avens)
• Quercus robur (English Oak)
• Oxalis stricta (Upright Yellow-sorrel)
• Hypericum perforatum (Perforate St. John's-wort)
• Viola cornuta x V. x wittrockiana (Bedding Viola)
• Mercurialis annua (Annual Mercury)
• Euphorbia oblongata (Balkan Spurge)
• Euphorbia stricta (Upright Spurge)
• Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun Spurge)
• Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge)
• Geranium dissectum (Cut-leaved Crane's-bill)
• Geranium pyrenaicum (Hedgerow Crane's-bill)
• Geranium molle var. molle (Dove's-foot Crane's-bill)
• Geranium robertianum ssp. robertianum (Herb-Robert)
• Epilobium hirsutum (Great Willowherb)
• Epilobium parviflorum (Hoary Willowherb)
• Epilobium montanum (Broad-leaved Willowherb)
• Epilobium tetragonum ssp. tetragonum (Square-stalked Willowherb)
• Epilobium ciliatum (American Willowherb)
• Oenothera glazioviana (Large-flowered Evening-primrose)
• Circaea lutetiana (Enchanter's-nightshade)
• Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow)
• Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale Cress)
• Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd's-purse)
• Barbarea vulgaris (Winter-cress)
• Cardamine flexuosa (Wavy Bitter-cress)
• Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bitter-cress)
• Lepidium didymum (Lesser Swine-cress)
• Erophila verna var. verna (Common Whitlowgrass)
• Brassica nigra (Black Mustard)
• Sinapis arvensis (Charlock)
• Hirschfeldia incana (Hoary Mustard)
• Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. raphanistrum (Wild Radish)
• Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard)
• Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard)
• Cochlearia danica (Danish Scurvygrass)
• Persicaria maculosa (Redshank)
• Polygonum aviculare (Knotgrass)
• Polygonum boreale (Northern Knotgrass)
• Rumex acetosa ssp. acetosa (Common Sorrel)
• Rumex crispus ssp. crispus (Curled Dock)
• Rumex obtusifolius var. obtusifolius (Broad-leaved Dock)
• Stellaria media (Common Chickweed)
• Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare (Common Mouse-ear)
• Cerastium glomeratum (Sticky Mouse-ear)
• Sagina procumbens (Procumbent Pearlwort)
• Sagina filicaulis (Slender Pearlwort)
• Atriplex prostrata (Spear-leaved Orache)
• Chenopodium album var. album (Fat-hen)
• Primula veris (Cowslip)
• Lysimachia arvensis (Scarlet Pimpernel)
• Galium aparine ssp. aparine (Cleavers)
• Phacelia tanacetifolia (Phacelia)
• Pentaglottis sempervirens (Green Alkanet)
• Myosotis sylvatica (Wood Forget-me-not)
• Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. serpyllifolia (Thyme-leaved Speedwell)
• Veronica hederifolia ssp. lucorum (Ivy-leaved Speedwell)
• Veronica polita (Grey-field Speedwell)
• Veronica persica (Common Field-speedwell)
• Veronica arvensis (Wall Speedwell)
• Linaria purpurea (Purple Toadflax)
• Plantago major ssp. major (Greater Plantain)
• Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain)
• Verbena bonariensis (Argentine Vervain)
• Stachys sylvatica (Hedge Woundwort)
• Lamium album (White Dead-nettle)
• Lamium purpureum (Red Dead-nettle)
• Nepeta cataria (Cat-mint)
• Prunella vulgaris (Selfheal)
• Melissa officinalis (Balm)
• Salvia sclarea (Clary)
• Lobelia erinus (Garden Lobelia)
• Arctium minus ssp. minus (Lesser Burdock)
• Cirsium vulgare (Spear Thistle)
• Cirsium arvense var. arvense (Creeping Thistle)
• Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower)
• Centaurea montana (Perennial Cornflower)
• Lapsana communis ssp. communis (Nipplewort)
• Hypochaeris radicata ssp. radicata (Cat's-ear)
• Scorzoneroides autumnalis var. autumnalis (Autumn Hawkbit)
• Crepis biennis (Rough Hawk's-beard)
• Crepis vesicaria ssp. taraxacifolia (Beaked Hawk's-beard)
• Helminthotheca echioides (Bristly Ox-tongue)
• Tragopogon pratensis ssp. minor (Goat's-beard)
• Sonchus oleraceus (Smooth Sow-thistle)
• Sonchus asper ssp. asper (Prickly Sow-thistle)
• Lactuca serriola (Prickly Lettuce)
• Lactuca virosa (Great Lettuce)
• Taraxacum britannicum (British Dandelion)
• Taraxacum boekmanii (Bökman's Dandelion)
• Taraxacum hamiferum (Dark Hook-lobed Dandelion)
• Taraxacum pseudohamatum (False Hook-lobed Dandelion)
• Taraxacum lepidum (Pruinose-bracted Dandelion)
• Taraxacum sellandii (Selland's Dandelion)
• Taraxacum multicolorans (Many-coloured Dandelion)
• Taraxacum edmondsonianum (Edmondson's Dandelion)
• Taraxacum stereodes (Hairy-stalked Dandelion)
• Crepis capillaris var. glandulosa (Smooth Hawk's-beard)
• Pulicaria dysenterica (Common Fleabane)
• Erigeron floribundus (Bilbao's Fleabane)
• Erigeron sumatrensis (Guernsey Fleabane)
• Bellis perennis (Daisy)
• Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew)
• Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort)
• Achillea millefolium ssp. millefolium (Yarrow)
• Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy)
• Matricaria chamomilla (Scented Mayweed)
• Matricaria discoidea ssp. discoidea (Pineappleweed)
• Senecio vulgaris ssp. vulgaris var. vulgaris (Groundsel)
• Jacobaea vulgaris ssp. vulgaris (Common Ragwort)
• Jacobaea erucifolia (Hoary Ragwort)
• Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold)
• Helianthus annus (Sunflower)
• Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp-agrimony)
• Valerianella carinata (Keeled-fruited Cornsalad)
• Dipsacus fullonum (Wild Teasel)
• Chaerophyllum temulum (Rough Chervil)
• Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow Parsley)
• Torilis japonica (Upright Hedge-parsley)
• Daucus carota ssp. carota (Wild Carrot)
• Heracleum sphondylium ssp. sphondylium var. sphondylium (Common Hogweed)
• Aethusa cynapium ssp. cynapium (Fool's Parsley)
• Selinum carvifolia (Cambridge Milk-parsley)?
• Cordyline australis (Cabbage Palm)
• Arum Maculatum (Lords-and-Ladies)
• Allium triquetrum (Three-cornered Garlic)
• Carex hirta (Hairy Sedge)
• Lolium perenne (Perennial Rye-grass)
• Dactylis glomerata (Cock's-foot)
• Arrhenatherum elatius var. elatius (False Oat-grass)
• Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet Vernal-grass)
• Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire-fog)
• Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent)
• Alopecurus pratensis (Meadow Fox-tail)
• Phleum bertolonii (Smaller Cat's-tail)
• Poa annua (Annual Meadow-grass)
• Poa trivialis (Rough Meadow-grass)
• Anisantha sterilis (Barren Brome)
• Elymus repens ssp. repens f. repens (Common Couch)
• Hordeum murinum ssp. murinum (Wall Barley)
• Echinochloa crus-galli (Cockspur)

Species to add:

Species to exclude:

• Rubus raduloides
• Hypericum pulchrum (Slender St. John's-wort)
• Lepidium coronopus (Swine-cress)
• Atriplex patula (Common Orache)
• Sherardia arvensis (Field Madder)
• Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
• Borago officinalis (Borage)
• Picris hieracioides subsp. villarsii (Hawkweed Oxtongue)
• Hoary Plantain