Identification Guide

A guide to wild plants, fungi, lichens and trees

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Selfheal Prunella vulgaris

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 Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon

Welcome to this
all-in-one guide
to the fascinating
world of plants
and fungi.
Whether you’re a budding botanist
or just starting out, this guide has
something for you – written and
produced by our Plantlife experts.

Including plants, fungi, trees and

lichens, the 128 species have been
chosen because they are easy to
spot and relatively common. From
Common Spotted Orchid to Wild
Cherry, and Scarlet Waxcap to Yellow
Wall Lichen, we’ve got you covered.

Who are we?

Plantlife is working to secure a world conservation work across the
rich in the wild plants and fungi that globe. We are working to enhance,
are essential to all life on earth. With protect, restore and celebrate wild
45% of flowering plant species at risk plants through our conservation
of extinction, biodiversity loss is now action - working across grasslands,
the fastest it’s ever been and our mountains, woodlands, coasts,
work has never been more vital. farmland and peatland.

Wild plants and fungi can help us Our goal is to raise awareness of how
to resolve the climate, ecological important wild plants and fungi are to
and societal challenges we face. life and to inspire more people to take
Protecting them will lead to a world action to help them thrive again.
full of colour, beauty and life while
allowing the wildlife which depends Learning more about the wild
on them to thrive. plants and fungi around you and
why they are so vital for nature
For more than 30 years, Plantlife has and biodiversity can really help our
been the leading voice for wild plants mission.
and fungi, and we are at the heart
of a global network accelerating

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 Using the guide
This guide is an introduction to So have a read, take this guide on a
identifying fungi, lichens, plants and walk and start learning all about the
trees. Use this guide as a way of beauty of nature. If you already know
getting to know more about them. the plant you want to learn more
For more comprehensive ID guides, about, then turn to the index at the
please see the back of this guide. back.

We’ve divided this guide into the For people starting out, here are
three most common places people go some simple tips:
walking: • There is a ruler on the back of this
• Grassland page 10 guide to help measure specimens

• Woodland page 32 • A hand lens or magnifying glass is

helpful to see finer detail
• Cities and Towns page 53
• Take pictures to compare with the ID
guide
Throughout this guide you’ll find:
• Keep notes of what you find and
• Common and scientific names where you find species
• Colours
On the next few pages we’ve included
• Where and when to spot them diagrams and explanations of some
of the key terms you’ll find useful
• Identification features
when identifying plants and fungi.
• Fun facts

In each habitat section, the species

have been divided by colour,
indicated by a banner on the side of
each page.

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

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Glossary
Agriculturally ‘improved’: refers Deciduous: not persistent/evergreen
to the agricultural operations carried - shedding leaves at the end of one
out on many grasslands which can growing season.
include spreading of fertiliser or
manure, ploughing, and reseeding. Downy leaves: leaves covered with
An “unimproved” grassland is fine soft short hairs.
one which has had none of these
agricultural operations and often Elliptical (leaves): a broadly oval
has more diverse plant and fungal shape which is widest at or near the
communities. middle.

Apothecia: spore-producing fruiting Evergreen: continuing to bear green

body on upper surface of lichen. Can leaves all year round, leaves being
be a variety of shapes. functional for more than one growing
season.
Basal: at the base – usually used to
describe leaves which occur at the Foliose: lichen species with flat leaf-
base of the main stem, which can be like lobes. Lower surface of lobes
different to the leaves higher up the attached to substrate.
stem.
Fruticose: shrubby lichen species
Biennial: a plant which completes its that are branched and attached to
life-cycle over two growing seasons the twig at one point.
– usually just producing leaves in the
first year, then flowering and fruiting/ Globular: globe-shaped or spherical.
setting seed in the second year, then
dying. Hybrid: a plant originating from a
cross between species (usually within
Calyx: the collective name for the the same genera) or sub-species,
sepals of a flower. which increases genetic variability in
offspring.
Cilia: whisker-like projections from
the margin of a foliose lichen. Isidia: a vegetative reproductive
structure on a lichen containing a
Crustose: crusty lichen species that discrete package of the algal and
grow directly on or just beneath the fungal partners.
surface of the substrate it’s on. Looks
like they are painted on. Panicles: a branched flower cluster.
A main stalk with flowering branches
growing from it.

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 Pinnate: a term to describe a Thallus: lichen body.
compound leaf, with its leaflets
divided into two rows either side of Toothed leaf-edges: where the
the central leaf stalk, often with a edges of a leaf have a repeatedly
terminal (end-point) leaflet. pointed/jagged edge.

Prostrate: a plant that spreads Trifoliate (leaves): having three

along or lies on the ground for most leaflets, or leaf-lobes.
of its length, but with the tips turning
upwards. Undulating: having a wavy outline.

Rhizines: root-like attachments from Veil: thin membrane that covers

the lower surface of a foliose lichen. the cap and stalk of an immature
mushroom.
Rosette: a circular arrangement of
leaves, usually basal. Whorled: where three or more
leaves arise from a stem at the same
Sepal: usually green and leaf-shaped, node, or growing-point, on it, forming
they enclose and protect the flower in a ‘whorl’ or circle of leaves.
bud and support it in bloom.

Shuttlecock (fern): overall shape of

fern, where all fronds arise from the
ground in a shuttlecock shape.

Soredia (lichens): powdery to

granular propagules (a structure
that propagates a plant e.g. spore)
containing algal and fungal partners.

Spores: the fungal equivalent of

seeds – microscopic particles that
fungi use for reproduction, released
from the fruiting body when mature.

Stipule: leaf-like appendage, usually

in pairs at the base of the leaf stalk.

Substrate: the thing that a lichen,

plant or fungus is growing on or in
e.g. tree bark or rock.

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Plant anatomy
Stigma
Petals

Anther
Style

Stamens

Stem Leaves

Sepals

Basal Leaves

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 Leaf arrangements

Pinnate Panicles Whorled

Leaf shapes

Undulating Elliptical leaf Toothed Trifoliate

leaf-edges

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Fungi anatomy
Cap

Spores
Gills
(used for spore
dispersal)

Ring
(remnants of Stipe
protective veil) (stem)

Decurrent Conical
Volva Gills running Cone/triangular
(some species) down the stem shaped

Lichen anatomy

Crustose
Apothecium

Soredia
Fruticose

Foliose Isidia

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Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus
Daisy Bellis perennis

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 Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Grassland
Imagine you are in a grassland. You
can hear a bee buzzing, feel a gentle
breeze, smell soft floral scents and
feel delicate grasses beneath your
feet. Is there anything better?

And just looking a little closer, these

diverse and vibrant habitats are full
to the brim with amazing wild plants
and fungi.

Often seen as a defining feature of

summer, flower-filled meadows and
pastures are a great place to start
learning more about wild plants.

In this section you can learn about 39

wild plants, eight fungi, four lichens
and one tree.

What is a grassland?
A grassland is simply an area In fact, a single square metre of an
dominated by grasses such as a ancient hay meadow may contain up
wildflower meadow, lawn, park or to 40 species of wildflower.
sports field.
But since the 1930s, 97% of
Grasslands are full of amazing wild wildflower meadows in the UK have
plants and fungi including Yellow disappeared.
Rattle, Meadow Waxcap and Dog
Lichen.

From the machair plains of north-

west Scotland to the rolling downland
of southern England - there are many
types of grassland across the UK.
They vary depending on the soil type
and pH (chalky, neutral or acidic) and
whether the site is upland or lowland.

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 Why grasslands are so But they are facing significant threats
from development, pollution, tree
special planting and intensive farming
Our grasslands, packed full of wild practices.
plants and fungi, can benefit people,
nature and climate. What is Plantlife doing?
They can also: We are working with farmers,
landowners and community groups to
• Provide habitat and food for wildlife take care of grasslands for the future
and encouraging policymakers to
• Help clean air and water
prioritise their protection.
• Store carbon
By learning more about the wild
• Help mental and physical wellbeing plants and fungi that grow in
grasslands, you are helping to raise
Our grasslands come alive in the
awareness of their importance for
spring and summer, with bursts of
biodiversity and why we need to
colour and wildlife. But in the darker
protect them.
months, they can still be a great place
to explore waxcap fungi and lichens.
Plantlife reserves where
Ancient grassland with undisturbed you can find grassland
soils can also be a haven for incredibly
important fungi. In fact, knowing Deepdale Nature Reserve
where waxcaps and other grassland
Visit in spring to experience a carpet
fungi are thriving can help us pinpoint
of colour in the Peak District, on this
where fragments of ancient meadows
limestone grassland.
survive so we can protect them for
the future. Caeau Tan-y-Bwlch Nature
And for all those wildlife lovers, Reserve
grasslands are not just great places to Discover rhôs pasture in North Wales,
spot wild plants and fungi, also make a marshy habitat, home to sometimes
sure to look out for bees, butterflies, thousands of Greater Butterfly
birds and small mammals. Orchids in summer.

Why grasslands need our Skylark Meadows Nature Reserve

If you want to visit a picture-postcard
help traditional species-rich meadow,
Species-rich grasslands are among then Skylark in Somerset will delight
the most threatened habitats in you with its rainbow of wildflowers in
Britain and we’re working across the spring and summer.
country to restore them.
Visit plantlife.org.uk for more
information.

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 Grassland - Fungi

Pink Waxcap Porpolomopsis calyptriformis

Identification: The UK’s only pink waxcap.
Medium sized with a rosy pink cap in a distinctive
conical shape, 3-7cm across. Cap expands and
splits with age. Waxy texture. Gills and stipe white
or very pale pink.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards - notably where
less agriculturally ‘improved’, with a more westerly
distribution across the UK.
Fruiting Times:

Scarlet Waxcap Hygrocybe coccinea

Identification: Small to medium sized bright red
waxcap. Cap is greasy in texture and up to 6cm,
bell-shaped then flatter with age. Gills similar
colour to cap with a paler edge. Stipe same
colour as the cap, yellowing towards the base.
Widespread and common.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards - notably where
less agriculturally ‘improved’, with a more westerly
distribution across the UK.
Fruiting Times:

Meadow Waxcap Cuphophyllus pratensis

Identification: Distinctive medium/large waxcap.
Cap is dry and a muted apricot colour up to 12cm
across. Cap flattens with age. Gills are deeply
decurrent and paler than cap.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards. Widespread
and common.
Fruiting Times:

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Grassland - Fungi

Parasol Macrolepiota procera

Identification: Large, distinctive fungus, up to
35cm tall and 25cm across. Cap starts out very
rounded, opening to a plate-like shape with an
umbo (small projection in the centre). Whitish
colour with reddish-brown scales fanning out from
the centre. Stipe pale brown with a moveable ring.
Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus

Identification: Tall (5-15cm), white and shaggy
to begin with. Cap is initially an elongated egg-
shape becoming bell-shaped with an upturned
black margin, with upturned scales creating shaggy
appearance. Gills mature black and deliquesce
(melt into ink-like substance).
Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

White Spindles Clavaria fragilis

Identification: Clusters of worm-shaped, white
fruiting bodies. Up to 10cm tall, generally straight
to slightly curved, very fragile to touch.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards - notably where
not agriculturally ‘improved’, with a more westerly
distribution across the UK. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

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 Grassland - Fungi

Petticoat Mottlegill Panaeolus papilionaceus

Identification: Bell-shaped cap with distinctive
serrated pale edges from remainder of the veil.
Cap up to 4cm, surface smooth and dull in a dark
grey or brown colour, but drying pale grey. Gills
maturing to mottled brown-black with black spore
print.
Habitat: Grasslands in decaying dung. Widespread
and common.
Fruiting Times:

Parrot Waxcap Gliophorus psittacinus

Identification: Small to medium waxcap that
comes in a wide range of colours. Always partially
green, however this may only be seen at the top
of the stipe near gills. Very slimy cap (up to 4cm
across), stipe often slimy too.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards, notably where
less agriculturally ‘improved’.
Fruiting Times:

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Grassland - Lichen

Dog Lichen Peltigera hymenina

Identification: Foliose lichen grows outwards
in lobed, up-curved fans, growing up to 15cm.
Smooth, glossy grey-brown upper surface becomes
olive-green when wet. Flattened veins on creamy-
white underside with simple rhizines attaching it
to substrate. Curved reddish-brown discs are held
upright like thumbs on the lichen edge.
Habitat: Often found in damp coastal grasslands
and the turf around tree bases.
Time To See:

Jelly Lichen Enchylium tenax

Identification: Gelatinous black lichen forms
crowded mounds of smooth, squidgy lobes. Varies
in size. Lobes swell and round when wet. Often seen
with reddish-brow apothecia that resemble wine
gums with clear margins.
Habitat: Can be found on base-rich soils in open
habitats such as grasslands and stabilising sand
dunes.
Time To See:

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 Grassland - Lichen

Membranous Dog Lichen

Peltigera membranacea

Identification: A large (up to 30cm across) foliose

lichen that fans outwards in flattened lobes, edges
curving upwards. Brown when wet and pale grey
when dry. Velvety ‘frosted’ upper surface with
ridges resembling veins. Lower surface covered in
white ‘fang-like’ long simple rhizines, anchoring it
to the substrate.
Habitat: Can be found in short turf, including lawns
and on dunes, as well as mossy boulders and rocks.
Time To See:
Fun Fact: The name Dog Lichen comes from the
pelt-like surface of the thallus and the rhizines
which look like fangs.

False Reindeermoss Cladonia rangiformis

Identification: Fruticose (shrubby) lichen growing
in spiky tufts up to 5cm tall. Highly branched,
resembling a miniature thicket of antlers. Each
branch ends in clusters of two-to-three pointed
tips. Small brown/purple reproductive structures
found at tips in mature specimens.
Habitat: Can be common on basic or neutral
lowland grasslands, coastal cliff tops and dunes
Time To See:
Fun Fact: The surface of the ‘antlers’ appears
mottled with small green splotches where groups of
green algal cells cluster.

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Grassland - Plants

Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris

Identification: Short (15-30cm) with 10-40 blue
(can also be white or pink) flowers 6-8mm long.
Stem often branched with all leaves alternate.
Habitat: Grassland.
Flowering Times:

Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis

Identification: Mauve to dark violet-blue flowers
on long stalks 1.5-2.5cm across with all florets the
same size. Pointed oval, opposite, undivided leaves.
Habitat: Grasslands, hedgerows, mountain slopes.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: It’s believed the common name comes
from an old folk legend that the Devil was envious
of the plants’ many uses and bit its roots in anger.

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys

Identification: Short and sprawling, stems with
two opposite lines of hairs, paired leaves oval/
lanceolate, toothed, flowers a graduated purplish-
blue with a white central ‘eye’.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges, woodland
clearings.
Flowering Times:

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 Grassland - Plants

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Identification: Blue bells on slender stalks. Grows
15-30cm in open areas. Roundish leaves at base,
linear leaves up stem.
Habitat: Dry grassland, heath, hedge banks,
dunes.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Due to its captivating colour and
properties, Harebell has historically been used to
make dye for fabric.

Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense

Identification: Large blue flowers 2.5-3cm across,
fruit stalks bent down after flowering. Leaves cut
nearly to base, sticky and hairy above.
Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, grasslands, open
woods, dunes.
Flowering Times:

Selfheal Prunella vulgaris

Identification: Violet-blue flowers 1-1.5cm in a
compact head at the top of stems up to 20cm tall.
Hairy leaves, oval to diamond-shaped, often purple
tinged, scarcely toothed. Plant often mat-forming.
Habitat: Grassland, wood clearings, rough ground,
lawns.
Flowering Times:

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Grassland - Plants

Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra sensu lato

Identification: Perennial with tough, grooved
stems up to 1m high. Flowers purple, shaped like
a shaving brush, although sometimes with longer
radiating flowers as well. Leaves narrow, oval
shaped with stalks on the lower part of the stem,
without at the top. Rough-hairy.
Habitat: Meadows, road verges.
Flowering Times:

Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense

Identification: Far-creeping herb. Flowerheads
are in open clusters, 20mm x 10-15mm in size and
a pinkish-purple. Lower leaves stalked, upper
clasping stem, all deeply divided with spiny edges.
Habitat: Most habitats.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Each plant can produce over 100,000
fluffy seeds which also make a good insulator,
tinder, and stuffing for soft toys.

Field Scabious Knautia arvensis

Identification: Flowers blue-violet in heads
3-4cm wide, the petal lobes of each floret unequal,
especially on the outer flowers. Leaves elongated,
oval shape.
Habitat: Dry grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:

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 Grassland - Plants

Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa

Identification: Solitary, bright purple-red
flowerheads with elongated outer florets, 3-6cm
across on stalks to 120cm. Leaves deeply lobed and
toothed.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:

Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca

Identification: Scrambling plant with 10-40 blue-
violet flowers in a one-sided cluster. Leaves pinnate
with 8-12 pairs of leaflets and branched tendrils at
leaf tip.
Habitat: Grassy places, bushes, hedgerows.
Flowering Times:

Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus

Identification: Mat-forming, slightly scented
herb with dense heads of pink, two-lipped flowers
3-4mm across. Leaves are paired and flat on four-
angled stems that are very hairy on two opposite
faces.
Habitat: Grassland, heathland.
Flowering Times:

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Grassland - Plants

Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis

Identification: Variable plant, up to 60cm tall,
sometimes with runners. Flowers rose-pink to
white, 12-18mm across, with four petals.
Habitat: Damp grasslands.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: In some parts of England picking
Cuckooflowers was considered unlucky. Also known
as Lady’s Smock.

Heather / Ling Calluna vulgaris

Identification: Bushy evergreen shrub up to 60cm
tall. Pinky-purple flowers in dense spikes. Tiny
leaves pressed against stem.
Habitat: Heaths, moors, rocky places, bogs, open
woodland.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: The Greek word ‘kalluno’ means to brush
and this plant was traditionally used as a broom.

Ragged Robin Silene flos-cuculi

Identification: Petals deep-pink or white,
each divided into four narrow lobes, giving their
distinctive ‘ragged’ appearance. Leaves are
narrow and hairless, but rough to the touch.
Habitat: Damp grassland, wetlands, ponds.
Flowering Times:

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 Grassland - Plants

Salad Burnet Poterium sanguisorba

Identification: Upright plant, up to 40cm tall,
bearing round heads of tiny greenish flowers that
may be tinged red above and yellow below by the
styles and anthers respectively. Basal rosette of
leaves with 4-12 pairs of toothed leaflets. Stem
leaves are smaller.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:

Sea Thrift Armeria maritima

Identification: Cushion-forming plant. The
globular head of pink flowers is borne at the end of
a stalk 5-30cm long. Flattened linear dark green
leaves.
Habitat: Coasts, on cliffs and saltmarshes, inland
on mountain ledges.
Flowering Times:

Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare

Identification: Pink-purple two-lipped flowers in
dense clusters at the top of stems, up to 70cm tall.
Stalked leaves in opposite pairs. Stems squarish.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Wild Marjoram can be used in recipes,
although there are tastier varieties more suited to
cooking.

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Grassland - Plants

Sheep’s Sorrel Rumex acetosella

Identification: Small greenish-red flowers in
loose panicles on plant up to 30cm tall. Leaves
arrow-shaped at base to 4cm long with side-lobes
spreading or pointing forwards. All leaves stalked.
Habitat: Dry grassland, heaths, shingle beaches.
Flowering Times:

Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria

Identification: Spikes of yellow flowers, up to
60cm tall and 5-8mm in diameter. Softly hairy,
often reddish stems; lower leaves pinnate with
three to six pairs of larger toothed leaflets
interspersed with smaller leaflets.
Habitat: Hedge banks, road verges, rough, grassy
places.
Flowering Times:

Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus

Identification: Shiny yellow flowers with sepals
down-turned when the flowers are fully open.
Leaves three-lobed with the end lobe stalked. Stem
swollen at the base.
Habitat: Grassland with a preference for chalk.
Flowering Times:

24
 Grassland - Plants

Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens

Identification: Shiny yellow flowers with sepals
cupping the petals. Creeping runners root at the
nodes. Leaves with triangular outline, three-lobed,
the end lobe stalked. Flower stalk is grooved.
Habitat: Damp grassland, wasteland.
Flowering Times:

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris

Identification: Shiny yellow flowers with sepals
cupping the petals. No runners. Leaves with a
polygonal outline, 3-5 deeply divided lobes. Flower
stalk ungrooved.
Habitat: Meadows, damp grassland.
Flowering Times:

Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Identification: A mat-forming plant with deep
yellow pea-flowers often red-tinged in clusters
of two to seven. Leaves with five narrowly-oval
leaflets, the lower two bent back by the stem so
that leaves appear trefoil; no tendrils.
Habitat: Well-drained grassland, roadsides.
Flowering Times:

25
Grassland - Plants

Common Rock-rose
Helianthemum nummularium

Identification: Spreading up to 50cm tall. Bright

yellow, five-petalled flowers to 25mm across.
Narrow, paired leaves, with a white woolly
underneath and a pair of leaf-like stipules at their
base.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:

Cowslip Primula veris

Identification: Deep yellow cup-shaped flowers
clustered at the top of the stem up to 30cm tall.
Rosette of wrinkly leaves each up to 125cm long,
abruptly narrowed to the stalk.
Habitat: Open woods, grassy places, meadows.
Flowering Times:

Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria

Identification: Yellow (or sometimes white, cream,
pink or purple) pea-flowers in rounded, hairy
heads, often paired. Up to 30cm tall. Leaves with
narrow leaflets, the end one larger.
Habitat: Grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:

26
 Grassland - Plants

Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum

Identification: Golden-yellow flowers 2-3mm
across on a creeping plant up to 60cm tall. Leaves
are dark green and linear, in whorls of 8-12 around
the weakly four-angled stems.
Habitat: Dry grassland with preference for chalk.
Flowering Times:

Silverweed Potentilla anserina

Identification: Yellow five-petalled saucer-shaped
flowers 1.5-2cm across. Divided silvery silky leaves
in rosettes and on long rooting runners.
Habitat: Wasteland, pastures, waysides, sand
dunes, damp places.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Historically, Silverweed was used as
padding in traveller’s shoes.

Tormentil Potentilla erecta

Identification: Creeping plant with loose groups
of yellow four-petalled flowers on long stalks.
Leaves with three leaflets, but can look like five, due
to two large leaf-like stipules at their base, without
stalks.
Habitat: Heaths, moors, grasslands, bogs,
mountainsides usually on acid soils, less often on
chalky soils.
Flowering Times:

27
Grassland - Plants

Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor

Identification: More or less hairless plant up to
50cm tall with spikes of yellow two-lipped flowers.
Leaves unstalked, opposite, narrow and toothed.
Stem black spotted.
Habitat: Grasslands, dunes.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Named after the way that the ripe seed
rattles.

Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata

Identification: Yellow flowers, 10-15mm across,
with six to eight petals, in loose, branching clusters.
Pairs of waxy, greyish, triangular leaves join
forming a ring around the stem.
Habitat: Short, chalky grassland, dunes.
Flowering Times:

Bladder Campion Silene vulgaris

Identification: Behind and holding the five white
petals is the inflated and bladder-like calyx, purple-
ish or yellow-ish in colour
Habitat: Rough grasslands, road verges.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: In Roman mythology, the goddess
Minerva turned a boy into a Bladder Campion when
asleep instead of catching flies for her owls - the
bladder representing his empty bag.

28
 Grassland - Plants

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Identification: Flowers in a dense spike, pale pink
with a darker streak and dot markings, lower lip
deeply-lobed. Broad grey-green basal leaves and
smaller stem leaves, all usually with wide, purple
blotches.
Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands.
Flowering Times:

Daisy Bellis perennis

Identification: Rosette of leaves with erect flower
stems up to 15cm tall bearing flowers 1.5-3cm
diameter, yellow in the centre with slender white
outer petals, often reddish below. Spoon-shaped
leaves all in a basal rosette.
Habitat: Short grassland, meadows.
Flowering Times:

Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

Identification: Large daisy-like flowers with dark
green leaves on a plant up to 70cm tall. Basal
rosette of long-stalked, spoon-shaped leaves; stem
leaves alternate, deeply toothed and stalkless.
Habitat: Grassy places.
Flowering Times:

29
Grassland - Plants

Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata

Identification: Greenish flower spikes 2cm long
on long stalks up to 45cm tall. Basal rosette of long,
narrow, hairy dark green leaves up to 25cm long,
with prominent ribs beneath.
Habitat: Grassy places, roadsides, hedge banks,
lawns.
Flowering Times:

Wild Carrot Daucus carota

Identification: Long-stalked white flowered
umbels 7cm across, often with a dark red central
flower. Rough hairy stem solid and ridged; very
divided leaves with narrow segments.
Habitat: Grassland, cliffs, roadsides, hedge banks.
Flowering Times:

Yarrow Achillea millefolium

Identification: Umbel-like heads of small white
(sometimes pink) flowers on tough stems. Very
dissected feathery leaves which smell aromatic
when crushed.
Habitat: Grassland, banks, waysides.
Flowering Times:

30
 Grassland - Trees

Common Juniper Juniperus communis

Identification: Sprawling evergreen tree/shrub
2-4m. Fruits ripen to black in their second to third
year. Needles in whorls of three, 4-20mm long,
with a white band on upper surface.
Habitat: Grasslands, scrub, heaths, moors, birch
woods, pine woods.
Flowering Times:

31
32
 Temperate Rainforest

Woodland
A walk through a woodland is one of
the best ways of experiencing the
seasons. Stroll through a glade in
spring, with sun shining through the
gaps in the trees, and you’ll discover
lush woodland flora emerging, and
the scent of fresh leaves.

In autumn, listen to the satisfying

crunch beneath your feet as the rusty
leaves fall around you. And even in
winter, there is still plenty to marvel
at on the snow and frost-covered
branches.

As well as being one of our favourite

spots for a walk, woodlands provide a
unique habitat for our wild plants and
fungi.

In this section, learn about 11 trees,

five lichens, 26 plants and 10 fungi
species that you might find in a
woodland.

Woodland and related

habitats Here are just a small handful of the
A woodland is an area which is types of woodland you could find
populated by trees, and the species near you:
that depend on them.
• Temperate rainforest
Woodlands come in all shapes, sizes
• Native broad-leaved woodland
and places - from urban woodlands
(both recent and ancient)
to the temperate rainforests lining
the UK’s western coast. • Plantation woodland

Each woodland is home to different • Open parkland / pasture woodland

soils, wild plants and fungi, and the • Native caledonian pine forest
wildlife that thrive in these magical
places. • Orchards

33
 One of our most special types of What is Plantlife doing?
woodlands for wild plants and fungi
are temperate rainforests. Plantlife’s role in protecting
temperate rainforests is pivotal.
Temperate rainforests are woodlands We work in rainforest zones across
that are found in areas that are the UK providing specialist advice,
influenced by the sea with high engaging landowners and volunteers,
rainfall, humidity and a damp advocating for policy changes and
climate. They are a mosaic of trees, raising the profile of this under-
open glades, crags, ravines, rocks celebrated habitat.
and gorges. Usually having difficult
topography has saved them from Plantlife reserves where
past clearance.
you can find woodland
Here you’ll find ferns, mosses,
Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve
liverworts and lichens. These ancient
plants pre-date flowering plants, Hidden away in Kent, Ranscombe
trees and even the dinosaurs. Farm is home to a wealth of fungi and
classic woodland species with walks
suitable for all ages.
Why do woodlands like
temperate rainforests need Three Hagges Woodmeadow
our help? Nature Reserve
Find a mosaic of broadleaf woodland
More than 94% of woodlands in the species alongside wildflower
UK are affected by air pollution. This meadows in Plantlife’s newest reserve
excess nitrogen in the air affects in North Yorkshire.
which plants, fungi and lichens can
grow there and can damage the Joan’s Hill Farm Nature Reserve
health of trees too. Notable for its wildflower displays
in spring, Joan’s Hill Farm in
Lichens are made up of at least
Herefordshire is also home to a
one fungus and either an alga or
traditional orchard, which provides
cyanobacterium, or sometimes both.
habitat for rare invertebrates.
Although lichens are tiny, they provide
Visit plantlife.org.uk for more
food, shelter and microhabitats for
information.
wildlife, in addition to contributing to
protecting the wider environment.

Some rare lichen species are only

found in temperate rainforest areas.

34
 Woodland - Fungi

Beefsteak Fungus Fistulina hepatica

Identification: Soft reddish bracket looks like raw
meat and oozes a red blood-like liquid when cut.
Underside consists of rounded pores that are white
or yellowish, bruising and maturing reddish.
Habitat: Found on deciduous trees, usually oaks.
Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

Identification: Classic fairytale toadstool. Red
cap, that starts rounded and flattens, covered with
white spots that are remnants of the protective
veil. Sometimes with no spots if heavy rain washes
them off. White gills and stipe, with a ring and a
volva (egg-like structure at base of stipe).
Habitat: Woodlands, grasslands, heaths usually
associated with birches or conifers. Poisonous.
Fruiting Times:

Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca

Identification: Bright red disc fungus found in
winter or early spring. Up to 5cm across, usually
attached to a buried twig or branch by a short
stem. Easily breaks on handling.
Habitat: Dead wood, usually found in leaf litter.
Widespread and relatively common.
Fruiting Times:
Fun Fact: In European folklore wood elves used
them as cups to drink morning dew.

35
Woodland - Fungi

Porcelain Fungus Oudemansiella mucida

Identification: White or ivory, but sometimes
greyish when young. Caps up to 10cm across,
rounded then opening up. Slimy and translucent,
hence the name ‘porcelain’. Gills similar colour to
cap, stipe with small ring.
Habitat: Living or dying wood of deciduous trees,
mainly Beech, sometimes high up. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

Stinkhorn Phallus impudicus

Identification: This is a fungus that is often smelt
before it is seen. It starts with a jelly filled egg-like
structure that opens to allow the fruiting body to
protrude. The thick white stem is tipped with a
slimy brown-green mucus (gleba) that attracts flies.
This wears away to reveal a white almost honey-
comb surface.
Habitat: Found in soil in woodlands, singly or in
groups. Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus

Identification: Bracket-like fruiting body up
to 40cm across, comprised of several thick,
overlapping, undulating brackets. Fan-shaped
brackets, thick and fleshy with a yellow surface,
darkening with age, texture like that of cooked
chicken. Underside consists of yellow circular pores.
Habitat: Living on dying wood of deciduous trees,
mainly oaks. Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

36
 Woodland - Fungi

Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula

Identification: Distinctive fungus, reminiscent of
an ear, with jelly-like texture and shape. Surface
generally smooth but undulating with folds and
wrinkles. Brownish-red to pale pink-purple.
Habitat: Found on living or dead wood of
deciduous trees and shrubs particularly Elder.
Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans

Identification: Black/brown button-shaped fungus
appearing in groups on dead wood. Starts out
globular, later expanding and flattening to create a
black shiny disc with a blackish-brown felty raised
margin.
Habitat: Dead wood of deciduous trees (Beech and
Oak). Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica

Identification: Rounded, black, hard fungus
firmly attached to dead wood. Starts off reddish-
brown and turns black, smooth texture dusted
with black spores, becoming shiny with maturity.
Flesh becomes brittle and charcoal-like. Cut in half
reveals distinctive concentric circles.
Habitat: Dead wood of deciduous trees (usually
Ash and Beech).
Fruiting Times:

37
Woodland - Fungi and Lichen

Sycamore Tar Spot Rhytisma acerinum

Identification: Found as black-brown splotches
with a lighter outline on Sycamore leaves from
late summer onwards. This fungus matures and
releases spores when on the ground and new
Sycamore leaves are emerging in spring.
Habitat: Sycamore leaves.
Fruiting Times:

Common Greenshield Lichen

Flavoparmelia caperata
Identification: Large (up to 20cm) foliose lichen
with apple-green rounded lobes, brighter when
wet. Surface wrinkled towards centre and centre
often becomes covered in soredia giving a grainy
or powdery appearance.
Habitat: Fairly tolerant of nitrogen pollution,
usually seen on tree trunks and twigs of acidic bark,
but also rocks and synthetic surfaces.
Time To See:

Common Script Lichen Graphis scripta

Identification: Whitish to grey and usually smooth.
Apothecia resemble black lines and squiggles,
ranging from 1-7mm long and 0.2-0.3mm wide
with raised margins and a single slit-like opening.
Habitat: A common species on smooth-barked
trees, more so in the west.
Time To See:

38
 Woodland - Lichen

Crottle Lichen Parmelia saxatilis

Identification: Foliose lichen with grey thallus. A
network of fine white ridges and flecks creates a
‘hammered metal’ effect with isidia on the surface.
Underside dark with rhizines.
Habitat: Fairly pollution-tolerant and grows on a
range of substrates including acidic bark and rocks.
Widespread and common across the whole British
Isles.
Time To See:

Oak Moss Evernia prunastri

Identification: Grows in short tufts (up to 10cm
tall) of flattened branches with forked tips, often
with a net-like pattern of ridges on the surface.
Pale grey-green to pale yellow-green on upper
side, white underneath. May see patches of grainy
soredia but apothecia are rare.
Habitat: Widespread and common but sensitive to
air pollution. Prefers well-lit conditions.
Time To See:

Pepperpot Lichen Pertusaria pertusa

Identification: Pale green-grey thallus, with a
lumpy appearance owing to the warty growths
which crowd the surface. Within these there
are multiple apothecia which look like dark dots
puncturing their surface. They resemble holes in a
pepper pot, hence the common name.
Habitat: A distinctive lichen that is common on
trees across the UK.
Time To See:

39
Woodland - Plants

Bugle Ajuga reptans

Identification: Creeping plant with upright dense
leafy flower spikes 10-30cm tall of blue flowers.
Opposite leaves sometimes bronzy, hairless and
scarcely toothed. Stem square with hairs on two
opposite sides.
Habitat: Damp woods, hedge banks, meadows.
Flowering Times:

Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana

Identification: Low growing herb. Flowers 15-
25mm across with rounded blue-violet petals and
darker veins, spur paler than petals. Leaves are
heart-shaped in a basal rosette and on flowering
shoots.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows, grasslands.
Flowering Times:

English Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Identification: Narrow tube-like violet-blue
flowers, drooping down one side of the stem,
strongly scented with up-rolled tips. Narrow leaves
1-2cm wide.
Habitat: Woodlands, hedgerows, grassland.
Flowering Times:

40
 Woodland - Plants

Spanish Bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica

Identification: Flowers all around the stem and
more upright than English. Flowers upright and
trumpet-shaped, pale blue, white or pink, scentless,
anthers pale blue. Leaves are wider than English
Bluebell, up to 35mm wide.
Habitat: Gardens, woodlands, also hedgerows.
Invasive and non-native.
Flowering Times:

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula

Identification: Flowers in a loose spike, red-
purple, with two raised sepals and a lip with a paler,
dotted patch. Glossy green leaves with lengthwise
blotches, in a rosette and on stem.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows, grasslands.
Flowering Times:

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Identification: Flower spikes, up to 1.8m tall, with
many large purple tubular flowers. Large (up to
30cm) downy leaves.
Habitat: Open spaces, woodland clearings, heaths,
mountainsides.
Flowering Times:

41
Woodland - Plants

Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica

Identification: Flower spike 30-80cm tall with red
flowers in whorls. Leaves oval to heart-shaped,
bristly with an unpleasant smell (like old dishcloths)
4-9cm long with stalks 1.5-7cm.
Habitat: Woods, hedge banks.
Flowering Times:

Rhododendron
Rhododendron ponticum

Identification: Tall, evergreen shrub. Violet or pink

bell-shaped flowers, 4-6cm long and are borne in
rounded clusters. Leaves are leathery, dark green,
with untoothed edges.
Habitat: Highly invasive non-native species, one
of the biggest threats to UK temperate rainforests.
Wood and heaths on acid soil.
Flowering Times:

Stinking Iris Iris foetidissima

Identification: Dull yellow-purple flowers with
distinctive orange-seeded capsules. Plant smells
strongly of meat when crushed. Leaves 70cm long
up to 2cm wide, dark green evergreen flopping.
Habitat: Woods, hedge banks, scrub.
Flowering Times:

42
 Woodland - Plants

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum

Identification: Plant grows to 50cm with pink
flowers 2cm across. Leaves divided to base;
sometimes reddish; hairy with a strong, unpleasant
smell.
Habitat: Woods, hedgerows, shady places, scree,
shingle, trails, garden weed especially by shady
walls.
Flowering Times:

Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera

Identification: A large plant (1-3m) often found
in clumps with large ‘policeman’s helmet’ purple
flowers 4cm long. Reddish stem, leaves with small
red teeth at edge, in whorls of three or opposite.
Habitat: Incredibly invasive and non-native.
Severe threat to native plants along streams,
rivers, and in wet woodlands and damp places.
Flowering Times:

Red Campion Silene dioica

Identification: Deep pink flowers 2cm across on
a softly hairy plant to 1m tall. Opposite, oval, softly
hairy leaves. Hairy stems.
Habitat: Lowland, shady sites, woods, hedge
banks, scree, cliffs.
Flowering Times:

43
Woodland - Plants

Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna

Identification: Star-like yellow flowers 2-3cm
across with 7-12 petals - one of the earliest flowers.
Rosettes of glossy dark green mottled long-stalked
leaves.
Habitat: Damp woods, meadows, stream-sides,
hedge banks.
Flowering Times:

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris

Identification: Yellow buttercup-like flowers
2-4cm across on a mound of kidney-shaped, shiny
leaves.
Habitat: Wet meadows ditches, fens, wet
woodland, by rivers.
Flowering Times:

Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage

Chrysosplenium oppositifolium

Identification: Tiny yellowish green flowers

3-5mm on a low growing patch-forming plant.
Square stem and paired leaves.
Habitat: By streams, in boggy woods, on wet
mountain ledges.
Flowering Times:

44
 Woodland - Plants

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Identification: Pale yellow flowers to 3cm borne
singly on stalks. Rosette of wrinkled leaves tapering
gradually, each up to 15cm long.
Habitat: Woods, hedge banks, grasslands, sea
cliffs, mountains.
Flowering Times:

Cleavers Galium aparine

Identification: Tiny white flowers on a sprawling
plant reaching 3m tall, stems, leaves and fruit
bearing sticky bristles which stick to clothing like
Velcro. Leaves in whorls of six or eight, fruits of two
half nutlets.
Habitat: Cultivated and arable land, wasteground,
woodlands, scrub, open ground, gardens.
Flowering Times:

Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris

Identification: One of the earliest flowering of
the Carrot family. 60-100cm tall with pure white
flowers 0.3mm across in umbels 2-6cm wide. Stems
hollow, without spots; pinnate (fern-shaped) leaves
with pointed leaflets.
Habitat: Hedgerows, woodland edges, roadsides.
Flowering Times:

45
Woodland - Plants

Ramsons / Wild Garlic Allium ursinum

Identification: Flower stalks up to 45cm tall and
a round head of up to 20 white flowers. Pointed
leaves arising from the base up to 25cm long and
7cm at the broadest point, smelling of garlic.
Habitat: Woodland, road verges.
Flowering Times:

Sweet Woodruff Galium odoratum

Identification: Grows in carpets with loose heads
of small funnel-shaped white flowers. Plants are
15-30cm tall, upright and unbranched. Four-angled
stems; leaves elliptical in whorls of six to nine; tiny
forward-pointing prickles on the edges.
Habitat: Woods.
Flowering Times:

Traveller’s-joy Clematis vitalba

Identification: Small fragrant greenish-white
flowers on a plant that scrambles over trees and
shrubs and can reach 30m tall. Paired leaves
divided into pointed leaflets.
Habitat: Hedgerows, scrub, woodland, especially
on chalky soil.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: In autumn it is known by many as old
man’s beard.

46
 Woodland - Plants

Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa

Identification: Star-like white flowers with five to
eight petals, often pink underneath. Long-stalked
stem leaves divided into three.
Habitat: Woodlands, old hedge banks, upland
meadows.
Flowering Times:

Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella

Identification: Solitary white flowers and trifoliate
leaves to 10cm tall. Delicate yellow-green trefoil
leaves.
Habitat: Shady, dry oakwoods, beechwoods, rocks.
Flowering Times:

Bracken Pteridium aquilinum

Identification: Large, deciduous fern 0.5m-2m
tall, with highly branched fronds. Fronds are large
and stalked, giving a branched appearance. Sori,
when present, are found on the underside, along
the leaf margins.
Habitat: Large stands can develop on open
hills, moorland and heathland. Widespread and
abundant.
Flowering Times:

47
Woodland - Plants and Trees

Hartstongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium

Identification: Medium-sized fern with fronds to
around 60cm, in a ‘shuttlecock’ growth form. Our
only fern with undivided strap-shaped leaves.
Habitat: In damp woodlands and along shaded
streamsides. Widespread and common.
Flowering Times:

Lords and Ladies Arum maculatum

Identification: Flower is designed to attract flies
for pollination and club-shaped spike releases a
urine-like odour. Fruit is a spike of bright orange
berries. Shiny arrow-shaped leaves often with dark
spots.
Habitat: Hedgerows, woodland.
Flowering Times:

Ash Fraxinus excelsior

Identification: Tree up to 45m tall and open.
Leaves opposite, pinnate. Dark green above. Black
buds. Smooth bark when young. Fruit with a single
wing.
Habitat: Found on base-rich and damp soil. Native
in south-east England and south-east Wales.
Flowering Times:

48
 Woodland - Trees

Hazel Corylus avellana

Identification: Downy zig-zag stems, hazel nuts.
Beautiful miniature bright-red, female flowers are
one of the first flowers to appear in spring, with
lemon-yellow male catkins.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows.
Flowering Times:

Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris

Identification: Evergreen tree up to 30m tall with
needle-like leaves and small cones. Leaves 3-8cm
long (longer when young), often twisted, borne in
pairs; bark often orange at least in the upper parts.
Habitat: Native to woodlands in Scotland but
widely planted and self-sown throughout the UK.
Flowering Times:

Goat Willow Salix caprea

Identification: Deciduous small tree up to 10m tall.
Goat Willow is very similar to, and hybridises with,
other willows such as Grey Willow. This is also called
‘pussy willow’ due to the large furry silver male
catkins in early spring, before the leaves appear.
Habitat: Woodlands, hedgerows, damp and rough
grassland.
Flowering Times:

49
Woodland - Trees

Beech Fagus sylvatica

Identification: Tree to 40m, domed and much-
branched. Smooth grey bark; slender long-pointed
bud; prickly seed case with two nuts. Lower
branches often grow on one plane so leaves can
catch the light. In autumn, leaves turn yellow, red
and brown and often linger all through winter.
Habitat: Well drained soil. Native in south-east
England and south-east Wales.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Beech woodland is the ideal habitat
for many species such as helleborines, Porcelain
Fungus and King Alfred’s Cakes.

Common Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna

Identification: Shrub or tree up to 10m tall with
flat-topped flower clusters and red berries in
autumn. Deeply divided leaves, thorns on stem.
Each of the red berries should have a single
persisting stamen (hence scientific name ‘mono-
gyna’). If there are two then it might be Midland
Hawthorn, or a hybrid between the two.
Habitat: Hedge banks, woods, wood margins.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: The sweet intense aroma of the blossom
has connotations with death, notably bad luck to
bring indoors, as it was compared in medieval times
to that of the Great Plague. Which may be due to
the blossom’s content of trimethylamine, one of the
first main chemicals produced by decaying living
tissue. Also notably this attracts many flies to the
blossom.

50
 Woodland - Trees

English / Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur

Identification: Deciduous tree up to 45m tall.
Distinctive oval leaves with rounded lobes and a
very short stalk, almost stalkless. ‘Pedunculate’
means ‘stalked’, and refers to the stalked acorn.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows, parkland.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Oak supports 108 species of fungus,
many of which are entirely dependent on Oak.

Field Maple Acer campestre

Identification: Deciduous tree to 20m - the UK’s
only native Maple. Small leaves 4-7cm across, three
to five-lobed, untoothed. Flowers are a greenish-
yellow, 5-6mm in small clusters with the leaves.
Downy, winged fruit (‘helicopters’), in horizontal
pairs. Autumn leaves are a burnt yellow.
Habitat: Woodlands, hedgerows.
Flowering Times:

Holly Ilex aquifolium

Identification: Evergreen tree/shrub up to 20m
tall. Flowers borne in the axils of leaves have four
white petals. Leaves glossy with several very sharp
points.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Holly at Christmas has many origins and
it is often associated with bringing good luck and
protection during this season.

51
Woodland - Trees

Wild Cherry Prunus avium

Identification: Deciduous tree up to 25m tall. Bark
red/brown, peeling and paper-like. Leaves oblong,
toothed, dull green above, with two red glands on
the leaf-stem just below the leaf. Flowers small,
white, appear with leaves. Fruit are small cherries.
Habitat: Woodland, hedgerows.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Wild cherries can be as tasty as
cultivated cherries, but in the UK they only become
sweet when late spring into June is very sunny and
warm. Badger and fox scat are often full of cherry
stones at this time of year.

Yew Taxus baccata

Identification: Evergreen tree up to 20m tall, bark
red/brown and flaking. Trees are male or female,
flowers unremarkable. Leaves needle-like, shiny
dark-green above, grey/green below, pointed, in
two rows either side of central stem. Fleshy red
berry (poisonous, as is every part of the tree).
Habitat: Hedgerows, in woodland usually in small
numbers, often in churchyards where younger
specimens may often be Irish Yew. Poisonous.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: There are ancient Yew trees in the UK
that are thousands of years old.

52
 Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea

Cities and
Towns
Living in a city or town doesn’t mean
you can’t explore and appreciate
nature. Even among our high-rise
buildings and paved streets, wild
plants and fungi are still everywhere,
popping their heads up among the
infrastructure.

From White Dead-nettle to

Blackening Waxcap, wild plants and
fungi continue to fight their way to
the surface. And what a pleasure they
are to see!

These urban species are easy to find

and prove you don’t need to travel far
to enjoy nature.

In this section you can explore 11 wild

plants, eight fungi and five lichens.

Best places to spot wild

plants
When we think of our urban areas, If you’d like to get started looking for
like towns and cities, we often forget nature in your neighbourhood, here
the patchwork of wild and wonderful are the best places to begin your
habitats filled with fascinating species search:
that can be found.
Plants
It’s time to take a closer look at the Find wild plants growing through
trees lining the walk to the shops cracks in the pavements, as well as
for bright patches of lichen, or to in parks, playing fields, road verges,
spend a while counting the unmown graveyards and along riverbanks.
wildflowers and grasses in our
greenspaces in summer.

53
 Fungi Join a community group that
Not just found on dead wood, you cares for local parks and reserves
can spot fungi growing in the grass of Friends’ groups and community
graveyards, road verges and in small groups are the perfect way to meet
areas of woodland. like-minded neighbours and make an
impact for nature.
Lichen
Often hidden in plain sight stuck on Record what you find
pavements, gravestones, walls, letter
By recording the species you find, and
boxes and on some tree branches.
sharing with your local records centre,
And don’t forget your own back with the Botanical Society of Britain
garden! Our urban gardens are a & Ireland (BSBI) or as part of the
sanctuary for wildlife and plants, and National Plant Monitoring Scheme,
you’ll be amazed at what you find if you’ll help rare plants and fungi be
you leave a space for nature. protected for the future.

How you can help wild

plants and fungi in cities
and towns.
Urban plants face their own
challenges in a fast-paced changing
world. Pressures from development
and air pollution, through excess
nitrogen in the burning of fossil fuels,
create their own set of obstacles for
species to grow.

But there are ways you can help!

Whether you live in a flat, a suburban

neighbourhood or on a terraced
street – there are plenty of ways you
can help our urban fungi and flora
thrive. Here are some to get you
started:

Let your garden grow wild

Consider leaving your lawn unmown
in the summer months by taking part
in #NoMowMay or leave the edges of
your garden for nature year-round.

54
 Cities and Towns - Fungi

Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica

Identification: A variety of orange and yellow
colours, discolouring black with age and upon
bruising. Eventually turning completely black. Cap
is very conical, remaining so, often with black areas
especially on the top.
Habitat: Grasslands, churchyards. Widespread
and common.
Fruiting Times:

Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare

Identification: Yellow cap up to 7cm across,
orange-tan in the centre. Gills a distinctive
yellowish green, darkening with age. Stipe same
colour as cap with a ring and often curved. Glows
faintly green in ultraviolet light.
Habitat: Often in clusters on dead or dying wood
in woodlands, gardens, hedges, grasslands.
Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon

Identification: Club-like fungus that looks like a
burnt candle wick when young. Fruit body is up to
6cm tall, black at the base and powdery white from
the mid point to the tip. Sometimes simple in shape,
but often branching into antler-like shapes.
Habitat: Dead wood of broadleaved trees, in
woodlands, gardens, parks. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

55
Cities and Towns - Fungi

Variable Oysterling Crepidotus variabilis

Identification: Found on woody debris and twigs
as very small oval to kidney-shaped fruit bodies
up to 3cm across. Surface white to buff and finely
felty. Gills radiating outwards, initially white,
ageing pinkish brown.
Habitat: Woody debris in gardens, woodlands,
parks. Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus

Identification: Found on dead or dying birches.
Thick, hoof-shaped bracket to 30cm wide. Surface
smooth coloured cream, ochre or greyish with a
white margin. Pores on underside are extremely
small, creamy white.
Habitat: Dead or dying birches in gardens,
woodlands, parks, grasslands. Widespread and
common.
Fruiting Times:

Fairy Ring Champignon Marasmius oreades

Identification: Cap up to 5cm across, orange-
ochre or tan coloured but drying dull cream or buff,
starting rounded and becoming flatter. White gills
and very tough stipe that is pale buff/cream, often
darkening at the base.
Habitat: Often in rings in grasslands, parks,
gardens, playing fields. Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

56
 Cities and Towns - Fungi and Lichen

Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea

Identification: Several species of Honey Fungus
within the genus are very similar looking. Generally
all yellow-brown in colour, rough texture on cap
and yellowish ring on stipe with yellowish brown
scales below ring. Gills whitish, but maturing to
brown. Forms dense clusters.
Habitat: Dead or dying wood in woodlands and on
the site of old stumps, gardens, hedges, grasslands.
Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor

Identification: Multicoloured, thin bracket
fungus. Up to 10cm across in a semicircular shape,
with a thin wavy margin. Tough leathery texture.
Concentric lines of colours from beige to black,
usually with a cream margin. Pores on underside
are small and whitish or cream.
Habitat: Dead or dying wood anywhere.
Widespread and common.
Fruiting Times:

Firedot Lichen Caloplaca flavescens

Identification: Golden-yellow crust-forming lichen
with long, narrow lobes growing outwards from the
centre to form flat rosette splotches. Whitish centre
which cracks with age. Deep orange, disc-shaped
apothecia with prominent margins cluster in the
centre.
Habitat: Rocks, walls, pavements, exposed
cement. Often on old limestone in churchyards.
Time To See:

57
Cities and Towns - Lichen

Yellow Wall Lichen Xanthoria parietina

Identification: Bright yellow to murky grey-green,
leafy lobes. Colour depends on where it’s growing
– green (shade) or yellow (sunlight). Yellow/orange
apothecia are grouped in the centre.
Habitat: Woodland, car parks, trees, walls,
fenceposts and almost any surface where it can
grow undisturbed. Can indicate high levels of
nitrogen air pollution.
Time To See:

Disc Lichen Lecidella elaeochroma

Identification: Small to large, grey-green or
yellowy-grey patches. Smooth or grainy surface
covered with apothecia without margins (looks like
winegums). May be convex or concave and with or
without a black rim.
Habitat: Very common crustose species, found on
smooth bark on trunks and twigs.
Time To See:

Fanfare of Trumpets Ramalina fastigiata

Identification: A fruticose lichen that grows up to
5cm, with recognisable ‘trumpets’ - the apothecia
(fruiting bodies) that stand out at the tips of
branches. Grey-green irregularly shaped and
flattened branches, often wrinkled. Branches end
with round and flattened fruits.
Habitat: Widespread and common with
concentrations in southern England and coastal
areas.
Time To See:

58
 Cities and Towns - Lichen and Plants

Little Ciliated Lichen Physcia tenella

Identification: Small, foliose lichen with lobes
branching outwards, often curling and upright.
Prominent hair-like structures (cilia) extend from
the lobe margins creating a ‘messy’ appearance.
Lobe tips curve back to reveal powdery soredia.
Habitat: Can be found on twigs, bark and branches
and sometimes walls and rocks in urban areas. Can
indicate high levels of nitrogen air pollution.
Time To See:

Buddleja / Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii

Identification: 1-5m tall shrub with spikes of
fragrant lilac (sometimes purple or white) flowers.
Greyish oval leaves; long arching stems.
Habitat: Waste ground or bare places. Non-native
and is now well established in bare areas.
Flowering Times:

Teasel Dipsacus fullonum

Identification: Biennial herb growing up to 2m.
Flower is an egg-shaped head. Opposite leaves
have prickles and join around the stem, catching
water.
Habitat: Open woods, stream banks, roadsides,
rough ground, grassland, marginal habitats,
railway banks.
Flowering Times:

59
Cities and Towns - Plants

Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum

Identification: Whorls or purple-red flowers
1-1.8cm long at the base of leaves. Downy,
aromatic heart-shaped leaves with stalks; those
near the flowers may be purple-tinged.
Habitat: Arable and waste ground, hedgerows,
roadsides, gardens.
Flowering Times:

Rosebay Willowherb
Chamaenerion angustifolium
Identification: Forming tall drifts of pink in mid-
late summer, up to 2.5m tall. Leaves alternate,
lanceolate, slightly toothed with a vein running
close to the margin. Flowers pinkish-purple, 20-
30mm, in a long narrowing raceme, petals slightly
notched.
Habitat: Disturbed sites and wastelands, road
verges.
Flowering Times:

Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris

Identification: Small four-petalled white flowers
on long stalks held horizontally from the main stem.
Fruits distinctive, flat and heart-shaped, held erect.
Basal rosette of variable leaves - undivided to
deeply lobed. Stem leaves clasping.
Habitat: Grassy places, farmland, edge of
pavements/paths.
Flowering Times:

60
 Cities and Towns - Plants

White Dead-nettle Lamium album

Identification: Hairy plant 20-60cm tall with
white flowers 2-3cm long, spaced whorls at the
base of leaves. Stems four-edged; leaves opposite,
toothed oval to heart-shaped with stalks, look like
nettle leaves but don’t sting (hence ‘dead’-nettle).
Habitat: Hedge banks, roadsides, wasteland.
Flowering Times:

Groundsel Senecio vulgaris

Identification: A low-growing erect plant, the
stem usually purplish, with bright shiny green much-
lobed leaves. Composite flowerheads are small and
yellow but rayless, 4-5mm. White feathered seeds.
Habitat: Disturbed soil, wasteground.
Flowering Times:

Yellow Corydalis Pseudofumaria lutea

Identification: A densely tufted plant, up to 30cm
tall, with yellow-green much-divided leaves. Most
obvious when yellow flowers appear - bell-like and
dangling 12-30mm.
Habitat: Walls, rocks, buildings. Naturalised
introduced species.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Although it may not look like it, Yellow
Corydalis is in fact a part of the Poppy family.

61
Cities and Towns - Plants

Scarlet Pimpernel Lysimachia arvensis

Identification: 5-20cm sprawling or prostrate
plant with bright red (or sometimes blue or pink)
flowers borne singly on long stalks from leaf axis.
Oval leaves opposite or whorled; square stem.
Habitat: Waste ground, open and arable land,
sand dunes.
Flowering Times:

Maidenhair Spleenwort
Asplenium trichomanes
Identification: A small, evergreen, wall fern, which
grows in an open rosette, with thin, dark brown
to black frond stems, and short, roundish pinnae.
Older fronds often shed their pinnae, leaving the
bare stems that resemble black hairs (‘trichos’ is
Greek for hair).
Habitat: Walls, rocks, buildings. Widespread and
common.
Flowering Times:

Reedmace Typha latifolia

Identification: Clumps of linear leaves 1-3m with
distinctive brown sausage-shaped seed heads.
Flattened grey-green leaves, all arising from a
basal shoot.
Habitat: Ponds, streams, shallow water.
Flowering Times:
Fun Fact: Reedmace has historically been used in
traditional building practices.

62
Index
A
Acer campestre............................ 51 Buttercup, Meadow....................... 25
Achillea millefolium....................... 30 Butterfly Bush............................... 59
Agrimonia eupatoria..................... 24
Agrimony..................................... 24 C
Ajuga reptans............................... 40 Calluna vulgaris............................ 22
Allium ursinum.............................. 46 Caloplaca flavescens.................... 57
Amanita muscaria......................... 35 Caltha palustris............................. 44
Anemone nemorosa...................... 47 Campanula rotundifolia................ 19
Anemone, Wood........................... 47 Campion, Bladder......................... 28
Anthriscus sylvestris...................... 45 Campion, Red............................... 43
Anthyllis vulneraria....................... 26 Candlesnuff Fungus....................... 55
Armeria maritima......................... 23 Capsella bursa-pastoris................ 60
Armillaria mellea.......................... 57 Cardamine pratensis..................... 22
Arum maculatum.......................... 48 Carrot, Wild.................................. 30
Ash............................................... 48 Celandine, Lesser.......................... 44
Asplenium scolopendrium............. 48 Centaurea nigra sensu lato............ 20
Asplenium trichomanes................. 62 Centaurea scabiosa...................... 21
Auricularia auricula....................... 37 Chamaenerion angustifolium........ 60
Cherry, Wild.................................. 52
B Chicken of the Woods................... 36
Balsam, Himalayan....................... 43 Chrysosplenium oppositifolium...... 44
Beech........................................... 50 Cirsium arvense............................ 20
Beefsteak Fungus.......................... 35 Cladonia rangiformis.................... 17
Bellis perennis............................... 29 Clavaria fragilis............................ 14
Birch Polypore.............................. 56 Cleavers....................................... 45
Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Common.......... 25 Clematis vitalba............................ 46
Black Bulgar................................. 37 Coprinus comatus......................... 14
Blackening Waxcap....................... 55 Corylus avellana........................... 49
Blackstonia perfoliata................... 28 Cowslip......................................... 26
Bluebell, English............................ 40 Crane’s-bill, Meadow.................... 19
Bluebell, Spanish........................... 41 Crataegus monogyna................... 50
Bracken........................................ 47 Creeping Thistle............................ 20
Buddleja....................................... 59 Crepidotus variabilis..................... 56
Buddleja davidii............................ 59 Crottle Lichen............................... 39
Bugle............................................ 40 Cuckooflower............................... 22
Bulgaria inquinans........................ 37 Cuphophyllus pratensis................. 13
Buttercup, Bulbous........................ 24
Buttercup, Creeping...................... 25

63
 D Germander Speedwell.................. 18
Dactylorhiza fuchsii....................... 29 Gliophorus psittacinus................... 15
Daisy............................................ 29 Goat Willow.................................. 49
Daisy, Oxeye................................. 29 Graphis scripta............................. 38
Daldinia concentrica..................... 37 Greenshield Lichen, Common........ 38
Daucus carota.............................. 30 Groundsel..................................... 61
Dead-nettle, Red.......................... 60
Dead-nettle, White....................... 61 H
Digitalis purpurea......................... 41 Harebell....................................... 19
Dipsacus fullonum......................... 59 Hawthorn, Common..................... 50
Disc Lichen................................... 58 Hazel............................................ 49
Dog Lichen................................... 16 Heather........................................ 22
Dog Lichen, Membranous............. 17 Helianthemum nummularium........ 26
Dog-violet, Common..................... 40 Herb Robert.................................. 43
Holly............................................. 51
E Honey Fungus............................... 57
Enchylium tenax............................ 16 Hyacinthoides hispanica................ 64
Evernia prunastri.......................... 39 Hyacinthoides non-scripta............ 40
Hygrocybe coccinea...................... 13
F Hygrocybe conica......................... 55
Fagus sylvatica............................. 50 Hypholoma fasciculare................. 55
Fairy Ring Champignon................. 56
False Reindeermoss...................... 17 I
Fanfare of Trumpets..................... 58 Ilex aquifolium............................... 51
Fern, Hartstongue......................... 48 Impatiens glandulifera.................. 64
Ficaria verna................................ 44 Iris foetidissima............................. 42
Field Maple................................... 51 Iris, Stinking.................................. 42
Firedot Lichen............................... 57
Fistulina hepatica.......................... 35 J
Flavoparmelia caperata................ 38 Jelly Ear....................................... 37
Fly Agaric..................................... 35 Jelly Lichen................................... 16
Foxglove....................................... 41 Juniper, Common.......................... 31
Fraxinus excelsior......................... 48 Juniperus communis...................... 31

G K
Galium aparine............................. 45 King Alfred’s Cakes....................... 37
Galium odoratum.......................... 46 Knapweed, Common.................... 20
Galium verum............................... 27 Knapweed, Greater...................... 21
Garlic, Wild................................... 46 Knautia arvensis........................... 20
Geranium pratense....................... 19
Geranium robertianum................. 43

64
L Peltigera membranacea ............... 16
Lady’s Bedstraw........................... 27 Pepperpot Lichen.......................... 39
Laetiporus sulphureus................... 36 Pertusaria pertusa........................ 39
Lamium album.............................. 61 Petticoat Mottlegill........................ 15
Lamium purpureum....................... 60 Phallus impudicus.......................... 36
Lecidella elaeochroma.................. 58 Physcia tenella.............................. 59
Leucanthemum vulgare................. 29 Pimpernel, Scarlet......................... 62
Ling.............................................. 22 Pink Waxcap................................. 13
Little Ciliated Lichen...................... 59 Pinus sylvestris.............................. 49
Lords and Ladies........................... 48 Piptoporus betulinus...................... 56
Lotus corniculatus......................... 25 Plantago lanceolata...................... 30
Lysimachia arvensis...................... 62 Plantain, Ribwort.......................... 30
Polygala vulgaris........................... 18
M Porcelain Fungus........................... 36
Macrolepiota procera................... 14 Porpolomopsis calyptriformis........ 13
Maidenhair Spleenwort................. 62 Potentilla anserina........................ 27
Marasmius oreades....................... 56 Potentilla erecta........................... 27
Marjoram, Wild............................. 23 Poterium sanguisorba................... 23
Marsh Marigold............................ 44 Primrose....................................... 45
Meadow Waxcap.......................... 13 Primula veris................................. 26
Milkwort, Common........................ 18 Primula vulgaris............................ 45
Prunella vulgaris........................... 19
O Prunus avium................................ 52
Oak Moss...................................... 39 Pseudofumaria lutea..................... 61
Oak, English / Pedunculate............ 51 Pteridium aquilinum...................... 47
Opposite-leaved Golden
Saxifrage...................................... 44 Q
Orchid, Common Spotted.............. 29 Quercus robur............................... 51
Orchid, Early Purple...................... 41
Orchis mascula............................. 41 R
Origanum vulgare......................... 23 Ragged Robin............................... 22
Oudemansiella mucida.................. 36 Ramalina fastigiata....................... 58
Oxalis acetosella........................... 47 Ramsons....................................... 46
Ranunculus acris........................... 25
P Ranunculus bulbosus..................... 24
Panaeolus papilionaceus............... 15 Ranunculus repens........................ 25
Parasol......................................... 14 Rattle, Yellow................................ 28
Parmelia saxatilis.......................... 39 Reedmace.................................... 62
Parrot Waxcap............................. 15 Rhinanthus minor.......................... 28
Parsley, Cow................................. 45 Rhododendron.............................. 42
Peltigera hymenina....................... 17 Rhododendron ponticum............... 42

65
 Rhytisma acerinum....................... 38 Typha latifolia............................... 62
Rock-rose, Common..................... 26
Rosebay Willowherb..................... 60 V
Rumex acetosella.......................... 24 Variable Oysterling....................... 56
Veronica chamaedrys................... 18
S Vetch, Kidney................................ 26
Salad Burnet................................. 23 Vetch, Tufted................................ 21
Salix caprea.................................. 49 Vicia cracca.................................. 21
Sarcoscypha austriaca.................. 35 Viola riviniana............................... 40
Scabious, Devil’s-bit...................... 18
Scabious, Field.............................. 20 W
Scarlet Elfcup............................... 35 White Spindles.............................. 14
Scarlet Waxcap............................. 13 Woodruff, Sweet........................... 46
Scots Pine..................................... 49 Woundwort, Hedge....................... 42
Script Lichen, Common................. 38
Selfheal........................................ 19 X
Senecio vulgaris............................ 61 Xanthoria parietina...................... 58
Shaggy Inkcap.............................. 14 Xylaria hypoxylon......................... 55
Shepherd’s Purse.......................... 60
Silene dioica.................................. 43 Y
Silene flos-cuculi........................... 43 Yarrow......................................... 30
Silene vulgaris............................... 28 Yellow Corydalis............................ 61
Silverweed.................................... 27 Yellow Wall Lichen......................... 58
Sorrel, Sheep’s .............................. 24 Yellow-wort.................................. 28
Sorrel, Wood................................. 47 Yew.............................................. 52
Stachys sylvatica........................... 42
Stinkhorn...................................... 36
Succisa pratensis.......................... 18
Sulphur Tuft.................................. 55
Sycamore Tar Spot........................ 38

T
Taxus baccata............................... 52
Teasel........................................... 59
Thrift, Sea.................................... 23
Thyme, Wild................................. 21
Thymus polytrichus....................... 21
Tormentil...................................... 27
Trametes versicolor...................... 57
Traveller’s-joy............................... 46
Turkey Tail.................................... 57

66
Further Reading
You can find lots of useful information on our website: plantlife.org.uk

Fungi
Grassland Fungi: A Field Guide
by Elsa Wood & Jon Dunkelman. Second Edition 2020. Published by
Monmouthshire Meadows Group. ISBN: 9780957642423

Collins Fungi Guide: The Most Complete Field Guide to the Mushrooms &
Toadstools of Britain & Ireland
by Stefan Buczacki, Chris Shields & Denys Ovenden. Published by Harper
Collins (William Collins). ISBN: 9780007466481

Plants
How to Identify Wild Plants, Trees and Shrubs in Britain and Ireland
by Francis Rose. Revised and expanded Second Edition by Clare O’Reilly, 2006.
Published by Penguin Random House Children’s UK (Frederick Warne Books).
ISBN: 9780723251750

Collins Wildflower Guide

by David Streeter. Second Edition 2016. Published by Harper Collins (William
Collins). ISBN: 9780008156756

Lichen
Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to British and Irish Species
by Frank S Dobson. Seventh Edition. Published by the British Lichen Society.
ISBN: 9780956529107

Images courtesy of:

Plantlife
Creative Commons Wikimedia
(Bob Embleton, Jason Hollinger, Jymm, Laircich Rig, Michel Langeveld, Wolfgan von Brackel)
iStock
(Agne Griciunaite, Aleksandr Zaikin, Annimei, ArgenLant, Chris Page, Collinswood Images, emer1940,
EMFA16, Ewa Zasinska, Henrik_L, Ian Redding, jacglad, Jane Tansi, JohnINPIX, JosefePhotography, KirsanovV,
Kyaw_Thiha, Lemanieh, leonikonst, Lukassek, Mantonature, Mariana Pryimachuk, MikeLane45, Nahhan, Oleg
Marchak, Orest Lyzcheka, Robert Moore, RuudMorijn, seven75, shalom3, shellhawker, sppepper, Stefan Sutka,
TatianaNurieva, Tessa57, Tokarsky, Tom Meaker, troyka, Will Perrett, Wirestock, Yuriy Balagula, zaytchik)
Others
(Alison Smith, Chris Harris, David Genney, Denise Rimmer, Ellen Pisolkar, James Peat, Jane Corey, John Bury,
Julie McKenna, L Campbell, Lliam Rooney, Ray Woods, Roger Butterfield, Steve Day, Sue Harris, Sue McBean)

67
 Plantlife International – The Wild Plant Conservation Charity.

01722 342730
[email protected]
plantlife.org.uk
Registered in England and Wales, Charity Number: 1059559.
Registered in Scotland, Charity Number: SC038951.
Registered Company Number: 3166339. Registered in England and Wales.

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