Wildflower meadows’ first bloom wows in north Devon

Newly created rare wildflower meadows have bloomed for the first time this summer. 

 Swathes of white oxeye daisies, bird’s-foot trefoil and bright blue viper’s bugloss have flowered along with meadow grasses, filling an area the size of 197 football pitches – 90 hectares. The fields, on the north Devon coast in England, have taken two years to establish from 1.3 tons seeds, as part of the National Trust’s largest ever wildflower grassland project. 

Acting as wildflower seed donor sites, throughout the summer rangers have been joined by volunteers to collect seeds either with a brush harvester, seed vacuum or by hand. Every hectare of donor site harvested will provide enough seed to sow two more hectares of meadows, say organisers, allowing the ‘scaling up’ of grassland creation across the south-west. 

Species-rich grasslands are rare, with only 1% of flower-filled meadows remaining in the UK.  

“Grasslands can take a long time to establish, some wildflower species can take up to seven years whilst others like Oxeye Daisy can become dominant quicker,” said project co-ordinator Joshua Day.

“The sense of anticipation through the last two winters has been high, watching and waiting for the first successful seedlings to emerge.”  

Initial monitoring has shown an increase of wildflower coverage from just 2% to 40% in just two years, said Day, and ‘fundamental’ meadow species such as, yarrow, red Clover, common sorrel and yellow rattle have already been recorded. 

“This first full bloom is an indication of success for the future of species rich grasslands here in Devon, returning a diverse range of wildflowers to the countryside which will, in turn, benefit nature and ourselves,” he said.

That flower power appears to be giving other forms of nature a boost along the coast, helping wildlife that already lives there, as well as attracting new species. Sightings of pollinators such as the brown banded carder bee and meadow brown and common blue butterflies are increasing, as the specific plants that they rely on to survive, bloom and grow. 

The sense of anticipation through the last two winters has been high, watching and waiting for the first successful seedlings to emerge

Insect populations are also on the up, with rangers seeing hundreds of meadow grasshoppers as wildflowers continued to fill the fields this summer. A vital food source for a range of wildlife, the rise in insects means several species of birds have been spotted including swifts, house martins, skylarks, kestrel and meadow pipits, all species that are in decline in the UK. Greater horseshoe bats have been seen darting across the meadows, hunting at dusk.

Images: National Trust Images/James Dobson