The nations’ favourite wild flower?

A national vote has been launched to find out the nations’ favourite wild flower. The shortlist of 25 flowers has been voted for by the membership of Plantlife over the winter and is live for the public to vote as part of celebrations for the charity’s 25^th anniversary. The results will be announced in June.

Visit www.plantlife.org.uk/wildflowervote to see the 25 shortlisted wild flowers, discover their conservation status and cultural importance and, of course, place your vote.  

Plantlife expert Dr Trevor Dines comments “I love this shortlist produced by Plantlife members – it’s slightly bonkers and in many ways reflects us a nation. There are country icons we can be proud of, like dog rose for England and wild daffodil for Wales. There are familiar plants we all know and love – bluebell, primrose and foxglove. But then there some real oddities... Who would have thought chickweed-wintergreen, a rare plant of woods in Scotland and northern England, would have made the list? I’ve only seen it once, although that was enough to confirm its undeniable beauty. On the contrary, cow parsley is seen as road verge weed by some, but is clearly loved by many. There are powerful symbols too – we cherish poppies to remember our fallen soldiers – while legend has it that Pasqueflowers grow on the graves of Viking warriors, springing up from their blood. It’s an eclectic mix; one that perfectly reflects our countryside and our relationship with it.”