An Important (Little) Success for the Park

You may have completely missed it as you walk through the park, but a small and significant success is taking place in Wray Crescent Park… We have a Snakes-head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)!

It’s a success because this small, fragile, yet beautiful little plant is classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for the UK.

An endangered species

Once as common as dandelions or daisies in meadows and on riverbanks, in 1983 there were less than 500 plants recorded in some nature reserves across the UK.

Organizations such as the Wildlife Trust have since created additional meadow reserves in an effort to protect this spring plant.

A few years ago, we managed to source a small number of organically produced bulbs (bulbs grown using natural methods, avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, supporting a a healthy environment for pollinators and soil health) and planted them with support from our volunteers.

We lost some due to human impact, but others have become established and increased in numbers!

Next year (after flowering) we will propagate some and move them to the nature reserve area within the park where they should enjoy the damper soil and sunlight.

If you are interested in encouraging sustainable planting, food growing or caring for the park, please join our gardening group or take part in our monthly park maintenance workshops. Just click the Join Us link above to receive the next in our irregular newsletters.