yellow flowers

Black Medick (Medicago lupulina) Wildflower

A generally common wildflower, with many small yellow oval-round flowers, and trifoliate leaves, (3 leaflets) mostly found on fertile or calcareous soils, in sunny areas on short grazed or cut grassland like garden lawns and verges.

Flowering May-October, each Black Medic plant may have around 40-50 yellow flowers that emerge from the leaf axils of the short stems, which despite their small size, attract many pollinating insects, such as bees, moths and butterflies.

Despite the abundance of small yellow flowers Black Medic gets its name from the small black kidney shaped seeds which can be found late August – September.

Black Medic Wildflower seeds and yellow flowers September

A mixture of the Black Medick seeds and the small yellow flowers seen together around September.

Black Medic (Medicago lupulina) Wildflower with small yellow flowers

Black Medic (Medicago lupulina) small yellow flowers

Black Medic Information

Group: fabaceae (Pea Family)
Type: Annual – perennial
Similar appearance to: Clovers – Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)
Flowering: May-October
Habitat: Meadows, Tracks, Roadside Verges, Garden Lawns
Height: around 35-50cm
Larval food plant: Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)
Nectar plant: Common Blue butterfly, Brown Argus butterfly, Gatekeeper butterfly, Meadow Brown butterfly, Wood White Butterfly (leptidea sinapis), Moths and Bees
Photograph: 5th September 2012- South Lincs

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

about

A tall perennial or biennial plant with flat-topped clusters of small bright yellow flowers on long straight leafy stems.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) provides a nectar for many species of bees, flies, moths and butterflies, some species are totally dependant upon it as a food source, making it a vital part of our natural native flora.

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars on Ragwort Plant.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

Plant Information

Name: Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Where: Very Common through-out Britain
Habitat: Grassy meadows, Road side verges, Embankments, Waste ground, and many other open areas.
When does it flower?: June to November.
Height up to: 1 m.
Larval Food Plant: Cinnabar moth (dependent)
Butterfly Nectar Plant for: Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Green-veined White, Small White, Marble-white, Large White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Comma, Holly Blue, Small Copper.
Photographed: top 7th August, left 20th July (Macro).

Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum)

A noticeably tall wild flowering perennial plant, with yellow flowers and purple stamens, that appear June – July, often in groups around at least half of the tall stem, the dark green leaves are lower down the stem and around the base.

Dark Mullein is often seen growing on roadside verges or disturbed ground, mainly in the South and East of England, often preferring calcareous (alkaline) or sandy soils, making it scarce in the North.

Dark Mullein is also a food plant for the caterpillar of the aptly named “Mullein Moth (Cucullia verbasci)”, the noticeable black and yellow spotted caterpillars may also be found on other Plant species like buddleia and verbascums, before they eventually leave the host plant pupate and emerge as a moth.

Mullein Moth caterpillar (Cucullia verbasci) on Dark Mullein plant

Mullein Moth caterpillar (Cucullia verbasci) on Dark Mullein Flowers

Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum)

Plant Information

Name: Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum)
Family: Figwort.
Height: 1.2m.
Photographed: above 30th June 2010 – left 2nd July.
Location: Barnack Hills and Holes (NNR).

Wild Primrose (Primula vulgaris) in Woodland and Gardens

A low growing early Spring perennial, with pale yellow flowers with orange/yellow centres, on slender hairy stems varying in size up to around 25cm long seen from February to May.

The leaves are in a rosette, arranged around the base of the flower stems.

Common and widespread throughout many areas, wild Primroses can often found growing in, open woodland or under hedgerows, and even on, Roadside verges and Embankments. They are also a popular plant in many gardens across the UK .

Early wildflowers like Primroses are a good nectar source for Butterflies, Bees and many other insects in early spring. It is also a primary larval food plant for one of the UK’s rarest Butterflies the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina).

Wild Primrose flowers and leaves

Primrose (Primula vulgaris) flowering in woodland

grow Primula vulgaris from seed

Grow Common Primrose (Primula vulgaris) from seed, they are available from Thompson & Morgan, for more information Visit Thompson & Morgan Here

Plant Information

Name: Wild Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Species: Primula
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Also Known As: English primrose
Grow from Seed: Easy
Where: Common and Widespread through-out Britain
Habitat: Often found on – Woodland, Shaded Meadows, Embankments, Roadside verges and Gardens.
When does it flower? February to May.
Fruiting: n/a.
Height around: 25cm.
Larval Food Plant: Duke of Burgundy Butterfly
Other well known Primula Varieties: Cowslips (primula veris)

Common Rock-Rose (halianthemum nummularium)

A bright yellow wildflower found in calcareous (alkaline) soils on well drained grassland, fairly common and widespread where soil conditions are right in the south and East of England, but becoming less common further North.

The five petaled yellow flowers appear May-September, around 15-25mm in size often in clusters.

The Common Rock-rose, provides a good nectar source for Bees and other insects, it is also a primary larval food-plant for the Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Northern Brown Argus, and Silver Studded-Blue Butterflies.

Quick Information

Group: Cistaceae.
Family: Rock-rose
Type: Perennial.
Height around: 50mm.
Habitat: Dry Grassland, Rocky areas.
Flowering: May to September.
Photograph right : shows open Rock Rose flower, flower buds and leaves
Photographed : 23rd May 2010.
Location : Barnack Hills and Holes (NNR)

Rock-rose (halianthemum nummularium) Wildflower with yellow flowers

Common Rock-rose (halianthemum nummularium) flower buds and leaves

Gorse (ulex europaeus)

about

A spiny evergreen shrub, Gorse with its show of strikingly bright yellow flowers, begins to bloom late February, through until late May and sometimes longer, making it stand out in the early months of spring.

Gorse Ulex. spp are widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, usually growing in acid soils on heathland, it can often found on woodland tracks in conifer or fir tree forests, being able to tolerate the dry poor quality soil conditions.

Due to its tolerance of poor quality soils, and spectacular blooms Gorse (ulex europaeus) is often planted and used as hedging in sandy coastal areas to create barriers or windbreaks.

Gorse(ulex spp.) close up

Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Plant Information

Name: Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus)
Family: fabaceae (pea family)
Height: up to 2 meters
flowering: February to May
Similar varieties: Western Gorse (Ulex gallii), Dwarf Gorse (ulex minor).
Larval food plant: Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus), Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).
Photographed: 27th March 2010