Habitat Wildflower Guide
Urban habitats
Habitat description Urban habitat occurs in a
range of environments in cities and towns, from
parks to derelict industrial sites and even in the
cracks and edges on pavements. At first it may not look like
there is much wildlife in urban areas but parks and gardens are home to a host of
wildlife including insects, birds such as Blue Tits, Chaffinches and Robins, and mammals
such as foxes and squirrels. All of the wildlife benefits from the presence of humans.
Despite the presence of buildings, roads and railtracks, biodiversity can be relatively high. Some of the key UK
sites for invertebrates are post-industrial and cities can contain far more biodiversity than farmland. The main
threats to wildlife in this habitat are air pollution, further urban development and neglect, with shrubby species
such as brambles taking over more diverse flowering communities. The urban habitat can be improved with the
creation of green spaces that will attract wildlife and can be used for human recreation.
Folklore
Key
Urba
loca
tion
n
s..
For hundreds of years, nettles and their
Birm
urba ingha m
extracts have been used as a remedy for
huge n habitais an ex
plan a mou nt t where a mple o
many different ailments including hair
colo ts surv of deve , despit f an
on t nise derive. Oft lopment e the
loss and arthritis. They are also eaten,
may he condi elict g en, wild some
the grow the tions, rou nd. D plants
com m grou nd i re. For differen ependin
particularly in Northern Europe, where
esta on to ch s alkal exa mplet specieg
s
nich blished. alk gra ine, sp , if
nettle soup is a common use of the plant.
clea es only Howeve ssland ecies
r
m
red
and last u nt , these ay beco
The stinging chemicals are removed by
me
deve
i
isol
l
t
lope
d. he grou nated
Herb
d is
soaking the nettles in water so nettle
R ob e
rt (
An a
G er a
soup isn’t painful to eat! However, eaten
n iu m
red n nual p
l
s
r ob e
t
a
e
n
ms a
t wi
some
r tia
t
n u m)
raw, nettles are a painful dish but this
a nd red colnd leave h pin k
s
fl
s
o
r u n n preadi uring. that owers
a
o
ng b
ers.
doesn’t stop people who enter the
y a Often l ften ha nd
ve
oose
syst ly root
em o
ed
Annual Nettle Eating Championship
f
One
to l
ook
out
for.
.
in Dorset competing to see who can
eat the most raw nettles. The chemicals in the
nettles turn the competitors’ tongues black.
www.wildaboutplants.org.uk
Other species to look out for...
Creeping Buttercup
Stinging Nettle
Ranunculus repens
Urtica dioica
Creeping Buttercup is
one of several yellowflowered buttercups. This
species has creeping runners
and hairy leaves and can
be distinguished from the similar-looking Meadow
Buttercup by its less deeply lobed leaves.
Stinging Nettles
have hairs on
their leaves that
are like tiny
needles and
release an irritating chemical
when broken, causing the ‘sting’ that you get if you
brush your skin against a nettle leaf. The flowers are
creamy white and hang from the stem like catkins.
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Oxford Ragwort
Senecio squalidus
Oxford Ragwort gets its name from the
Oxford Botanic Gardens where plants
were first grown in the 1700s. They had
been collected from Mount Etna on the
Island of Sicily where they were found
growing on lava fields. By 1794 the
plant was found on the city walls having
escaped the gardens. Oxford Ragwort is now found all
over the UK growing in the gaps in paving stones and
along the verges of railways and roads. This species is
more spreading and bushier than other species
of Ragwort.
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Common Chickweed
Stellaria media
Common Chickweed is a
very common weed. The
small flowers have five white
petals that are each split
more than halfway down,
making it look like there are 10
petals. It grows in a sprawling
way and has been described
as “one of the world’s most
successful weeds”.
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
John Crellin – www.floralimages.co.uk
Procumbent
Pearlwort
Daisy
Bellis perennis
Sagina procumbens
Procumbent Pearlwort
is common on lawns,
paths and wall tops.
The flowers are on
stalks above a single
rosette and usually don’t
have petals.
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Daisies are common
flowering plants of lawns. The leaves are at the
base of the plant so are usually hidden when growing in
grass. The ‘flower’ is actually made up of many smaller
flowers – the white petals are known as ‘ray florets’ and
the yellow centre is made up of ‘disc florets’.
Photography: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Ivy-leaved Toadflax
Cymbalaria muralis
Hairy Bittercress
Hairy Bittercress is a slender
plant that can be found growing
on walls and in gardens. It has
small white flowers with narrow
petals. It looks very similar to
Wavy Bittercress but is usually
smaller and has straight stems.
Ivy-leaved Toadflax is a creeping
perennial plant with small ivyshaped leaves on long stalks
and lilac or white flowers. This
species usually grows on walls and
rocks. Before the flowers are fertilised they grow
towards the light, then once they are fertilised they grow
away from the light, which helps to make sure that the
seed pod is buried in a dark crevice of the wall or rock.
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Photograph: Andrew Gagg, Plantlife
Cardamine hirsuta
www.wildaboutplants.org.uk
tel: +44(0)1722 342730 email: [email protected]