Wonders of our wildflower

Some of the wildflowers that once decked the landscape are no longer seen, except in the remote corners, due to modern farming methods, destruction of habitat and the loss of hedgerows.

Buttercups and daisies are among the doughty survivors though many are disappearing, temporarily, as the silage-harvesting and haymaking season progresses. Wild plants and herbs are very much part of Irish folklore. Our long-lost ancestors believed the body had 365 parts, with a different herb to cure the ills of each part.

In the Dingle and Beara peninsulas, fuchsia still blooms and such delightful places are now looking their beautiful best. And while the peninsulas have not escaped intensive farming, they still have a patchwork of small fields, with ditches and hedgerows that have remained intact for hundreds of years.

The Burren, in Co Clare, is probably the best place to see wildflowers. About 70% of Irish species can be found in the Burren where farmers are also engaged in nature-friendly land management. The REPS scheme, which paid farmers to manage their land in harmony with nature, has helped conserve some of our flora. However, this work should not be left to farmers alone. The average suburban lawn or garden can also be a haven for wild plants. There’s no reason why lawn margins and discreet corners away from public view can’t be so used.

Foxglove, sorrel and thistle can all be lovely, no matter where found. Even weeds can be worth preserving for bees. Nettles are everywhere and they’re useful for caterpillars and butterflies. In the UK, a programme to nurture wild plants on waste ground has been underway for several years. And, there’s no reason why, for instance, more wildflowers can’t be planted on roadsides here.

As I write, buttercups are swaying in a meadow over the fence. Some people still pick buttercups for May altars and for displays in their homes. There’s a lot of folklore around the buttercup which was sometimes rubbed on cows’ udders, on May day, to protect them.

In Irish Wild Plants, Niall Mac Coitir, says there was a common belief that a field with buttercups eaten by cows would give a golden colour to the milk and butter produced from that milk. However, he adds, there are no grounds for that belief as cattle generally don’t eat buttercups. Buttercups were used as herbal cures in folk medicine because of the biting quality of their sap which can produce blistering. It was also used as a counter irritant for rheumatic conditions and to relieve headaches, and to cure warts and jaundice.

Mr Mac Coitir, however, warns his readers that most of the ‘cures’ mentioned by him have not been scientifically tested and some may even be dangerous.