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Calling all landowners of Caledonian pinewoods!
New Plantlife guide explains the conditions that rare flowers need to survive in this Scottish environment.
August 02 2011
Twinflower, one of the at-risk wildflowers the guide hopes to help thrive. © Laurie Campbell
Caledonian pinewoods are home to some of Scotland’s most rare and beautiful wildflowers: from wild orchids such as creeping lady’s-tresses, lesser twayblade and coralroot, to one of Scotland’s smallest and most delicate native flowers, twinflower.
Black Isle Show 2011
Plantlife will be on hand to answer questions about Caledonian pinewoods and all your wildflower questions at the Black Isle Show, 3-4th August, Mansfield Showground, Muir of Ord. Copies of Managing Scotland’s Pinewoods for their Wildflowers will be available for free at the showground.
Sadly all have suffered severe losses over the last century. In response, Plantlife has created a guide for anyone that owns pinewoods with some simple steps they can take to protect and encourage woodland wildflowers.
“With more native pinewood now being planted in Scotland, it seemed to be the perfect moment to publish some pointers on how to help look after some of the rare wildflowers that make up the floral heritage of the Caledonian pinewoods” says Dr. Deborah Long, Conservation Manager for Plantlife Scotland.
Caledonian pinewoods are dominated by Scot’s Pine, which, despite its name, is the most widely spread conifer in the world, stretching from Finmark in Norway to Sierra Nevada in Spain and as far east as the Sea of Okhotsk. In Scotland, pinewoods occur mainly in the central and north-west Highlands and are naturally interspersed with rocky and boggy areas that provide small, shaded clearings that are extremely valuable to flowering plants. Intensive wood clearance, drainage, over-grazing and dense re-planting have led to the loss of these important areas on the forest floor, and the flowers that they supported.
Written by the well-known natural historian, Michael Scott, the new Plantlife guide explains the conditions that the rare flowers need to survive, and provides some management recommendations that land managers can follow to help maintain and expand the wonderful diversity of Scotland’s Caledonian pine forests.
Managing Scotland’s Pinewoods for their Wildflowers is available to download for free via the link below. Hard copies are available from the Plantlife Scotland office (click here for contact address).
For more information and images please contact:
Deborah Long, Conservation Manager: tel 01786 478509 email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Davie Black, Volunteers Co-ordinator: tel 01786 469778 email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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