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Last gasp for the rare Rapunzel flower

Survey reveals fewer sites and fewer flowers than expected

January 05 2011

A new survey in 2010 found even fewer sites than expected for the rare wild flower spiked rampion.

Plantlife launched a project earlier in the year which aims to save spiked rampion, one of the UK’s rarest plants, from extinction. The project, funded by SITA Trust, began with a survey during the flowering season to find out how many plants still survive and how healthy populations are – but results reveal that there are only eight sites remaining, with less than ten plants at five of these sites.

A very rare wild flower, under threat of extinction in the UK

Spiked rampion (Phyteuma spicatum) is a spectacular wild flower, a member of the bellflower family with unusual cream-coloured spikes of flowers, and it only grows in woodland and road verges in East Sussex. In recent years it was thought to be present at 10 - 13 sites, but the new survey carried out this year only found it present at eight sites. Causes of its decline are the loss or degradation of its original habitats through building houses and roads, a lack of traditional woodland management and the fragmentation of its remaining habitat.

Rapunzel’s flower?

Known on the continent as white Rapunzel, it is mentioned in the fairytale as the plant which Rapunzel steals and as a result is locked in her tower!

Can spiked rampion be brought back from the brink?

Without intervention and improved management of the sites, there is a possibility that spiked rampion will join the list of wild flowers that we have lost from the UK.

'Plantlife’s project is timely,' said Plantlife’s Species Recovery Officer Dominic Price, 'and we still have a chance of improving its fortunes if we act now. If we had left it any later, it may have been too late, but we are optimistic that we can help boost its chances. With generous funding from SITA Trust, we hope to be able to secure flourishing populations of this spectacular plant for future generations to enjoy.'

Winter management

Managing these sites better will involve reintroducing some traditional practices such as coppicing and creating small glades that let in light to the woodland floor – and Plantlife will be working with landowners to create areas of woodland with forest glades or forest rides. Managing woodland and road verges to help spiked rampion should also improve the habitat in general and allow other woodland species such as wood anemone, bluebell, common twayblade and common spotted orchids to thrive – and in turn benefiting a host of other wildlife including bees, butterflies and birds.

Help save spiked rampion by becoming a ‘Flora Guardian’

Members of the public in East Sussex are invited to become Plantlife ‘Flora Guardians’ to help monitor sites where spiked rampion grows, or where it has grown in the past. A training day will be held next June for the new Flora Guardians, to show them the plant and pass on information about site monitoring.

For more information, please contact:

Dominic Price Plantlife Species Recovery Officer T: 01722 342749 / E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Sue Nottingham Press Office T: 01722 342757 / E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).