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26 November 2025
The Breckland Flora Group – a volunteer-led group that has transformed understanding of some of the UK’s rarest and most threatened plants – celebrates its tenth anniversary this month.
From just a handful of recorders in its first year, the Group – which is managed by Plantlife in partnership with Natural England and Forestry England – has grown to 60 trained volunteers, who meticulously count, map and photograph plants, recording habitat conditions and threats.
The Group has surveyed 70 sites and gathered tens of thousands of detailed records for 37 rare species over the past decade. These have informed the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s (BSBI) Red List report published this month, providing crucial data for understanding national plant trends, and Natural England’s Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) condition assessments, which help deliver the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.
Most notably, surveys have rediscovered historic locations for Spring Speedwell Veronica verna, and guided management at two of the UK’s remaining four sites for Fingered Speedwell Veronica triphyllos – turning declining populations into recovering ones.
Jo Jones, Coordinator of the Breckland Flora Group and Plantlife’s Brecks Conservation Officer, said: “We now know where these rare Brecks plants are, how they’re doing and what they need to survive. A century ago, Spanish Catchfly Silene otites was described as being ‘as thick as a hayfield’ — and our ambition is to see that abundance return. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers and supportive landowners, we’re making that recovery possible.”
The Brecks is home to one of the UK’s most remarkable suites of specialist flowers and grasses, adapted to the area’s nutrient-poor sandy soils, extremes of temperature and very low rainfall. Many Brecks species survive only where other vegetation cannot, using long tap roots or rapid life cycles to cope with the harsh conditions.
Eight plant species grow nowhere else in Britain except the Brecks, including Spring Speedwell Veronica verna and Spanish Catchfly Silene otites. Perennial Knawel Scleranthus perennis ssp. prostratus is found nowhere else on Earth.
But the number of sites where these species survive has shrunk dramatically, driven by development pressures, intensive agriculture, changing land use, and the impacts of climate change.
One of the Breckland Flora Group volunteers, Meg Miller, said: “Being part of the Breckland Flora Group is a wonderful experience. I have learnt so much about the rare and special plants under our feet, seen some beautiful sites and have made some great friends with similar interests. It has made me feel part of something bigger and given me a greater appreciation, connection and understanding of the land we live in.”
Volunteers of the Breckland Flora Group range from experienced botanists to complete beginners, all trained in plant identification and survey skills. As the Group enters its second decade, its role will be more important than ever — providing the evidence needed to protect species at risk, shaping land management across the region, and helping ensure that the Brecks’ unique plant life can thrive into the future.
For more information or to get involved, email: CoordinatorBFG@plantlife.org.uk
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