Add flower finding to your beach activities

The salty sea air and sandy soil might prove a problem for some plants, but others thrive in these conditions.

That being said, nature as a whole, in the UK is in decline. Since the 1970s, a total of 54% of flowering plants have been lost from areas where they used to thrive. This means beautiful plants such as Heather and Chamomile, both of which you can find on our coastlines, are becoming harder to find.

So, when you next head out with your bucket and spade, why not see if you can spot some of the stunning species that adore the seaside as much as we do! Lets take time to appreciate the wild plants that call the coast home and help to protect their future.

What plants can you expect to find?

Keep on the lookout before you arrive at the beach as there are plenty of species to spot on the walk down to the sand. From coastal paths and cliffs to streams that lead to the sea and maritime heaths, there are multiple habitats for plants to call home.

Here are some of our favourites:

• Gorse Ulex sp. can be found on banks, heaths and sea-cliffs. Also a signature plant of acidic rough open space and commonland. 
  Gorse is a shrub that is easy to spot with its sharp green spines and yellow flowers. It gives off the sweet smell of coconut in the spring. While flowers can be seen most of the year, it’s at it’s best between April and May.  On hot summer days you can hear the seed pods popping and crackling open, releasing their seeds. 
• Thrift Armeria maritima, is a common sight in coastal areas all over the UK and can be found on cliffs. maritime rocks and salt marshes as well as further inland.
  These pretty spherical blooms are usually pink, rarely white. Thrifts have two subspecies, maritima and elongata. To tell the difference, maritima has hairy stems. It flowers between April and October.
• Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, is common all over the UK coastline and can be found on cliffs, rocks and maritime heaths.
  Kidney Vetch usually has clusters of yellow flowers, though they can be orange or red. To spot the plant, turn the leaves over – they should be white underneath with a soft silky texture. It flowers between June and September.
• Common Reed Phragmites australis, is a common sight all over the UK and can be found in shallow rivers, streams and estuaries near the coast.
  It is a tall perennial growing up to 3m. The leaves which are green in colour with a grey tinge are long and flat. Common Reeds have large fluffy, flower spikes that are purple to brown. They flower between August and October.
• Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre is a perennial plant that can be found all around the coast from cliff tops to sand-dunes and shingle beaches. It can also be found further inland, usually growing in walls or cracks of paths.
  Plants grow up to 10cm and have overlapping fleshy leaves. It flowers between May and July with bright yellow, star shaped flowers, that are a favourite of pollinators.
• Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana, is a biennial plant that can be found on coastal cliffs, dunes, and maritime heaths as well as further inland on acidic soils, hedge banks, rough grasslands and rocky hillsides. It is widespread in west Britain, but scattered elsewhere.
  This pretty plant has rounded flower heads that are bright blue in colour and grow up to 35mm in diameter. They flower between May and August.

Once you get down to the beach itself, a whole new habitat opens up. While the landscape might seem arid, there a number of interesting plants you can find living in the sand.

Here are some of our favourites:

• Sea Mayweed Tripleurospermum maritimum, can be found on cliffs and sea walls, but also shingle beaches and even sand. This hardy perennial, which is part of the daisy family, can be found in coastal zones all around UK.
  The flowers look like large daisies with a mass of leaves that are quite thick and succulent. It flowers between July and August.
• Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum, as the name suggests, prefers rockier locations, and can be found on sea walls, cliffs and rocks on the beach as well as shingle beaches themselves. They can be found on the south and west coasts of Britain and all around the coast of Ireland.
  Rock Samphire has lots of branches with succulent type leaves that are rounded. It flowers with small yellowish green flowers between July and August.
• Sea-holly Eryngium maritimum, can be found popping out of sand dunes as well as fine shingle beaches all around the UK, apart from the north and east of Scotland as well as north east England.
  Sea-holly is easy to spot with it’s spiny leaves. It does look like it could be a relative of Holly, but is actually within the Apiaceae family, which includes Fennel, Parsnip and Coriander. Sea-holly has blue flowers that can sometimes have a metallic sheen.
• Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides, is a maritime succulent that can be found all over the UK coast on sand and shingle beaches.
  Sea Sandwort is a long creeping perennial that has fleshy succulent leaves up to 18mm. It has small flowers up to just 10mm in diameter with greenish petals. It flowers between May and August.
• Common Restharrow Ononis repens can be found in most areas of the UK, apart from north Scotland and west Ireland. You can spot this perennial plant in sand dunes and shingle beaches as well as further inland.
  Plants grow to around 60cm and have stems that are green and sometimes slightly red in colour. The stems are covered in tiny hairs. They have small pink flowers, similar to those of a pea, which can be seen between June and September.
• Sea Campion Silene uniflora is a perennial plant that can be found on coastal cliffs, rocky ground and shingle beaches, all around the UK coastline.
  Plants can grow up to 25 cm. Their flowers have five white petals with splits down the middle, which can make it look as though the flowers have ten petals each. They flower between June and August.

How to get started?

The best thing about species spotting, is that you really don’t need any equipment that you wouldn’t already have, just appropriate clothing and footwear for exploring the coast.

If you did want to bring anything along, you could take a plant guide, so that you can name any species you find that we haven’t included. You could also bring a hand lens with a x10 or x20 magnification to get a close up look at the petals and leaves and a camera to capture memories from your adventure.

To help you ID some of the species you find, why not read our blog here, on three apps to help you identify wildflowers with your phone.

Remember to stay safe when you are by the sea. Stay well away from cliff edges and bases, pay attention to any warning signs such as those in areas where there may be rock falls and always make yourself aware of the tide times before heading to the beach.

Nature needs our help. The UK’s plant species are in decline, and 1 in 6 wildlife species are at risk of extinction.

But, there is so much hope. We have been involved in a number of projects that have brought species back from extinction, helped protect species on the edge and encouraged thousands to let their lawns grow wild for nature. And the good news is, everyone can help.

So, to celebrate World Nature Conservation Day, held annually on 28 July, we are sharing ideas on how you can protect nature. Whether you’re a landowner or someone without a garden – there are ways for everyone to get involved.

How can you get involved?

Spend some time connecting to nature

Whether it’s by spending a virtual minute in a meadow with our video below, or heading to your local nature reserve – connecting with nature is so important.

The health of nature and our own health and wellbeing are intrinsically linked. There are countless studies that show the benefits time in nature can have – from lower stress levels, to improved mood and mental health.

For more ideas, visit our Explore the Outdoors page here and discover more of the magical world of wild plants and fungi.

Wildflower meadows, a staple of the British countryside, are a buzz of activity, especially in the spring and summer. It’s not just the wildflowers and fungi that rely on their diverse vegetation, in fact, a range of wildlife can call these habitats home. By growing a meadow, you can also create a home or hunting ground for bees, butterflies, invertebrates, birds, mammals and reptiles.

Here are some of the animals you might spot in a meadow:

The landmark State of Nature report is a stark call to action, published by the RSPB. The headlines are alarming, with species populations in decline, species communities changing and extinction rates increasing. The report makes it clear that to protect our wildlife we need cohesion and mobilisation of all sectors of society.

Against this backdrop, and under the weight of responsibility to the environment, communities are now rallying together to ask for change. From small online actions such as signing petitions at home, to organising rallies in our capital, such as the Restore Nature Now demo organised by Chris Packham and his team in September 2023.

Who is speaking up for plants and fungi?

Volunteers have been helping to care for the woodmeadow for over 10 years. The group was founded by residents in surrounding villages joining forces to turn a 10ha arable field into the Three Hagges nature reserve that we know and love today.  

We meet every Tuesday morning, rain, shine, or snow, and we do a range of practical conservation tasks to keep the woodmeadow a pleasant place for visitors and a thriving habitat for wildlife.  

The whole of Three Hagges Woodmeadow is incredibly special. There are surprises around every corner to enjoy, such as a bee hotel, Crombie Roundhouse (a traditional shelter made of materials found in the wood) and wildlife pond.  

I would be completely lost without my team of volunteers – I couldn’t enhance and maintain Three Hagges on my own.

The volunteers are the heart and soul of the woodmeadow and they turn up, whatever the weather, to work hard, laugh hard and go home tired and happy. 

The Cairngorms is characterised by two rare habitat types – the pinewoods and the high mountaintop plateau (habitat consistently above 650m). These are the main areas we work on, alongside upland species rich meadows and grassland fungi sites. 

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you’re up for doing something to help wild plants. In fact, there’s an excellent chance that you already have – perhaps you have taken part in No Mow May, or have adopted an NPMS square? 

Whatever you have done, thank you! Your help is hugely appreciated. Now I’m going to ask you to do something else, something not quite as fun as putting on your wellies and getting out into nature – but something which could be even more powerful. 

1.  We need a programme of ecosystem restoration. We can’t just protect the last remaining scraps of nature we have left. We need to give nature the space to recover and expand, in order for it to be resilient. We think that Scotland’s rainforest, and our species-rich grasslands, are priority ecosystems which need urgent help.

2.  We need a programme of species recovery. Some of our plant species are in such a fragile state that they need targeted action to help them. Clear actions must be set out within the strategy to help recover threatened species.

3.  We need legally-binding targets for nature. If we don’t set targets, governments can’t be held to account, and there is little incentive for decision-makers to take action to halt the loss of nature. We need targets for species abundance and distribution, and for protected areas to be in good condition. 

4.  We need an effective plan to protect 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030. Government has committed to delivering this, but at the moment there is little detail on how it will be achieved. We need to take the opportunity to create vibrant networks of recovering ecosystems with the space to allow species to thrive and move.

5.  We need a clear and specific funding plan for delivery. Restoring nature won’t be cheap, but neither will dealing with the fall-out from collapsing ecosystems. Investing in nature, and in all the benefits it provides for us, is always cost effective.

If you do get a chance to respond to the consultation, thank you! It really will help – every voice makes a difference. And once you’re finished, remember to do something nice to reward yourself. Maybe get outdoors, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself how amazing nature is. And know that you have helped in the fight to save it.