| Gallery: Garden 'woodland floor' flora |  |
Most of the 'woodland' plants we use or find in our gardens are actually plants of the woodland edge or hedgerow since few of us have proper woodland canopy in our gardens. Some of our favourite natives are plants of these habitats.
Pictures
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Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) is a relative of the buttercups but rather more elongated petals. A common early flower of woods and hedgerows, this is an important early nectar source for insects.
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Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus). Note the typically drooping, one-sided flower spike.
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This is a plant which you should avoid planting in the garden. The problem with the spanish bluebell (Hyachintoides hispanica) is than it hybridises with our own native bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) to produce a fertile cross (Hyacinthoides non-scripta x hispanica) which itself can cross back with our native bluebell. In many places now, the hybrid outnumbers our own bluebell and ecologists are very worried about the long-term future of our native plant. Spanish bluebells are much more erect than the native plant; hybrids are intermediate.
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Pendulous sedge (Carex pendula) is a spectacular large native sedge typical of woodland and woodland edge. In my garden it seeds itself freely and I simply need to go around each year removing those which I don't want.
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The wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) is one of the most beautiful and delicate native woodland flowers. | | Click to enlarge | |
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This picture shows the typical drooping habit of the shy little wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa). | | Click to enlarge | |
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