The Wychwood Flora Group (part of the Wychwood Project) will be conducting a rare wild plant survey in Chadlington this week, on Wednesday, 25th April on The Stocks. Everyone is invited to come along and to join in with the counting of plants, if they wish to. The event is partly dependent on the weather but current forecasts look good.
For many years a small group of keen botanists and conservationists have been monitoring seven nationally rare wild flower species that occur at 20 sites in West Oxfordshire; the Purple Milk-vetch (Astragalus danicus), Yellow Star of Bethlehem (Gagea lutea), Red Hemp-nettle (Galeopsis angustifolia), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Meadow Clary (Salvia paratensis) Cotswold Pennycress (thalaspi perfoliatum) and Downy Woundwort (Stachys germanica).
These plants grow in these locations as they are lime-loving and survive (but only just in some cases) due to the underlying limestone. The survey records have been fed into the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre, Plantlife International and local land owners.