This page aims to highlight and illustrate the wild flowers found in Horndean. Not just the rarities but the common wayside species where they do well and play a significant part in enhancing the local countryside.

Horndean has a wide range of habitats from chalk grassland to ancient woodland, meadows, hedgerow and heathland.

To start this page we have a gallery of wild flower species that have been seen in flower in Horndean during April 2008. Some are very common but nevertheless make a great contribution to the spring flowering of the countryside. Some are quite rare, perhaps just overlooked.

Click on the thumbnail images to view the larger images in the gallery.

On the 29th April I was 'weeding' a path to the wild garden and came across a plant I didn't recognise, originally dismissed as being Field Madder. On closer examination I soon realised it was something else. Looking through the Wild Flower key it turned out to be Cornsalad or Lamb's Lettuce - Valerianella locusta.

Easily overlooked, the plants in our path were very small, the biggest being 2" tall, this could be because it had been repeatedly trodden on - the generic name means 'little valerian' The plant used to be grown for use in winter salad and may have been brought here by visiting Frenchmen who were very fond of the plant's young leaves, but the flora says it is native. Although they contain few calories they are rich in vitamins and mineral salts. There are other similar species told apart by looking at the fruits (see Stace).
This photograph was taken using a macro lens, the Sigma 150mm 1:2.8 APO Macro.

Blackthorn on Catherington Down	Cowslips on Catherington Down	Wild roses at Catherington Down	Wild roses at Catherington Down
Selfheal at Catherington Down	Dropwort on Catherington Down	Dropwort on Catherington Down	Common Rock-rose on Catherington Down

Wood anemones put on a great show at Dell Piece West and in some areas were a bright pink seen 18th April.
Ground Ivy on verge, Boyes Lane, Blendworth on1st May and Bugle at DPW on 5th May. Common but a wonderful sight in a field in Blendworth were dandelions on 5th May and Buttercups on 4th June. The bramble flowers were just opening on 4th July and many were a beautiful pink colour. The last picture shows Orange Hawkweed growing at the end of Victory Avenue on 15th June, a regular appearance at this spot.

Wood Anemones at DPW	Pink Wood Anemones at DPW	Ground Ivy on verge, Blendworth	Bugle at DPW
Buttercups in Blendworth field	Dandelions in Blendworth field	Bramble blossom at Blendworth hedgerow	Orange Hawkweed

There has been an unusual collection of wild flowers in the large field south of Pyle Farm. The area is mainly dry grassland with a solitary oak and a pond half way along the footpath (No.25) that extends to the Holt at which there is the greatest concentration of flowers. I suspect the field has been seeded by the farmer as part of a conservation plan. Worth a visit, there is a very pleasant walk through the Holt. MR: SU 713 123

Along the woodland edge of this field runs the Horndean/Rowlands Castle Parish boundary. The pictures all taken in mid August from left to right show - a fine specimen of mullein, a mix of mullein, bird's foot trefoil and mallow, a mass of bird's foot trefoil in the field to the north east and a mass of bistort or Persicaria around the south side of the pond. In the field were fine specimens Vervain, our only native species of Verbena with tiny bluish-pink flowers, White Campion, Yellow Toadflax and field thistles. Altogether they formed an attractive community. The precise species have yet to be determined.

These flowers were seen in the Blendworth hedgerows on 22 October 2006
Honeysuckle, White deadnettle, Hogweed and many buttercups on the verges

Honeysuckle in Blendworth hedgerow

White deadnettle in Blendworth hedgerow

Hogweed in Blendworth hedgerow

Buttercups in Blendworth verge

There are a number of localities within the parish of Horndean where wild orchids can be seen, not all easily accessible and not necessarily in the same place each year - also there are good and bad years. The pictures shown here A to H are a sample of some of the fine blooms that can be seen most years but extreme care is necessary as some of the best spots are along the verges of the A3, A3(M) and the Dell Piece roundabouts.

1. Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera Frequent on eastern verge of A3 and Dell Piece East - A,B and C

2. Frog Orchid Coeloglossum viride Rare and difficult to see on Catherington Down - D (July 1990)

3. Common Twayblade Listera ovata Seen at CDN, Hyden Lane but best at CLT - E (May 1998)

4. Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea Rare across area, CLT, A3, DPW and CDN - F (June '96)

5. Early-purple Orchid Orchis mascula Best seen Hyden Lane and copses north of Clanfield in April

6. Common spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii Frequent across area esp. CDN, A3, DPW - G ('99 '03)

7. Heath Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata Recorded in Park Wood, Cowplain

8. Green-winged Orchid Orchis morio Solitary bloom in Hazleton back garden (I)

9. Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine Several along Sheepwash Track, Hazleton (J)

A (Bee Orchid)	B (Bee Orchid)	C (Bee Orchid)	D (Frog Orchid)
E (Common Twayblade)	F (Fragrant Orchid)	G (Common spotted Orchid)	H (Pyramidal Orchid)

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