PHOEBE O'BRIEN BOTANY

Large Flowered Evening Primrose is one of three non-native species in the genus Oenothera found escaped from gardens in Ireland.
In the UK, 20 species of Evening Primrose have been found in the wild, so it's time to start learning them! (If you buy seed insist on the species name!)
In Large Flowered Evening Primrose, the cross shaped stigma is held high above the stamens. Petals are 3 to 5 cm long.
Seed capsules are widest at the base, and the little hairs on them are not red. If you've found red based hairs, you may have Common Evening Primrose, O. biennis
I've put a BSBI map to show where this plant has escaped in Ireland. I suspect it is more common than this.
Finally, a couple of pages from Stace, the Flora of the British Isles, which covers the genus in more depth than Webbs an Irish Flora. Zoes Wildflowers of Ireland has this one, but not the others.
Happy hunting and recording!

Have you ever played with NPWS mapping to see where the semi-natural grasslands are?

This map is of the grasslands surveyed in the Irish Semi-natural grassland survey back in 2013. I wonder how everything has changed?

We know that we lost about a third of the area mapped here by the following big national grassland survey in 2017.

Go to https://www.greatirishgrasslands.ie/learn-more-about-grasslands/resources/

and follow the links to NPWS

#greatirishgrasslands

Growing your shamrock from cuttings.

Don't seed bomb please 🙏

A few observations on this heathy grass bank, while having a tea in the sunshine.
Botany never really stops 🍃🌿

Great Hairy Wood-rush is one of 4 native species in the genus Luzula.

It grows in woodland, as shown by its species name Luzula sylvatica. You might spot what looks like bushy bright green lawns under Oaks, particularly now as the light can filter through bare branches and the green leaves stand out from dried leaves before other woodland spring vegetation gets going.

The flowers weren't open yet, but you can see the brown pointed tips of its perianth (sepals and petals). Plants will be flowering fully in May and June. This one was in a hurry.

Related Good Friday Grass (Luzula campestris), also known as Field Wood-rush, will be flowering soon so you can get a preview of what the flowers in this genus are like then.

#wildflowerhour #luzulasylvatica #GreatHairyWoodrush

I see lots of mentions about Rhododendron and whether plants generally sold in shops are invasive.
The answer is a bit complicated. Simply put, only Rhododendron ponticum is banned for sale, and that is our invasive species you'll see in the wild.
This Rhododendron is not Pontic Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum). You can easily tell by the furry ovaries. Opening an ovary showed no signs of viable seeds, though it's still a bit early to check. If I'm close in my identification, this is possibly one of the species that can contribute pollen to Rhododendron ponticum. It's a subtle effect on the genes over a long time, which has led to some populations having slightly different coloured spots in the throat of the flowers.
These wild invasive populations of Rhododendron ponticum are sometimes known as 'x superponticum '. They are not straightforward hybrids with garden species.
So my opinion is, keep your garden Rhodos, get rid of Pontic Rhododendron or anything that has grown in the wild.
The recent legislation has tightened up on sales, so you should be safe buying plants in Irish Nurseries. But always insist on the full Latin species name before you buy any plants if you are suspicious.

It's so pleasing to see this lakeshore being managed properly for the amazing wet grassland species that grow here.

It might not look much at this time of year, but this is one of BSBI recorders' favourite spots for plant spotting.

A few years ago, my colleague Fran and I surveyed here, and while we found Butterwort, orchids and other very special plants, the area was being rapidly colonised by Alder and densely thatched grass. While more trees are a good thing, in this small area, the loss of species-rich grassland would not be good. Small areas like this can be an ark or seed bank for the surrounding farmland.

We suggested bringing back the former cutting regime to help the grassland recover. Sometimes, suggestions by ecologists are hard to put into practice. It takes concerted effort, many volunteers and equipment, and occasionally funding, too.

Congratulations to the local group for organising and carrying out the grassland restoration.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the insects and flowers in the summer months.

#grasslandmanagement #GrasslandRestoration #GreatIrishGrasslands #speciesrichgrassland #WetGrasslands #MarshOrchids

Oh Spring! Please come quickly! We need you.

Primrose, False Oxslip, Lesser celandine, Van Sion double, Crocuses. All very naturalised in the wild garden

I had a brilliant time working with Kilnaboy tidy towns on their Biodiversity action plan. Here a few discovering that made my day! Thanks to Orla and Frank! And @selfie_sufficiency for their new garden design

Ornamental scrub sounds like such a nice habitat. But what it really means is there are so many invasive species that you and the rest of nature are out of your depth.

Here, the stream is full of American Skunk cabbage, which is not smelling very nice but is flowering in February. On the left, Chilean Myrtle is taking over, while on the other side of the stream, Rhododendron has out competed everything else. There's no native ground flora. Whatever grows is quickly eaten by invasive Deer.🦌🥬🌸💮

This should be an oak wood with spring plants just waking up ready to flower 😪

Summer field season is booking up fast. I'm delighted with the projects that have asked me to help. So grateful 🙏
I hope everyone else has fun plans lined up 😊🌱��🌱

Our new book is on preorder over at Pelagic!🌼🌼🌼

Thanks to everyone on Instagram for the support and constant feedback. I learn so much from you! 💚

Copy and paste the link to see some of the pages inside 😊

https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/identification-guide-to-the-non-native-invasive-plants-of-britain-and-ireland?variant=54998117876090

Thanks to everyone who entered our #greatirishgrasslands competition!
It's harder than it seems when you don't see the plants in context. Come to a Great Irish Grassland event later this year to learn more.
The answers are:
1 Ribwort Plantain. These winter leaves are smaller and more rounded than in the summer and have more hair. The ribs give the game away.
2 Cat's Ear. This is more confusing as ideally, you'd see that the hairs aren't forked at their tips. The flat rosettes help identification.
3 Self heal. This plant keeps the seed heads through much of the winter, and they help identication. In short grass, it's a really common plant. Small simple leaves in pairs should help.
4 Devil's bit scabious also has simple leaves in pairs. Clues from the grassland around them like the mosses might show that it's wet grassland. I find the pale midrib and a few hairs just on the upper side help identify it.
5 Kidney Vetch is tricky since the leaves don't show the small lobes at their bases, but the folding and surrounding sand helped some of you figure out which plant this was.

Winners announced and messaged later today. I'm so impressed 👏

There's not too many native plants in flower, so I was happy to look at this European Gorse close-up. I wasn't the only one either 🐝
Since I was in an area with Western Gorse, I wanted to see if there was any sign of hybridisation on the plants I see in flower now.
Only European Gorse has the coconut scent. It was pretty light, but definitely there.
The leaves were grey green with ridges.
And the flowers had quite decent sized bracts (like a freckle between the sepals), and the hairs were frizzy.
So yes, it's just European Gorse!

Can you hear a rock breaker in the last clip? My heart breaks a little when I hear machines going all day. Rocks and stones in fields add micro niches to the habitat, and the species diversity shoots up. Sometimes, as much as ten times more plant species alone. Just for a few stones. I suppose the message is, don't always think a flatter field is improved.

I finally got my hands on a copy of this master work from @fruithill_farm . Written by the amazing team @farmingfornature, there is just too much goodness in here to review in an Instagram post.

I've shared a couple of the pages on grasslands, because I'm geeky like that.

Congratulations to all involved.

Some grassy wetlands for #WorldWetlandsDay! Ireland has many beautiful, biodiversity and important #WetGrasslands. This mosaic of different habitats borders a fen in Co. Clare. #HabitatsToCelebrate #GreatIrishGrasslands

Are you planning ahead and rummaging through all the seeds you collected last summer?
I'm posting this Cowslip seedhead to remind myself to get on with planting native seeds. It's not too early. There's no need to wait for better weather. In fact, a lot of them like a bit of cold, dark, and frost to spur them to action.
If you haven't collected seeds, should you buy some?
My strong feeling is 100% No!! Not for rewilding or meadows anyway
Occasionally, in a very adapted garden-like settings i might suggest buying plants from the few trustworthy nurseries. But for grassland restoration and meadow creation, I wouldn't recommend it.
But I'm reaching out here to ask you to organise seed swaps in your local area. If you correctly identified suitable native plants and thoughtfully collected seeds last year without overharvesting, then please share a tiny pinch of seeds with local community groups, schools, and individuals. A few seeds might be just enough to grow mother plants, which will themselves make seed when planted in the right area.
I have met so many groups in need of this crucial help, and I know the superb skill set of our friends here on Instagram can provide it.

#savetheplanet #protectirishgenetics #nopictoralmeadows

What can we learn about these grassy fields in mid winter?
The first, can you guess, is cattle grazed. It's still semi-natural grassland, which might score well on ACRES. How do I know just looking from the road? The uneven surface, with tufts of vegetation, suggests pasture rather than meadow, and that is grazed by an animal that pulls at the vegetation with its tongue rather than bites with teeth.
The second field is typical short sward resulting from horse grazing. Would you worry that it's overgrazed? I wouldn't. We need lots of types of grassland, variation in animals, and their breeds. The timing of grazing is important, too. Here you can see lots of birds pecking at old dung and between the vegetation. A banquet for them when snow covers other fields. Short vegetation allows smaller plants to thrive, particularly those that will germinate over the winter

I'm just saying hello to my neighbours' cattle on this wintery day.
#greatirishgrasslands #seminaturalgrassland #wintergrazing

I took this interesting course today on grassland fungi. I know it's a bit late to see waxcaps but if you are stuck at home in the cold, there's fascinating information about habitat management for them which may be of interest. The course, by PlantLife takes about an hour to complete.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=OxPrip9eS06COo55vhjh6w_pkgA1X19KpTPmffkSlgFUM0NFRzVMVEtVOVdHSjk2RzVDU0pLOE5SSi4u&fbclid=IwY2xjawHqTWxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV3n_roMbllanuyt02wr4lsK_rKVv_OVHBP2RUxFauJsUWEunJFXJX0DuQ_aem_Uq1bdSJusqgzEZ6R0NxQlg

One of the #greatirishgrasslands #grasslandstrail sites is up in Sheshkinmore. The ranger there sent us these stunning photos today to let us know about the conservation grazing that takes place during the winter.
In addition to a small herd of Kerry cattle, these Konik ponies can tackle the rough scrub and soggy conditions in the grassland at the edge of the fen.
I think they are so beautiful 😍 Don't you just want to do some conservation grazing?

A real treat this morning to spend over an hour with this pod

Out in the snow today to look at winter-grazing on species-rich wood pasture. Monitoring just as the conservation grazing ends shows us whether stocking density is adequate to keep strong grass and rushes from dominating, while protecting anthills and the delicate flora associated with them
#greatirishgrasslands #nativeirishplants #conservationgrazing #glengarriffnaturereserve

Stunningly beautiful moment at the @cork_nature_network event today with @twogreenshoots and @theculinarycelt
It was so lovely to look around the land in such great company. The mountains suddenly appeared through the mist, drapped in Purple Moor Grass with trees in less accessible areas and a field of Bog Myrtle and Western Gorse below.

What better native plant to end this crazy week with? It's orange, ugly, and its name means you should only have it once.
Hope the weekend is calmer for everyone xx

I tend to call everything 'earth-tongues', but this is Golden Spindles, Clavulinopsis fusiformis Photo 3. Growing with Meadow Coral, Clavulinopsis corniculata. They are both acid grassland fungi. Learn more about grassland fungi at www.greatirishgrasslands.ie
There is a booklet specific to Ireland available to download for free!

Meadow Coral is somewhat branching and smells slightly rancid. The last photo is the sample I identified first, Golden Spindle, unbranded with pointed tips and no smell

We need areas of short grass to support smaller species. If you find waxcaps and other grassland fungi, your grass is better grazed (or cut) regularly than aiming for a meadow. A short rotation meadow might work in early summer, but try to ensure grass is short from July onwards.

Flowers of Autumn #wildflowerhour
Herb Robert. He'll be around all winter now
Red Clover. We might get the odd few flowers up to Christmas, particularly on grass that has been cut or grazed
Brambles. The last few are flowering now, and unlikely to make fruits.
Polypody ferns are coming into season and will keep going for a while. Look for the uncovered sporangia on the backs of the leaves.
Ivy will keep the pollinators going. On a warm day, you can smell the muskiness from the flowers.
Most of the flowers are falling from native Strawberry tree down in Cork and Kerry. But this planted one further north is still going.
Guelder Rose fruits are still looking juicy.
Hogweed is going for round 2, which can be shorter or have odd features like this one with leafy bracts. It's a species I often find flowering on the New Year plant hunt, as plants cut during hedge trimming this week with gather themselves together and persevere. They are a lesson to us all 😄

The problem with dunes is us 😥 We need to keep off them so that plants can reestablish in the gaps, stabilising the sand and protecting the land behind. Please let friends know with a gentle reminder that walking on them might be causing more damage than they realise

I made a short film with @canolapictures this summer as an emergency response to habitat destruction on dunes on the Clare coast. Everyone needs to know this.
You can find the film on my YouTube https://youtu.be/pE3QiAq65jE?feature=shared
Or on Tony's Vimeo.
Instagram doesn't want to add the link for me today!
If you love a beach, ask if you can volunteer over the winter. They'd be glad of the help

Don't forget you can find this booklet on the #greatirishgrasslands website Click 'About grasslands' and then 'Grassland fungi' The PDF is linked at the bottom of the page. This should get you a quick identification as it only covers species found on the island of Ireland. Happy hunting
#grasslandfungi #waxcaps #earthtongues #grasslandindicators

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@phoebeobrienbotanist

PROJECTS

2025: BSBI recording events. New book on invasives published by Pelagic coming soon. Great Irish Grasslands project continues.

Great Irish Grasslands animation

Working with animators Annie Marr and Aaron Ross, I co- wrote the script with Maria Long for this short film describing the importance of species rich grasslands in Ireland. It is part of the Great Irish Grasslands project

PLANT IDENTIFICATION KEY

This key has flower and leaf images to help farmers and farm advisors identify the positive and negative indicator species found in grasslands. Scorecards for several results based programs include the species found in this booklet. Click to download a copy

FARMLAND PLANT IDENTIFICATION KEY

This update to the previous REAPS identification key includes peatland indicators. It is suitable for all farms in the ACRES programs.

Download PDF

GREAT IRISH GRASSLANDS

Great Irish Grasslands is a project led by a group of scientists and enthusiasts who are dedicated to sharing information about semi-natural grasslands, a national treasure which is often hidden in plain sight. https://greatirishgrasslands.ie/

BIO

I enjoy teaching people about Irish native plants. Have a look at some of the posts from my Instagram feed below where I share details about the plants you might find on your walks. I recently became one of the recorders for County Clare for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, which means that I help keep records on which plants grow where in County Clare. As an ecological contractor for National Parks and Wildlife Service, I work on the best grasslands in Ireland, Annex habitats which are protected under the EU Habitats Directive. Learning more about grasslands has made me interested in sharing more information on the habitats in the Great Irish Grasslands project.

Services

Plant recorder

https://bsbi.org/co-clare

Botanist

Surveying habitats and vegetation