Tag: Spring Gentian

Upper Teesdale is one of the UK’s premier botanical hotspots and a place to which I return regularly having experienced the area for the first time in 2020. The Teesdale Assemblage, a delightful mix of rare arctic-alpine and Southern plants, is a thing of beauty and makes for some of the best botanising in Britain. Much to my delight, the past fortnight has presented two opportunities to visit Teesdale, with two visits to Widdybank Fell and Cow Green, stopping briefly at Falcon Clints, and another shorter outing to Low Force and the Tees banks. A condensed round-up of what we encounter follows.

Early May

Stopping by Cow Green in early May, Matt and I had hoped to get our annual fix of everyone’s favourite alpine – Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna). I am pleased to report that we succeeded with hundreds of vivid blue marvels blooming along the nature trail from Cow Green to the nearby dam. Little needs to be said about these remarkable little plants so instead, I’ll let the photos do the talking. They are startlingly pretty!

Gentians aside, Widdybank Fell felt rather bleak early in the month, the sward at first glance punctuated only by dots of blue and flashes of lilac courtesy of the many Common Dog-violets (Viola riviniana) to be seen across the site. The prolific Mountain Pansies (Viola lutea) that adorn the site later in the month had yet to get going, though we did find a handful in sheltered spots. More interesting, however, were the less obvious plants. Glancing over the grassland, the blooms of Blue Moor-grass (Sesleria caerulea) were easy to make out and around a flush, we were pleased to spot several examples of Variegated Horsetail (Equisetum variegatum) – a curious little equisetum that I have only ever encountered here and on Lindisfarne in Northumberland. Definitely a plant of nice places…

Here too, we also noted a smart Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and after a bit of searching, came up trumps with Rare Spring Sedge (Carex ericetorum). Nearby, a large colony of Bird’s-eye Primrose (Primula farinosa) provided a welcome dash of colour against the greys and greens of the fell. A special plant indeed.

Having had our fill of gentians and windswept moorland, we soon opted to head somewhere different. Deciding on a trip to Bowlees (via some rather nice scones) we soon set off for a walk up the Tees between Low Force and High Force. I am pleased we did as there was much to enjoy along the riverbanks. At Low Force itself, Early-purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) were in full bloom and the woodlands looked fantastic adorned with Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and other typical species. Somewhat more exciting were sightings of Bitter-vetch (Lathyrus linifolius) – not a species I see often at all marooned in urban Tyneside – and Tea-leaved Willow (Salix phylicifolia) growing along the banks. A little further upstream, a sizable patch of False Oxlip (Primula x polyantha) gave cause for pause and we spotted the first of the day’s Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) plants nestled among a crevice.

Further upstream, things began to pick up. First came some large patches of Globeflower (Trollius europaeus), another species characteristic of this special place, growing at the waterside and later, the early growth of Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale). Growing beneath a mixed stand of Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and the aforementioned willow, our attention was also drawn to a curious horsetail with a distinctly one-sided appearance. Remembering that this is a slightly unreliable feature of another rare plant, Shady Horsetail (Equisetum pratense), we decided on a closer look. I’m glad we did and sure enough, the ID was confirmed. Not exactly a standout plant but a nice one to see nonetheless.

Post horsetail, things quieted down a little but there were still interesting plants to be found (just about everyone at Teesdale is interesting if you look closer). Stone Bramble (Rubus saxatilis) came next, crawling across an area of riverside gravel, and it was nice to see more Shrubby Cinquefoil. Young examples of Juniper (Juniperus communis) were observed in the river banks and a few more Bird’s-eye Primrose enjoyed. As the rain began, we decided to head up knowing we would be back soon with some reinforcements in toe.

Late May

My word, what a difference a fortnight makes. Revisiting Upper Teesdale again last weekend, this time as part of the Botanist’s Year course I’m leading for the Natural History Society of Northumbria, Cow Green couldn’t have looked more different. The Spring Gentians had all but vanished besides a few tucked away on North-facing banks and even the Blue Moor grass had passed its best. Instead, what we saw was a different set of plants beginning to appear. Mountain Pansy and Bird’s-eye Primrose, both scarce on our previous visit, were now commonplace and it was nice to stumble across an intriguing white population of the former – not something I knew existed, I confess.

Besides these welcome flowers, other plants had begun to appear. I was beyond thrilled to encounter Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria) in two areas, having failed to find this inconspicuous little fern on several previous visits. In damper areas, Marsh Arrow-grass (Triglochin palustris) could be seen in flower and the rosettes of Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) were clearly visible among a good cast of common sedge species and the leaves of Alpine Meadow-rue (Thalictrum alpinum).

In one of the fenced-off compounds, a single plant of Alpine Bistort (Bistorta vivipara) was noted in bloom and the first signs of Mountain Everlasting (Antennaria dioica) could be seen – I must remember to come back to see these later in the year. Otherwise, additional highlights here included Spring Sandwort (Sabulina verna) atop exposed patches of the sugar limestone and yet more Variegated Horsetail in soggy patches.

Concluding our time at Cow Green, the group opted for a short trip down to Falcon Clints. This wonderful gorge is about as rugged and beautiful as they come but isn’t for the faint-hearted. Indeed, even the ‘steps’ down from the fell are rather challenging. With little time on our hands, we did not have long to explore but in just a short while, encountered two of our target ferns: Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa) and Green Spleenwort (Asplenium viride), both of which are rather common in rocky areas around Teesdale. The latter was tucked away on a ledge in the company of what looked like Lobed Mainhair-spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis). Here too, it was nice to observe some cliff-dwelling Juniper (Juniperus communis) and Aspen (Populus tremula) shrubs and take stock of the more familiar fern species present including Hard Shield-fern (Polystichum aculeatum), Polypody (Polypodium vulgare) and Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant). A successful little detour and one I intend to make again later in the year.

All in all, the last few weeks have offered two fantastic opportunities to explore Teesdale’s special flora. With plenty more targets in mind, I’ll be back again very soon. In the meantime, here are just a few more photos from our second outing. Look out for more Teesdale updates soon!