More on wildlife gardening:\u00a0<\/h4>\n- Long Read: How do you deal with \u2018pests\u2018 if you love wildlife?<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to make your garden wildlife-friendly<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to build and care for your wildlife pond<\/a><\/li>\n
- Best plants for pollinators<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Obviously, it\u2019s not that simple. Nothing ecological is simple. None of us exist in isolation and we are all linked in the great interconnectedness of things. Plants, too, suffer from our twisted logic and those species we call weeds are top of the list of \u2018triffids\u2019 at which we throw all our misplaced pesticidal might.<\/p>\n
Garden centres sell wildflower mixes, and get on the \u2018eco-bandwagon\u2019 by labelling pollinator-friendly plants, but turn around and you\u2019re faced with shelves of weed-bashing implements and poisons \u2013 mixed messages? I think so. On one hand, we bemoan the loss of bees and butterflies and romanticise the good old days, while at the same time sloshing around the glyphosate.<\/p>\n
To immerse ourselves in the world of tough plants that have the audacity to survive and thrive, is to take a journey of understanding into the thickets of thought. Let\u2019s challenge the Victorian ideal of needing to hold dominion over nature (let\u2019s face it, it hasn\u2019t got us very far, has it?) and hang up our established views.<\/p>\n
As a child, I fell for this cultural indoctrination at first. I remember brandishing sticks and going on nettle-bashing safaris. Then I found out that things lived in these nettle patches. I saw a fox slink off into them, well-worn paths snaked into their depths.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A red fox amongst nettles. \u00a9 JMrocek\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nOnce, peering into one of these green capillaries, my gaze was met by a stoat with its mouth full of rabbit. Then there were the caterpillars \u2013 while not to everyone\u2019s taste, these pin-striped tortoiseshell\u00a0and star-spangled peacock larvae were every bit as fascinating as their better known, flouncy parents.<\/p>\n
Where there\u2019s a patch of weeds, there\u00a0will be stories to tell. A rich collection of cultural tomes, a gallery of visual feasts\u00a0and a bestiary beyond your wildest imagination. It is in these tangled banks that real wild complexity still lurks.<\/p>\n
Five common weeds and why they are good for wildlife<\/h2>\nDandelion (Taraxacum officinale<\/em>)<\/h3>\nA familiar sight in gardens, parks and on roadside verges. Flowers peak from March to May but can be seen throughout the year. Dandelions often self-seed within lawns, and the \u2018clock\u2019 seed heads enable this species to quickly multiple. Dandelions are a source of nectar for pollinators including bees and beetles, and offer spring colour.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A male thick-legged flower beetle feeding from a dandelion flower. \u00a9 TorriPhoto\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nDo you want to do your bit to help reverse the decline in pollinators, such as bees? Then be less hasty with your lawnmower in the spring. Abstaining with the blades allows a bounty of blooms for early-season pollinators.<\/p>\n
The common dandelion has been sitting there all winter. A thick taproot, acting like a battery pack, enables this plant to shoot its flowers up and out of the central rosette of leaves, beating many other flowers to the pollen and nectar market. As a weed, they are effective \u2013 able to colonise any open ground quickly and regenerate from even a tiny piece of taproot.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A dandelion flower. \u00a9 Peter Lawrence\/EyeEm\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIt is this omnipresence that makes them such a reliable source of nectar and pollen. The main flush is in early spring, when they turn the verges into strips of golden sunshine, but not a month exists when there won\u2019t be some dandelion flowers in bloom somewhere.<\/p>\n
While the pollen is often cited as being lower in proteins than is useful to bees, this is referring to our domestic honeybees<\/a>. It is, however, one of the top-rated nectar producers of any wildflower, and many of our early-season bees<\/a> \u2013 solitary mining and mason bees, for example \u2013 thrive on the stuff. Just spend a bit of time peering into each flowerhead and you\u2019ll see hundreds of tiny beetles and flies as well.<\/p>\n ![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A solitary bee feeding from a dandelion flower. \u00a9 Ilona Kryzhanivska\/500px\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThe plant\u2019s effectiveness as a \u2018weed\u2019 is also down to its ability to produce many far-travelling seeds. The seed head, that familiar \u2018clock\u2019, is lifted still higher after flowering by a quickly growing stem, ensuring that the 135\u2013300 seeds will be sure to catch the breeze.<\/p>\n
Dandelions are also popular with foragers, as they are very versatile plants that can be used in a variety of ways.\u00a0Young leaves can be added to salads and turned into pesto, the roots can be used to make an alternative to coffee, and there\u2019s a huge range of uses for the bright yellow flowerheads, from using them to make to tea, syrup<\/a> or wine, to frying them in batter.<\/p>\n Foraging recipes using dandelions:<\/h4>\n- How to make dandelion scones<\/a>\u00a0(pictured<\/em>)<\/li>\n
- How to make dandelion syrup (aka dandelion honey)<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to make pink dandelion wine<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to make dandelion coffee, on the BBC Countryfile Magazine<\/em> website<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div>
![\""Dandelion\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/06\/102636333_1405736489614416_5552818815902941184_n-d7b53f9.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Dandelion\\"\/")
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Ivy (Hedera helix<\/em>)<\/h3>\nCommon in a wide range of habitats. Flowers bloom from September to November and berries remain into spring. Ivy is able to cling on to most surfaces, including brickwork, and can become much woodier as it matures. The unusual-looking umbels (arrangement of the flowers) of ivy attract hoverflies, bees, and wasps.<\/p>\n
![\""Ivy\"]( "\\"\"Ivy\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Ivy growing up a tree. \u00a9 Antonio Kr\u00e4mer\/EyeEm\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nOften blamed for parasitising and weakening trees, and pulling down buildings, this plant\u2019s virtues far outweigh the negatives. Like all weed species, it is very adaptable. It starts life as a seed and quickly heads for the light, clambering upwards and holding its spot with the help of thousands of tiny rootlets from which grow root hairs that grip at a nano-level, secreting a glue-like substance. They are superbly effective, but do not actually enter the tissue of the tree they\u2019re climbing.<\/p>\n
When the ivy hits its lofty destination, the leaves change from the iconic palmate form to a simpler shape. They also tend to be paler, as, at height, there is more light and so less green chloroplasts are needed to produce energy. Only when it is mature will ivy flower.<\/p>\n
![\""Side-on\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A hoverfly feeding from ivy flowers. \u00a9 Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIvy is an excellent source of late-season nectar, too. In a sunny spot, the flowers will heave with numerous bees, hoverflies<\/a> and butterflies. There is even a bee species, the ivy bee, that bases its entire life-cycle around this bounty. Plus, the thick tangle of stems creates shelter for nesting birds and mammals.<\/p>\nBut its value doesn\u2019t end as the flowers fade in November. These starry umbels then give rise to a crop of dark berries \u2013 a popular food with many birds throughout the sparse winter months into spring. Blackbirds<\/a>, woodpigeons<\/a> and over-wintering blackcaps<\/a> all famously gorge themselves. The leaves themselves are eaten by browsers, such as deer, while it is also an important food plant for the swallow-tailed moth and the holly blue butterfly.<\/p>\n ![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A male blackbird eating an ivy berry. \u00a9 Gett<\/em>y<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRagwort (Jacobaea vulgaris<\/em>)<\/h3>\nFound countrywide in hedgerows, pastures and on disturbed land. Flowers appear from June and bloom until as late as November. The leaves are devoured by cinnabar moth caterpillars, easily identified by their contrasting orange and black stripes, and a wide range of pollinators feed from the flowers.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A small tortoiseshell butterfly on ragwort in Cambridgeshire, England, UK. \u00a9 Martyn Ferry\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nCommon ragwort brings much needed pizzazz to the tired visage of late summer. When other blooms have withered, it is the enduring king of the hedgerow and pasture or paddock edge, or just about any other forgotten corner.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a flower that \u2018gladdened\u2019 poet John Clare\u2019s heart \u2013 he loved to \u2018see thee come and litter gold\u2019. However, nowadays, society\u2019s disconnection with nature and lack of ecological savvy is epitomised by our view of ragwort. Common sense, it seems, has left us, and ragwort has become the \u2018horse killer\u2019.<\/p>\n
![\""Macro\"]( "\\"\"Close-up\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Close-up of ragwort flowers in Offenberg, Germany. \u00a9 Ekkehard Streit Fotografie\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIt is true that it contains toxic substances and, if ingested in sufficient quantities, can cause liver damage and even death. But the reality is that the same can be said of many other common plants and fungi. The plant\u2019s built-in warning system \u2013 an unpleasant smell alluding to its bitter taste \u2013 does a good job of keeping grazing animals at bay.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the potential for trouble comes when the leaves are dead and withered. In this state, livestock cannot detect it as effectively, and it can be ingested. The risk is, therefore, when dead plants are left and find their way into fodder.<\/p>\n
But this is a plant that is sought after by many species of nectar-thirsty insects \u2013 over 177 different species have been recorded supping up ragwort\u2019s sacchariferous bounty. Buglife<\/a> has also found that the leaves of ragwort are dinner to many species of beetle, fly, mite and moth \u2013 some 62 species, in all. Over half of which feed on nothing else.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Obviously, it\u2019s not that simple. Nothing ecological is simple. None of us exist in isolation and we are all linked in the great interconnectedness of things. Plants, too, suffer from our twisted logic and those species we call weeds are top of the list of \u2018triffids\u2019 at which we throw all our misplaced pesticidal might.<\/p>\n
Garden centres sell wildflower mixes, and get on the \u2018eco-bandwagon\u2019 by labelling pollinator-friendly plants, but turn around and you\u2019re faced with shelves of weed-bashing implements and poisons \u2013 mixed messages? I think so. On one hand, we bemoan the loss of bees and butterflies and romanticise the good old days, while at the same time sloshing around the glyphosate.<\/p>\n
To immerse ourselves in the world of tough plants that have the audacity to survive and thrive, is to take a journey of understanding into the thickets of thought. Let\u2019s challenge the Victorian ideal of needing to hold dominion over nature (let\u2019s face it, it hasn\u2019t got us very far, has it?) and hang up our established views.<\/p>\n
As a child, I fell for this cultural indoctrination at first. I remember brandishing sticks and going on nettle-bashing safaris. Then I found out that things lived in these nettle patches. I saw a fox slink off into them, well-worn paths snaked into their depths.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/10\/Fox-among-nettles.-GettyImages-1223000042-007e88b.jpg?quality=90&crop=347px%2C0px%2C1950px%2C1299px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Once, peering into one of these green capillaries, my gaze was met by a stoat with its mouth full of rabbit. Then there were the caterpillars \u2013 while not to everyone\u2019s taste, these pin-striped tortoiseshell\u00a0and star-spangled peacock larvae were every bit as fascinating as their better known, flouncy parents.<\/p>\n
Where there\u2019s a patch of weeds, there\u00a0will be stories to tell. A rich collection of cultural tomes, a gallery of visual feasts\u00a0and a bestiary beyond your wildest imagination. It is in these tangled banks that real wild complexity still lurks.<\/p>\n
Five common weeds and why they are good for wildlife<\/h2>\nDandelion (Taraxacum officinale<\/em>)<\/h3>\nA familiar sight in gardens, parks and on roadside verges. Flowers peak from March to May but can be seen throughout the year. Dandelions often self-seed within lawns, and the \u2018clock\u2019 seed heads enable this species to quickly multiple. Dandelions are a source of nectar for pollinators including bees and beetles, and offer spring colour.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A male thick-legged flower beetle feeding from a dandelion flower. \u00a9 TorriPhoto\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nDo you want to do your bit to help reverse the decline in pollinators, such as bees? Then be less hasty with your lawnmower in the spring. Abstaining with the blades allows a bounty of blooms for early-season pollinators.<\/p>\n
The common dandelion has been sitting there all winter. A thick taproot, acting like a battery pack, enables this plant to shoot its flowers up and out of the central rosette of leaves, beating many other flowers to the pollen and nectar market. As a weed, they are effective \u2013 able to colonise any open ground quickly and regenerate from even a tiny piece of taproot.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A dandelion flower. \u00a9 Peter Lawrence\/EyeEm\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIt is this omnipresence that makes them such a reliable source of nectar and pollen. The main flush is in early spring, when they turn the verges into strips of golden sunshine, but not a month exists when there won\u2019t be some dandelion flowers in bloom somewhere.<\/p>\n
While the pollen is often cited as being lower in proteins than is useful to bees, this is referring to our domestic honeybees<\/a>. It is, however, one of the top-rated nectar producers of any wildflower, and many of our early-season bees<\/a> \u2013 solitary mining and mason bees, for example \u2013 thrive on the stuff. Just spend a bit of time peering into each flowerhead and you\u2019ll see hundreds of tiny beetles and flies as well.<\/p>\n ![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A solitary bee feeding from a dandelion flower. \u00a9 Ilona Kryzhanivska\/500px\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nThe plant\u2019s effectiveness as a \u2018weed\u2019 is also down to its ability to produce many far-travelling seeds. The seed head, that familiar \u2018clock\u2019, is lifted still higher after flowering by a quickly growing stem, ensuring that the 135\u2013300 seeds will be sure to catch the breeze.<\/p>\n
Dandelions are also popular with foragers, as they are very versatile plants that can be used in a variety of ways.\u00a0Young leaves can be added to salads and turned into pesto, the roots can be used to make an alternative to coffee, and there\u2019s a huge range of uses for the bright yellow flowerheads, from using them to make to tea, syrup<\/a> or wine, to frying them in batter.<\/p>\n Foraging recipes using dandelions:<\/h4>\n- How to make dandelion scones<\/a>\u00a0(pictured<\/em>)<\/li>\n
- How to make dandelion syrup (aka dandelion honey)<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to make pink dandelion wine<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to make dandelion coffee, on the BBC Countryfile Magazine<\/em> website<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div>
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Ivy (Hedera helix<\/em>)<\/h3>\nCommon in a wide range of habitats. Flowers bloom from September to November and berries remain into spring. Ivy is able to cling on to most surfaces, including brickwork, and can become much woodier as it matures. The unusual-looking umbels (arrangement of the flowers) of ivy attract hoverflies, bees, and wasps.<\/p>\n
![\""Ivy\"]( "\\"\"Ivy\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Ivy growing up a tree. \u00a9 Antonio Kr\u00e4mer\/EyeEm\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nOften blamed for parasitising and weakening trees, and pulling down buildings, this plant\u2019s virtues far outweigh the negatives. Like all weed species, it is very adaptable. It starts life as a seed and quickly heads for the light, clambering upwards and holding its spot with the help of thousands of tiny rootlets from which grow root hairs that grip at a nano-level, secreting a glue-like substance. They are superbly effective, but do not actually enter the tissue of the tree they\u2019re climbing.<\/p>\n
When the ivy hits its lofty destination, the leaves change from the iconic palmate form to a simpler shape. They also tend to be paler, as, at height, there is more light and so less green chloroplasts are needed to produce energy. Only when it is mature will ivy flower.<\/p>\n
![\""Side-on\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A hoverfly feeding from ivy flowers. \u00a9 Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIvy is an excellent source of late-season nectar, too. In a sunny spot, the flowers will heave with numerous bees, hoverflies<\/a> and butterflies. There is even a bee species, the ivy bee, that bases its entire life-cycle around this bounty. Plus, the thick tangle of stems creates shelter for nesting birds and mammals.<\/p>\nBut its value doesn\u2019t end as the flowers fade in November. These starry umbels then give rise to a crop of dark berries \u2013 a popular food with many birds throughout the sparse winter months into spring. Blackbirds<\/a>, woodpigeons<\/a> and over-wintering blackcaps<\/a> all famously gorge themselves. The leaves themselves are eaten by browsers, such as deer, while it is also an important food plant for the swallow-tailed moth and the holly blue butterfly.<\/p>\n ![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A male blackbird eating an ivy berry. \u00a9 Gett<\/em>y<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRagwort (Jacobaea vulgaris<\/em>)<\/h3>\nFound countrywide in hedgerows, pastures and on disturbed land. Flowers appear from June and bloom until as late as November. The leaves are devoured by cinnabar moth caterpillars, easily identified by their contrasting orange and black stripes, and a wide range of pollinators feed from the flowers.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"]( "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> A small tortoiseshell butterfly on ragwort in Cambridgeshire, England, UK. \u00a9 Martyn Ferry\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nCommon ragwort brings much needed pizzazz to the tired visage of late summer. When other blooms have withered, it is the enduring king of the hedgerow and pasture or paddock edge, or just about any other forgotten corner.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a flower that \u2018gladdened\u2019 poet John Clare\u2019s heart \u2013 he loved to \u2018see thee come and litter gold\u2019. However, nowadays, society\u2019s disconnection with nature and lack of ecological savvy is epitomised by our view of ragwort. Common sense, it seems, has left us, and ragwort has become the \u2018horse killer\u2019.<\/p>\n
![\""Macro\"]( "\\"\"Close-up\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Close-up of ragwort flowers in Offenberg, Germany. \u00a9 Ekkehard Streit Fotografie\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nIt is true that it contains toxic substances and, if ingested in sufficient quantities, can cause liver damage and even death. But the reality is that the same can be said of many other common plants and fungi. The plant\u2019s built-in warning system \u2013 an unpleasant smell alluding to its bitter taste \u2013 does a good job of keeping grazing animals at bay.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the potential for trouble comes when the leaves are dead and withered. In this state, livestock cannot detect it as effectively, and it can be ingested. The risk is, therefore, when dead plants are left and find their way into fodder.<\/p>\n
But this is a plant that is sought after by many species of nectar-thirsty insects \u2013 over 177 different species have been recorded supping up ragwort\u2019s sacchariferous bounty. Buglife<\/a> has also found that the leaves of ragwort are dinner to many species of beetle, fly, mite and moth \u2013 some 62 species, in all. Over half of which feed on nothing else.<\/p>\n
A familiar sight in gardens, parks and on roadside verges. Flowers peak from March to May but can be seen throughout the year. Dandelions often self-seed within lawns, and the \u2018clock\u2019 seed heads enable this species to quickly multiple. Dandelions are a source of nectar for pollinators including bees and beetles, and offer spring colour.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/10\/Thick-legged-flower-beetle-on-a-dandelion-flower.-GettyImages-1333535252-c30921d.jpg?quality=90&crop=8px%2C178px%2C1984px%2C1322px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Do you want to do your bit to help reverse the decline in pollinators, such as bees? Then be less hasty with your lawnmower in the spring. Abstaining with the blades allows a bounty of blooms for early-season pollinators.<\/p>\n
The common dandelion has been sitting there all winter. A thick taproot, acting like a battery pack, enables this plant to shoot its flowers up and out of the central rosette of leaves, beating many other flowers to the pollen and nectar market. As a weed, they are effective \u2013 able to colonise any open ground quickly and regenerate from even a tiny piece of taproot.<\/p>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/10\/Dandelion-flower-amongst-grass.-GettyImages-963227332-af44a94.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412"\" "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>It is this omnipresence that makes them such a reliable source of nectar and pollen. The main flush is in early spring, when they turn the verges into strips of golden sunshine, but not a month exists when there won\u2019t be some dandelion flowers in bloom somewhere.<\/p>\n
While the pollen is often cited as being lower in proteins than is useful to bees, this is referring to our domestic honeybees<\/a>. It is, however, one of the top-rated nectar producers of any wildflower, and many of our early-season bees<\/a> \u2013 solitary mining and mason bees, for example \u2013 thrive on the stuff. Just spend a bit of time peering into each flowerhead and you\u2019ll see hundreds of tiny beetles and flies as well.<\/p>\n The plant\u2019s effectiveness as a \u2018weed\u2019 is also down to its ability to produce many far-travelling seeds. The seed head, that familiar \u2018clock\u2019, is lifted still higher after flowering by a quickly growing stem, ensuring that the 135\u2013300 seeds will be sure to catch the breeze.<\/p>\n Dandelions are also popular with foragers, as they are very versatile plants that can be used in a variety of ways.\u00a0Young leaves can be added to salads and turned into pesto, the roots can be used to make an alternative to coffee, and there\u2019s a huge range of uses for the bright yellow flowerheads, from using them to make to tea, syrup<\/a> or wine, to frying them in batter.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> Common in a wide range of habitats. Flowers bloom from September to November and berries remain into spring. Ivy is able to cling on to most surfaces, including brickwork, and can become much woodier as it matures. The unusual-looking umbels (arrangement of the flowers) of ivy attract hoverflies, bees, and wasps.<\/p>\n Often blamed for parasitising and weakening trees, and pulling down buildings, this plant\u2019s virtues far outweigh the negatives. Like all weed species, it is very adaptable. It starts life as a seed and quickly heads for the light, clambering upwards and holding its spot with the help of thousands of tiny rootlets from which grow root hairs that grip at a nano-level, secreting a glue-like substance. They are superbly effective, but do not actually enter the tissue of the tree they\u2019re climbing.<\/p>\n When the ivy hits its lofty destination, the leaves change from the iconic palmate form to a simpler shape. They also tend to be paler, as, at height, there is more light and so less green chloroplasts are needed to produce energy. Only when it is mature will ivy flower.<\/p>\n Ivy is an excellent source of late-season nectar, too. In a sunny spot, the flowers will heave with numerous bees, hoverflies<\/a> and butterflies. There is even a bee species, the ivy bee, that bases its entire life-cycle around this bounty. Plus, the thick tangle of stems creates shelter for nesting birds and mammals.<\/p>\n But its value doesn\u2019t end as the flowers fade in November. These starry umbels then give rise to a crop of dark berries \u2013 a popular food with many birds throughout the sparse winter months into spring. Blackbirds<\/a>, woodpigeons<\/a> and over-wintering blackcaps<\/a> all famously gorge themselves. The leaves themselves are eaten by browsers, such as deer, while it is also an important food plant for the swallow-tailed moth and the holly blue butterfly.<\/p>\n Found countrywide in hedgerows, pastures and on disturbed land. Flowers appear from June and bloom until as late as November. The leaves are devoured by cinnabar moth caterpillars, easily identified by their contrasting orange and black stripes, and a wide range of pollinators feed from the flowers.<\/p>\n Common ragwort brings much needed pizzazz to the tired visage of late summer. When other blooms have withered, it is the enduring king of the hedgerow and pasture or paddock edge, or just about any other forgotten corner.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a flower that \u2018gladdened\u2019 poet John Clare\u2019s heart \u2013 he loved to \u2018see thee come and litter gold\u2019. However, nowadays, society\u2019s disconnection with nature and lack of ecological savvy is epitomised by our view of ragwort. Common sense, it seems, has left us, and ragwort has become the \u2018horse killer\u2019.<\/p>\n It is true that it contains toxic substances and, if ingested in sufficient quantities, can cause liver damage and even death. But the reality is that the same can be said of many other common plants and fungi. The plant\u2019s built-in warning system \u2013 an unpleasant smell alluding to its bitter taste \u2013 does a good job of keeping grazing animals at bay.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the potential for trouble comes when the leaves are dead and withered. In this state, livestock cannot detect it as effectively, and it can be ingested. The risk is, therefore, when dead plants are left and find their way into fodder.<\/p>\n But this is a plant that is sought after by many species of nectar-thirsty insects \u2013 over 177 different species have been recorded supping up ragwort\u2019s sacchariferous bounty. Buglife<\/a> has also found that the leaves of ragwort are dinner to many species of beetle, fly, mite and moth \u2013 some 62 species, in all. Over half of which feed on nothing else.<\/p>\n![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/10\/Solitary-bee-on-a-dandelion.-GettyImages-1287272276-fc25559.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"A\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Foraging recipes using dandelions:<\/h4>\n
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Ivy (Hedera helix<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\""Macro\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/10\/Ragwort-flowers.-GettyImages-1277217011-66a862b.jpg?quality=90&resize=617%2C413"\" "\\"\"Close-up\\"")
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