Flora of the Western Isles
The coastal climate of the Western Hebridean Isles means that the plants that have adapted to living here, cope with both the soil and the weather conditions that are exclusive to these Isles.
On a clear, still day - the Isles are like heaven itself, but during a gale it is something else entirely.
The sea-sand soil alternates with rich peat and together with the salty sea spray and the clear water springs makes for a diverse environment suitable for the survival of a surprising number of plants and a magnificent array of wild flowers.
With a paradise of 1000 different, identified WILD flowers throughout the Hebridean Isles - the unique island machairs explode into a colourful magic carpet in the Spring and continue, everchanging throughout Summer.
Here are some of the flowers and plants that you can see on walks through the fields:
Heather (Bell and Purple) Comfrey
Daisy Buttercup
Clover Orchid
Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Heath Spotted-orchid Common Meadow Buttercup, Blotched Monkey Flower, Cuckooflower, English Stonecrop, Eyebright, Blue Water-speedwell, Bog Aspodel, Bogbean, Brooklime, Buck's-horn Plantain, Ragged Robin, Honeysuckle, Bugle, Common Hemp-nettle, Common Milkwort, Germander Speedwell, GoosegrassCommon Scurvy Grass, Common Wild Thyme, Cotoneaster, Creeping Buttercup, Northern Marsh Orchid x Heath Spotted Orchid, Orange Hawkbit, Prickly Sowthistle, Primrose, Purple Flag, Kidney Vetch, Dandelion, Early Marsh Orchid, Knotgrass, Lady's Bedstraw, Changing Forget-me-not, Sneezewort, Snowdrops, Spring Squill, Sticky Mouse-ear, Lesser CelandineField Forget-me-not, Common Butterwort, Common Dog Violet, Common Gorse, Field Horsetail, Fox and Cubs, Foxglove, Garlic Mustard, Heath Bedstraw, White-Water-lily, Wild Hyacinth and Pansy, Winter Heliotrope, Marsh Thistle, Marsh Woundwort, Monkey Flower, Red Campion, Rhododendron, Ribwort Plantain, Roseroot, Salmonberry, Saltwort, Sea Arrow Grass, Moss Campion, Mountain Everlasting, New Zealand Willow Herb, Northern Marsh-orchid, Lesser Spearwort, Lesser Stitchwort, Lousewort, Lousewort (White) Marsh Cinquefoil, Marsh Marigold, Sea Campion, Sea Plantain , Changing Forget-me-not, Charlock, Colt's Foot, Common Chickweed, Great Plantain, Green Alkanet, Groundsel, Common Bird's-foot-trefoil, Common Butterwort, Hairy Bitter-cress, Heath Milkwort, Heath Speedwell, Common Dog Violet, Common Gorse, Sea Sandwort, Shepherd's Purse , Silverweed, Thrift, Heath-spotted x Hebridean Spotted-orchid, Yellow Loosestrife, Yellow Rattle, Hebridean Spotted-orchid, Tormentil, Tutsan, Viper's Bugloss, Water Forget-me-not, Watercress, Poppy (Welsh), White Campion, White Clover, Wood Avens, Yellow Flag,
Charlock, Colt's Foot, Common Chickweed, Common Bird's-foot-trefoil, Lady's smock,
As experienced guides we can successfully locate and identify many of them for you. We can tell you their folklore and natural medicine uses. On your own you can gaze at the wonder of their diverse beauty.
IN FLOWER - this month: JANUARY 2009
Gorse - Yellow flower
Gorse flowers are edible and some use them in salads. They can also be used to make a tea and a 'wine'. In the past, gorse was used as animal feed in Scotland & Wales. It was crushed using mallets, or mills and then mixed with straw chaff to make fodder.
The Furse (as Gorse is also known), is the badge of the Sinclair and MacLennan clans. (Wikipedia)
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/gorse.htm Gorse, Furze, Whin (Ulex europaeus)
The young plants have trifoliate, clover-like leaves on most bushes but these are later replaced by rigid, deeply furrowed spines, 15-25 mm long, with some hairs, especially near the base.
ID check - Gorse is an extremely spiny, much-branched shrub up to 2.5 m in height. It is found on acid, sandy heaths and is frequently planted in western Britain and in Ireland. The intense yellow, pea-like flowers are 12-18 mm long, on short 3-5 mm stalks. Gorse begins to flower about mid-winter and continues until June. The pods are black with grey or brown hairs. They are 11-20 mm long and burst explosively in July.
Facts - In hedges it provides a windbreak for stock, but it was formerly cut and fed to them as well. It grows mainly on the western fringe of Europe and can be killed by severe frosts. The dense sharp foliage gives cover for small birds and provides well protected nest sites.
