New book on Wisley's wild flowers
26 November 2010
In 1910, RHS botanists conducted a survey of wild plants on the Wisley estate. One hundred years later, the exercise was repeated and the results are now out in a new RHS book, Wild Flowers of Wisley written by RHS botanists James Armitage and Barry Phillips.
The shift in land use of the Wisley estate over the years from farmland to a predominantly intensively cultivated botanical garden has allowed the two-year survey to reveal some intriguing discoveries. Exciting first sightings in 2010 feature in the survey, including early meadow grass Poa infirma -the first inland record in the UK- and curious, attractive bird’s nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis. Lamentably, losses were observed such as lamb’s succory Arnoseris minima- collected at Wisley by Alan Titchmarsh’s great uncle in 1912. This plant exists now solely as a herbarium specimen at RHS Wisley.
On a positive note, the survey reveals several rarities such as greater dodder Cuscuta europaea and copse bindweed Fallopia dumetorum which have withstood the test of time, remaining on the estate in the one hundred years. In fact the 84% retention rate of overall species numbers recorded is ‘an encouraging result’ says James Armitage.
With a readable introduction, colour illustrations, detailed panels, and a foreword written by plantsman Roy Lancaster, this publication forms an enlightening and comprehensive history of Wisley’s native and naturalised flora.