The Flora of Castlewarden

Latin:  Fallopia convolvulus Irish:  Glúineach dhubh Specimens were collected at Castlewarden in a patch of bare ground on the mound beside the spinney at the pumphouse near the 13th green. This is probably not a native species.  It is a twining annual that can grow to a length of 80cm.  It produces many small greenish-white or pink flowers from July onwards.  It can be found frequently on roadsides, in hedges and on cultivated ground.   The seeds are edible, and were used in the past as a

Latin:  Lotus corniculatus Irish:  Crobh éin   This is a native perennial is a wildflower that brightens up roadsides and most grassy places from June with its yellow pea-like flowers.  Like peas and clovers, it is a legume and like the majority of legumes it has the ability to extract nitrogen from the air and can, thus, flourish witout any application of organic or artificial nitrogen fertilizer.   It has a solid, spreading stem that is usually hairless and carries an umbel of 2-7 flowers (each 10-16mm

Latin:  Epilobium hirsutum Latin:  Saileachán mór   A native perennial that in broad outline is similar to Epilobium angustifolium except that the whole plant is downy-hairy.  It has stout, erect stems growing to a height of 80-150 cm. It flowers slightly later than Epilobium angustifolium in late June.  The flowers are deep purple-pink, about 20mm across, and have 4 notched petals. It normally occurs in damp wasteland, ditches, river banks and occasionally on drier ground.  It is particularly abundant in the eastern half of the country.  

Latin:  Epilobium ciliatum Irish:  Saileachán sráide   This is a non-native species that was first recorded as an introduction to the British Isles from North America in 1891.  It is a perennial that is increasingly frequent in Ireland and is now commonly found on waste ground in cities and gardens and on roadsides. At Castlewarden it can be found in the Builder’s Paddock and in many of the spinneys populated by broadleaf trees – such as beside the 2nd and 3rd fairways and beside the path from

Latin:  Epilobium angustifolium Irish:  Lus na tine                                          Rosebay Willowherb is a native perennial that is very striking because of its flower colour, its size and its capacity to quickly colonise areas that have become bare because of human disturbance, fire, etc.  In North America, for example, it is called “Fireweed” because of this capacity. This species grows in profusion in the Builder’s Paddock and several other locations at Castlewarden.   It has an erect, unbranched, stem up to 150 cm tall.  Striking, deep purple-red flowers

Latin:  Crepis biennis Irish:  Lus cúráin garbh   Rough Hawks-Beard grows in the Builder’s Paddockon where it can be seen flowering in May. This is generally regarded as a non-native species that may have been unwittingly introduced as seeds in contaminated grass seed.  It is spreading and is now a very common weed of roadsides and waste places – it has been particularly abundant in the grass verges around the exit from the N7 to Castlewarden.   With its yellow seed head and deeply divided leaves, it can

Latin:  Cirsium vulgare Irish:  Feochadán colgach This is a robust native biennial with a stout stem that has prickly wings and grows to a height of 70-150cm. The leaves are wavy and deeply lobed and the upper surface is rough with short prickles.  The underside is white and cottony.  The lobes and the end of the leaf carry a stout prickle. Flower heads (25-30mm across) are produced in late June and the florets are deep purple. This is probably the plant adopted as a national emblem by

Latin:  Cirsium arvense Irish:  Feochadán reatha   This is widely distributed native perennial with erect stems growing to a height of about 1.0m and a creeping, spreading rootstock. Specimens can be found in the practice ground, the Builder’s Paddock, the Avenue Field and many other areas of undisturbed grassland around the course.   It has deeply pinnate, grey-green leaves that have toothed lobes and margins that are very prickly.  They produce pink-mauve flowers from late June to September. The species is abundant throughout Ireland occurring on roadsides,

Latin:  Cardamine pratensis Irish:  Léine Mhuire   This is a native plant, belonging to the Cruciferous family.  Called Cuckoo Flower in  some areas.  It is a hairless perennial that is frequent in wet habitats such as marshes and damp meadows.   Specimens were collected in late April when plants were flowering in the rough at the front-left of 17th tee box but it can be found in many other parts of the course where grass is not regularly and closely mowed. It has lilac-pink or white 12-20mm

Latin:  Capsella bursa pastoris Irish:  Lus an sparáin   This is a another member of the Cruciferous family that, at Castlewarden, is generally abundant in waste areas and can be found all-year round growing on pathways and at the base of the walls around the car park.  It can sometimes be observed growing in disturbed ground at the base of recently planted trees. It is a small plant growing not much more than 30cm high and with very small (2mm), white, 4-petalled flowers. It is an annual, growing each year