Conservation efforts spark revival of rare flower on the Island
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is celebrating the return of field cow-wheat (Melampyrum arvense) at St Lawrence Field Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight.
The plant, once widespread in southern England, has declined sharply due to habitat loss and changes in farming practices.
Now found at just four UK sites, St Lawrence Field is the only location where the species is believed to have survived without reintroduction.
Field cow-wheat (Image: Dominic Price) Emma Hunt, senior reserves officer for Wilder Wight and Solent at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: "The display of flowers this year was absolutely incredible.
"It's so great to see the field cow-wheat in such abundance here.
"Field cow-wheat thriving at this scale is hugely encouraging.
"This tiny but mighty reserve is proving how even the smallest spaces can have big impacts for biodiversity when managed sensitively."
READ MORE: Wildlife trust backs campaign to ban bottom trawling near the Island
The population survey, carried out by the trust in partnership with the Species Recovery Trust, highlights the success of targeted habitat management.
This has included rotational cutting and careful scrub control to maintain the open, species-rich grassland the plant needs.
Dominic Price, director of the Species Recovery Trust, said: "Field cow-wheat is not only a spectacular plant but is also now one of our rarest wild blooms, with this site now considered to be the only surviving native site.
"So, to see it growing this well, especially in a year where many sites have been stricken by drought and high temperatures, is just amazing."
St Lawrence Field Nature Reserve was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1993 to protect its population of the plant.
Verity Foster, reserve officer (Isle of Wight), said: "This species is clinging on at just a handful of sites in the UK, and to witness such a strong recovery here fills me with hope."
The trust encourages the public to support conservation efforts and explore nearby nature reserves.
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