Wildflower Plants A to Z

The county flower of Somerset, a low-growing hairless plant with blush pink flowers with feathery edges framed by narrow, grey-green leaves. Discovered in Cheddar Gorge around 300 years ago, this flower is excellent spread or scattered across rockeries and borders. It's also strongly clove-scented, so it's a real feast for the senses- or is that a bit too cheesy?

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 10-15cm.
• Flowers: May-July
• Soil requirement: Well drained, neutral-alkaline soils.
• Light requirement: Full sun
• Natural habitat: Cliffsides and rockland
• Also known as: Clove Pink, Sweet Pink, Firewitch

These famous five-petalled flowers are so beloved that they’ve named their own colour after their beautiful purple colouration. Not only that, but they’re shade-tolerant, making them the perfect plant to sweeten woodland gardens or under hedges, especially in contrast to other famous springtime flora, such as the primrose. A simple flower that’s easy to mix with other meadows, with a wonderful sweet scent which helps to bring in butterflies!

• Type: Perennial  
• Height: 5-10cm.
• Flowers: March-April 
• Soil Requirement: Moist or well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun to full shade
• Natural Habitat: Grassland, woodland, hedgerows
• Also known as: Florist’s Violet, Sweet Pansy

Although similar in looks to the stinging nettle, Red Deadnettle has harmless, heart-shaped foliage with a purple tint. As an early-blooming plant, these whorls of hooded flowers in ruby red to pinkish-purple are a prominent source of early pollen for bees as they build up their nest.

• Type: Annual
• Height: 5-30cm.
• Flowers: March - October
• Soil requirement: Moist
• Light requirement: Full sun, partial shade
• Natural habitat: Waste grounds, field edges, roadside verges
• Also known as: Purple Deadnettle, Purple Archangel

This five-petalled flower's buttery yellow beauty is of a similar, cheery style to that of the daffodil, but its hairy, ruby-red anthems enriches its beauty further, giving it a strong, eye-catching effect. Alongside its fuzzy foliage, this is an ideal plant to place in a herbaceous border, for spikes of striking beauty!

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 15-45cm. 
• Flowers: June-September
• Soil Requirement: Well-Drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun 
• Natural Habitat: Road verges, hedgerows
• Also known as: Black-Rooted Mullein, Tall Mullein

The Great Mullein bears tall spires of soft, silvery leaves which spiral around the stem. In fact, this plant’s super-soft, hairy texture is just as well-known as the dense clusters of miniature pale-gold flowers it produces. Throughout history this plant’s seen a variety of uses, and in the garden it benefits bees and butterflies greatly, with some species of bees using its silvery ‘hair’ to build their homes. A friendly flower which helps the wildlife and adds a uniquely bright splash of colour to the backs of borders.

• Type: Biennial 
• Height: 100-180cm.
• Flowers: July-September 
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun
• Natural Habitat: Woodland margins, clearings, waste grounds
• Also known as: Aaron’s Rod, Feltwort, Velvet Plant

Growing tall, slender stems with flowers climbing up the stalk, the Moth Mullein’s subtle beauty comes in a variety of colours: petals are often white, tinted with pale pink or lemon yellow. Much like its namesake, it enjoys a place in bright light where its bright blooms can really glow- and it’s not picky about soil conditions, making it ideal for borders or rockeries.

• Type: Biennial 
• Height: 60-100cm.
• Flowers: June-September 
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun
• Natural Habitat: Woodland margins, clearings, waste grounds
• Also known as: Shepherd’s Club, Slippery Mullein, Woolly Mullein

Produces rosettes of leaves at the base of the stem leading up to its four pale pink petals. A flower that captures the essence of springtime; it's named because it blooms the same time you'd start to hear a Cuckoo's call. 

• Type: Perennial 
• Height: 30 – 50cm.
• Flowers: April - June
• Soil Requirement: Moist but well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Damp meadows, pond margins, riverbanks
• Also known as: Lady's-Smock, Cuckoo Bread, Mayflower

These showy azure blue flowers consist of 5 petals with either a white or an orangery/yellow star shaped centre. An excellent plant for pollinators, for their nectar and pollen. 

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 15-30cm.
• Flowers: April-July
• Soil Requirement: Moist, well drained soils
• Light Requirement: Semi shade
• Natural Habitat: Woodland, wet woods, hedgerows
• Also known as: Garden Forget-Me-Not

The county flower of Roxburghshire is certainly well-named, as its toothy, cerise pink flowers with deep-rose central markings are among our most vivid, and carry all the allure of a fairytale maiden. Recommended for rockeries, this bloom's beauty is easy to get lost in, growing in clusters in a mat of dark silver-green foliage.

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 10-15cm.
• Flowers: May-August
• Soil requirement: Well-drained
• Light requirement: Full sun
• Natural habitat: Hillsides, pastures, dry banks
• Also known as: Lady's Cushion, Meadow Pink, Spink

• These low, trailing plants are recommended for rockeries, containers or garden walls, where they’re sure to delight with small, snapdragon-like flowers in mauve and yellow. So-named for its ivy-shaped leaves edged with red, there’s a certain magic to these miniature blooms- in bulk, they resemble a whimsical fairy village! A hardy climbing plant for those who want to add a splash of colour to a covered crevice.

• Type: Perennial 
• Height: 5-10cm.
• Flowers: June-October
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Cliff faces, coastal areas, grasslands
• Also known as: Climbing Sailor, Mother Of Thousands, Oxford Ivy

With an array of purple and pink petals which attract bees, few pond-side plants are as pretty as these tall wetland wildflowers growing in whorls. Sports a darker crimson colouration on its lower lip and stem. An earnest plant which multiplies over the years; some might want to keep them in a container, or let them spill  in rivers of rich-coloured, robust flowers.

• Type: Perennial  
• Height: 30-75cm.
• Flowers: June-September 
• Soil Requirement: Moist
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: River banks, ditches, marshes
• Also known as: Clown’s Woundwort, Marsh Betony, Ploughman’s All-Heal

This large species of bellflower produces petals in purple and periwinkle blue. Ideal for woodland gardens and lighting up shady spots, it’s hardy and easy to naturalise!

• Type: Perennial 
• Height: 90–150cm.
• Flowers: June-September 
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Partial to full shade
• Natural Habitat: Woodlands, hedge banks 
• Also known as: Brantwood, Large Campanula

What else is there to say about the dainty azure arcs of the beloved Bluebell? Though they take several years to develop from seed, fully grown bluebells naturalise quickly and can multiply over time, leaving your garden awash and aglow with the famous fairy-tale flora! In addition, Bluebells can rarely grow in pink and white.

• Type: Perennial 
• Height: 30–60cm.
• Flowers: April-June 
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Woodlands, hedge banks 
• Also known as: Bell Bottle, Cuckoo’s Boots, Witch’s Thimbles

The Great Burnet is a lively-looking plant, sporting crimson flower clusters atop tall, branching stems with distinct jagged leaves. They’re highly attractive to pollinators, and for a good reason; this wild-growing relative of the rose is not to be overlooked!

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 45-90cm.
• Flowers: June-September
• Soil Requirement: Moist but well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Floodplains, meadows, riverbanks
• Also known as: Burnet Bloodwort

These feathery flowers produce pale blue petals tinted with purple - a colour so nice, it's called 'cornflower blue'! Highly attractive to pollinators, and its unique, crisp colouration lends itself to many combinations. 

• Type: Annual
• Height: 30-60cm.
• Flowers: June-August
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun
• Natural Habitat: Grasslands, farmland
• Also known as: Bachelor’s Button

A robust marsh flower which produces tall plumes of magenta blooms. Perfect for the pondside- let them loose and enjoy these sensational spikes of colour as they bring in bees!

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 60-120cm. 
• Flowers: June-September
• Soil Requirement: Moist
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Marshes, riverbanks, fens
• Also known as: Black Blood, Rainbow Weed, Red Sally

Looking at its golden, star-shaped flowers and showoffish nectar-rich stamens which are perfect for pollinators, it's no wonder that St John's Wort is famously revered in a variety of religions and myths- even today it's highly valued in herbalism! A great plant to grow for a gorgeous golden glow.

• Type: Perennial
• Height: 30–60cm. 
• Flowers: June-September
• Soil Requirement: Moist but well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: River banks, meadows, hedgerows
• Also known as: Cammock, Devil’s Scourge, Rosin Rose

Standing proud on tall, grey-green stems, Common Valerian can grow up to an astonishing 1.5m with delicate white-pink flowers atop. It has also been known to be used as a medicinal herb to help promote sleep.

• Type: Perennial  
• Height: 15-75cm.
• Flowers: June-August
• Soil Requirement: Damp
• Light Requirement: Full Sun, Light Shade 
• Natural Habitat: Woodland clearings and ditches
• Also known as: Garden Valerian, White Valerian, Garden Heliotrope, Setwall and All-Heal

Spice up your garden with the quirky colours of the Borage. Its brilliant blue, star-shaped flowers and hairy, scarlet stems are attractive to pollinators and easy to grow with minimal fuss.

• Type: Annual
• Height: 30-60cm.
• Flowers: June-September
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Forest verges, meadows
• Also known as: Starflower Cool Tankard, Tailwort

These vibrant yellow flowers make for an ideal choice for beds, borders, or even lawns: its bright colour and subtle, sweet scent helps to attract bees and butterflies.

• Type: Annual
• Height: 15-45cm. 
• Flowers: June-October
• Best Sown: Spring
• Soil Requirement: Well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun
• Natural Habitat: Hedgerows, meadows
• Also known as: Guild Weed, Yellow Daisy, Yellow Ox-Eye

Perhaps named for its spiky, orange-and-bronze tinted flower heads, there’s no mistaking the sedge’s characteristic fresh green tint and long, slender leaves. Best planted in heavy soil or slightly submerged in water to create a vibrant display at the water’s edge and benefit the wildlife. 

• Type: Perennial  
• Height: 60-90cm.
• Flowers: June-July 
• Soil Requirement: Moist
• Light Requirement: Full sun or partial shade
• Natural Habitat: Marshes, river banks, ditches

Designed specifically to produce yellow rattle plants easily and quickly. Grown from our own quality-assured, fresh, UK native seed, our yellow rattle plugs are ready to be planted in your garden or meadow.

Yellow rattle is a surprisingly musical meadow flower and a must for a wildflower garden: as a semi-parasitic plant, it requires robust neighbour plants like grasses and legumes, but also acts as a watchdog against vigorous weeds.. That's on top of the beauty of its golden, bell-shaped flowers, complete with a charming 'chime' as its ripened seed pods rattle in the breeze.

Our yellow rattle plug plants are grown from high-quality, British seed from wild meadow collections, and arrive ready to be planted complete with the essential meadow grasses. Check back in late 2024 to order your yellow rattle plants for delivery in spring 2025, or view our yellow rattle seeds.

• Type: Annual
• Height: 20–50cm. 
• Flowers: May-September
• Soil Requirement: Moist or well-drained
• Light Requirement: Full sun
• Natural Habitat: Grassland, meadows
• Also known as: Corn Rattle, Hay Rattle, Penny Grass