Ancient Woodland Indicators
About Ancient Woodland Indicators
Within broadleaved woodlands, some species of vegetation act as indicators of ancient woodlands. These species grow when a woodland has been present at a particular site for a great length of time. The more indicator species there are present within a woodland, the more likely it is to be an ancient woodland.
Typical examples include:
- Common bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)
- Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa)
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
- Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)
- Red campion (Silene dioica)
- Barnacle lichen (Thelotrema)
- Lungwort lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria)
- Scaly male fern (Scaly male fern)
- Hard fern (Blechnum spicant)
- Hart’s tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
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- Common bluebell
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- Wild garlic
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- Wood anemone
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- Primrose
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- Scaly male fern
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- Hard fern
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- Hart’s tongue fern