Wild Flowers - Pink or Red
Quite a lot of our flowers are pink and this page shows some of those that are fairly common in the Park.
Redshank
Usually has reddish stems and a dark patch in the middle of each leaf. Fowers from June until October.
Great Willowherb
This very tall plant can grow up to 2 metres in damp habitats but only usually flowers during July and August.
Red Clover
A very common low-growing plant with distinctive crescent marks on the leaves. Flowers from May until October.
Knapweed
A very common plant that flowers from June until September in a wide range of grassy places.
Field Bindweed
A plant that sometimes twines around other plants to reach great heights. Flowers from June until September.
Herb Robert
A widespread member of the Geranium family that has a long flowering season, from April until October.
Water-pepper
This plant is very common on the flood meadows. It has long drooping spikes of pale pink flowers that appear from July until September
Spear Thistle
Told from our other thistles by its very spiney leaves and large flower head, it favours grassland and flowers from July until September.
Cut-leaved Cranesbill
Another member of the Geranium family, this one has distinctive leaves and flowers from May until September.
Scarlet Pimpernel
Not very common in the valley but the colour of its flowers makes this plant unmistakeable. It has a fairly short flowering season; June until August.
Red Dead-nettle
This distinctive annual flowers from May until September and spreads very easily
Dog-rose
A scrambling hedgerow shrub that flowers in June and July and produces bright red, egg-shaped, hips.
Common Vetch
This vetch produces flowers from April until September, either singly or in pairs. It grows in grassland or hedgerows.
Red Campion
This common hedgerow plant has a very long flowering season; from March until October
Rosebay Willowherb
This tall plant is very common across the Park and flowers from July until September.
Common Centaury
Found in dry, grassy places and along the coast path, this quite short plant flowers from June until September.
More Information
The Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland has a page with links to books, websites and downloadable files to help you identify wild plants.
A useful free guide was produced by the National Plant Monitoring Scheme.
A useful book is “Collins complete guide to British Wild Flowers”.
Photos on this page by Peter Hunnisett