🌿What's Hiding in Whitlingham's Meadows?

Kate
May 27
2 min read

Updated: Jun 5

Whether you've wandered round the north side of the Great Broad, strolled through our Picnic Meadow, or taken the path that runs behind the 18th century pump house, chances are there are tiny wonders nearby that you may have never noticed... until now.

It's now May, the sun is shining, and the park has well and truly started to spring into life. But what can you expect to see in the meadows at Whitlingham Country Park this spring/summer?

Our Meadow Survey from 2024

During last summer, the meadows around the park were meticulously surveyed by willing groups of corporate volunteers from Aviva, expertly led by our ranger staff. Using our plant identification picture guides, they found there was an incredible array of plant life to be found, including:

bee orchid
common bird's-foot trefoil
crested dog's tail
germander speedwell
lady bedstraw
perennial quaking grass
pyramidal orchid
red clover
tufted vetch
wild angelica
Yorkshire fog

We almost listed a complete A-Z of plant life in one survey season! See the full list at the end of this post.

Aviva volunteers conducting plant surveys near the pump house path

Aviva volunteers conducting a plant survey on the Picnic Meadow

Some of the most stunning species can be pretty hard to spot, especially when the meadow grass gets taller.

Take a look at this incredible bee orchid, which is one of the species our groups found. You can see how it gets its name!

Where can I look for interesting plant species at Whitlingham Country Park?

The best places to safely look for wild flowers and plant species are marked with yellow flowers on this map:

Please take care to leave species to grow and be enjoyed by both humans and wildlife at the park.

If you take any photos of species you spot around the park, please get in touch to share them with us. We would love to see your finds! Even better, send us a what3words location so we can take a look too!