Coronavirus likely to boost UK’s rare wildflowers

Plantlife has said that rare wildflowers could start to bloom more than usual during the coronavirus lockdown because many councils are leaving roadside verges uncut.

Botanists say that the respite for these mini-meadows is likely to lead to an explosion of colour in the countryside this summer and bring benefits to declining bee populations and other pollinators, including butterflies, birds and bats.

Roadside verges are home to an expected 700 species of wildflowers, nearly 45 per cent of the UK’s total flora. At this time of year, their potential role as conservation areas us usually undermined as local councils begin to mow the roadsides. Plantlife says this may be the best summer for years for these plants because several councils are redistributing resources to other activities as a result of the pandemic.

Trevor Dines, Plantlife's Botanical Specialist, said: “In these incredibly challenging times and as horizons inevitably narrow, the wild flowers appearing on our waysides and road verges are an uplifting sight, contributing significantly to our well-being. An unintended but understandable consequence of lockdown may be reduced mowing that has the potential to benefit wild plants and the bees, butterflies, birds, bats and bugs that depend on them for survival."

Almost 300 local authorities have declared a climate emergency and Plantlife is calling on all councils to cut superfluous cutting for good to bring down emissions from tractor mowers. Adopting Plantlife’s ‘twice is nice’ guidelines could see emissions reduced by 22,754 tonnes of CO2.