Description: This orchid has a wide variation in height which is dictated by the surrounding habitat. The flower is commonly pink, some individual are red/pink and purple in colour. Flowers are arranged in a dense spike. Lateral sepals spread horizontal or slightly bending downwards. Dorsal sepals and petals curve inwards forming a hood. The labellum is wide and made up of three rounded lobes. Leaves are unspotted, narrow and oblong-lanceolate. As the name suggest the Fragrant orchid are heavily scented which can be experienced during the day and night. The long slender spur of the plant contains copious nectar which suites insects with
Bitter Vetch
Lathyrus linifolius
Corra meille
Description: A rather elegant-looking plant with short racemes of delicate flowers, ranging in colour from pink to mauve upon first flowering, fading to blue-green as the flower ages. Leaves with 2-4 pairs of narrow-oblong leaflets.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: There is evidence to suggest that this plant was used in Scotland as an appetite suppressor after crop failure in medieval times. Apparently, King Charles II of England made use of its appetite-suppressant properties by administering it to his mistress, Nell Gwynn, in order to help maintain her figure!
Where to find in the park: Common on the patches of peat which form on the limestone pavement in the Burren National Park.
When to see: Flowers from April to July.
Bloody Crane’s-bill
Geranium sanguineum
Crobh Dearg
Description: Part of the Burren’s ‘Mediterranean’ element, this plant usually occurs in warmer climes, but here it is found alongside arctic-alpine species such as Mountain Avens and Mountain Everlasting. Bloody Crane’s-bill is found in other parts of Ireland, so is not considered to be a ‘speciality species’ of the Burren, but is notable for its abundance in the area; the striking, bright-pink flowers are ubiquitous on roadsides, in fields and on limestone pavement in summertime.
The flowers are a deep magenta in colour, approximately 4cm across, with five petals. The leaves are dark green shade, round and deeply lobed. The name ‘bloody crane’s-bill’ is derived from the fact that in autumn, the leaves turn a blood-red colour and fruit capsule becomes elongated, similar to the bill of a crane.
Where to find in the park: Abundant and very easy to find; occurs in most open habitats, e.g. grasslands, limestone pavement and grassy verges.
When to see: Begins flowering in May and continues to flower into September.
Carline Thistle
Carlina vulgaris
Feochadán mín
Description: A very distinctive plant, with its spiky ‘sunburst’ appearance with a brownish-yellow flower head comprising tiny ‘florets’, some of which are purple in colour, surrounded by a ring of yellow bracts, which are similar to the rays of the sun.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: This plant was known for its antiseptic properties and was used to treat wounds and skin conditions. Its name is derived from a folk tale about Emperor Charlemagne, who was purportedly visited by an angel who showed him how to use this plant to cure an epidemic of plague which was devastating his army; in German, Charlemagne’s name was Karl der Grosse, or Carl the Great.
Additionally, this plant was once used in weather forecasting; the flower head closes when the air becomes more humid, which indicate that rain and bad weather may be imminent.
Where to find in the park: This plant may be found on limestone pavements and in calcareous grasslands throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers in late summer, from July to September, but a ‘skeleton’ of the plant persists into wintertime.
Centaury, Common
Centaurium erythraea
Dréimire mhuire
Description: A pink annual with 5 petalled flowers in terminal clusters and on side shoots. Leaves are ovate with lower leaves forming a basal rosette. Height variable from 5 to 50cm depending on the habitat. Flowers only open in full sunshine. Anthers twist at time of fruiting.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: The whole plant is bitter to taste and can help to cure edema (accumulation of fluid in tissue around the feet, ankles and legs).
Where to find in the park: Found on calcareous grassland.
When to see: Flowers from July to September.
Cowslip
Primula veris
Bainne bó bleachtáin
Description: Tall, erect stems with drooping clusters of bright yellow flowers. This species commonly hybridises with Primrose (Primula vulgaris) where the two grow in close proximity, producing the hybrid False Oxlip (Primula x polyantha). An early-flowering species; along with primroses and dandelions, these pretty flowers form a carpet of yellow in the meadows throughout the park in springtime.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: The German name for this plant is ‘keys of heaven’, referring to the drooping clusters of pretty flowers. In the past, extracts of cowslip flowers and leaves were used in traditional medicine, and in cosmetics. Shakespeare refers to cowslips in A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
“The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see,
These be rubies, fairy flavours,
In those freckles live their savours…
I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.”
Where to find in the park: Abundant in the meadows throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers May to June.
Devil’s-bit Scabious
Succisa pratensis
Odhrach bhallach
Description: Mauve/blue-coloured florets, clustered into tight flowerheads at the top of a long stem. Ovate leaves form a basal rosette. Devil’s-bit scabious is the food plant of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, Ireland’s only legally-protected insect species and its late-flowering blossoms are an important source of nectar for late-flying bees, butterflies, hoverflies. The critically-endangered bee Andrena marginata is dependent on this plant’s pollen and nectar to line its nest.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Plant species with the name Scabious, including Devil’s-bit and field scabious, were once used to treat Scabies, a skin irritation caused by a mite living under the skin. Devil’s-bit scabious had a range of other medicinal uses; a tea was made using this plant which was used for the treatment of coughs, fevers and internal inflammations. In folklore, its short black root is said to have been bitten off by the devil, who was angered by its usefulness in treating a wide range of ailments.
Where to find in the park: Devil’s-bit scabious may be found in grassy habitats. In late summer, this plant creates a blue haze in the meadows throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers from July to September.
Dropwort
Filipendula vulgaris
Lus Broanach
Description: Another Burren ‘speciality’, this plant is restricted in its Irish distribution to this region. Very similar to its more widespread cousin, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), this plant has a more slender appearance, with erect stems to 50cm with panicles of creamy-white flowers. Individual flowers are larger than those of meadowsweet, and are sometimes tinged pink. The leaves are also quite different, each with 8-20 pairs of narrow, deeply-pinnate, leaflets.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: The young leaves and roots can be eaten, though these are not very palatable and are only eaten during food shortages. This plant was also used in the treatment of epilepsy, kidney and bladder stones.
Where to find in the park: This plant can be found on limestone pavements throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers in June to July.
Eyebrights
Euphrasia officinale agg.
Glanrosc
Description: Squat, branching plants with small toothed leaves. Flowers white-mauve with yellow blotches, which act as a guide for pollinating insects.
Over 20 species of Eyebrights occur in Ireland, and these require expert identification; as the species often self-pollinates, it produces genetically clones of itself, allowing genetic mutations to be easily passed down, aiding in the process of speciation. The Irish Eyebright (Euphrasia salisburgensis) stands out from other eyebright species, with bronze-coloured stems and leaves. This species is highly unusual in its distribution. In Ireland, it is only found in the west, and it is completely absent from Britain. Beyond Ireland it is only found in the mountains of central Europe. As such it is considered as part of Ireland’s Lusitanian Flora.
All eyebrights are semi-parasitic, absorbing water and nutrients from other plants, including clovers, plantains and grasses.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Its name is derived from its traditional use in treating eye ailments. To this day, certain species of eyebright are used in herbal medicine for treating conditions such as conjunctivitis.
Where to find in the park: Eyebrights are widespread in the park, found in open areas, in grasslands and on limestone pavement. Watch out for Irish Eyebright (Euphrasia salisburgensis) on limestone pavements; as it is a parasite of wild thyme (Thymus polytrichus) (link), and so is often found near this species.
When to see: Flowers from June to October.
Garlic, Wild/Ramsons
Allium ursinum
Creamh
Description: You will probably smell this plant before you see it – as the name suggests, it has a very strong smell of garlic, especially when crushed. It has star-shaped white flowers in clusters at the top of erect, slender stems. Leaves are oblong-oval and pointed, on long stalks at the base of the stem.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: This plant has always been highly valued for its culinary use, and was highly valued as a condiment in medieval times; under the Irish 8th-century legal tract Bretha Comaithchesa or ‘laws of the neighbourhood’, there was a fine of two and a half milch cows for picking wild garlic on someone else’s land!
Where to find in the park: Wild garlic grows in damp, shaded areas, such as woodlands and riversides.
When to see: Flowers from March to May.
Grass of Parnassus
Parnassia palustris
Fionnscoth
Description: While this flower is not as eye-catching as some of the more brightly-coloured Burren plants, a closer look will reveal its delicate and simple beauty. The solitary white flowers each have five petals with translucent veins. The leaves are heart-shaped, occurring in a basal rosette.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Carl Linnaeus, the 18th century Swedish botanist and so-called ‘Father of Taxonomy’, thought that this plant was so beautiful that he named it after Mount Parnassus, a limestone mountain in Greece. In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus was the home of the Muses, the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts.
Where to find in the park: This plant may be found in base-rich flushes and damp grassland.
When to see: Flowers from June to September.
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
Méaracán gorm
Description: A delicate plant with beautiful, cup-shaped, pale-blue flowers which may be seen nodding in the breeze on roadsides throughout the Burren in late summer.
Folklore and Traditional Uses: The Irish name, Méaracán gorm, means ‘blue thimble’, referring to the blue, cup-shaped flowers. This plant was also associated with fairies, and it was considered bad luck to pick the flowers. It’s other Irish name, Méaracán púca, means ‘ghost thimble’ or alternatively ‘goblin thimble’.
Where to find in the park: Harebell is abundant throughout the meadow and grassy verge habitats in the Burren National Park.
When to see: Flowers Mid July to September.
Hoary Rock-rose
Helianthemum oelandicum
Grianrós liath
Description: This is another species which is considered to be a ‘speciality’ of the Burren, as in Ireland it only occurs in the Burren and on one of the Aran Islands. Outside the British Isles, its distribution is concentrated in southern Europe, in the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. As its distribution outside the Burren is limited to high altitudes, it is considered part of the arctic-alpine element of the Burren flora.
This is a prostrate, i.e. low-growing, plant with small, narrow leaves in opposite pairs and dainty yellow flowers which only open in sunlight.
Where to find in the park: This species can be found on limestone pavement within the Park.
When to see: Flowers appear from April to July, depending on climatic conditions.
Note: Under the 1999 Flora (Protection) Order, this plant is protected in the Republic of Ireland which means that the picking, uprooting, sale or possession is prohibited, except under licence.
Lady’s Bedstraw
Galium verum
Bolach cnis
Description: A short and sprawling perennial with small yellow, 4 petalled flowers arranged in a leafy cluster on branched, square stems. Leaves are narrow, dark green, with rolled back margins, 8 to 12 per whorl.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Traditionally used to stuff mattresses, due to the chemical properties of the plant which act as a natural bedbug pesticide. In folklore the plant is associated with the Virgin Mary; it is believed that she lay on a bed of bedstraw during the nativity. The association with bedstraw and birth stems from Norse mythology were Frigg the goddess of married women helped women through child birth, during which the Scandinavians used the plant as a sedative.
Where to find in the park: Found on calcareous grassland, hay meadows and cliff tops.
When to see: Flowers from June to September.
Ling Heather
Calluna vulgaris
Fraoch mór
Description: A dense shrub with spikes of small pinkish-purple flowers. Leaves are also very small and somewhat crowded along the stem. This plant is known as a calcifuge species (i.e. it does not grow in lime-rich areas), usually found in acidic habitats, such as bogs and heaths, and so its presence in the Burren, which is underlain by limestone, is somewhat of an anomaly. In the Burren, ling grows on peaty substrates which form in hollows on the limestone pavement.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Ling was used for flavouring “leann fraoich” (heather beer) in the middle ages, before the use of hops.
Where to find in the park: On peaty areas which occur intermittently on the limestone pavement.
When to see: Flowers July to September.
Marjoram
Origanum vulgare
Máirtín fiáin
Description: A very aromatic plant; this is in fact the species which is commonly called ‘oregano’ when cultivated for culinary use (its close relative, Origanum majorana is the herb which is referred to as marjoram in culinary use). This plant has clusters of small pink flowers and dark purple/brown buds, on erect stems with slightly hairy oval leaves – very similar to what you might have growing in your herb garden!
Folklore / Traditional Uses: This plant has been used for cooking for centuries, especially in Italian and Greek cuisine. Hippocrates used oregano as an antiseptic, and as a cure for stomach and respiratory ailments. This herb has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties, due to a high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids.
Where to find in the park: Very common on grassy roadside verges and in meadows.
When to see: Flowers from July to September.
Photo: Margaux Pierrel
Milkwort, Common
Polygala vulgaris
Lus an bhainne
Description: Milkwort has racemes of small delicate flowers which are usually the same bright blue colour as spring gentian, with which it may be confused at a distance. A closer look reveals the huge differences in flower structure however; spring gentian has regular flowers (i.e. it is radially symmetrical with all petals the same size), while milkwort flowers are irregular (i.e. not radially symmetrical, with petals of varying size and shape), and quite elegant, with a feathery ‘trumpet’ and wings. Some variations have magenta or white flowers. Leaves are small and alternate up the stem – a distinguishing feature between this species and Heath Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris), which has opposite leaves.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Its name, milkwort, comes from the fact that this plant was traditionally used to make an infusion which, when ingested, would help to increase the flow of mothers’ milk.
Where to find in the park: Milkwort is a very common sight throughout the park, in grasslands and on limestone pavements.
When to see: Flowers from May to July.
Mossy Saxifrage
Saxifraga hypnoides
Mórán caonaigh
Description: This is a small plant which can grow up to 20cm in height. Small white flowers (10 to 15mm across) with slightly overlapping green veined petals, five in total. The plant is mat forming growing on rocky outcrops, cliffs and scree. Basel rosette leaves made up of 3 to 5 narrow pointed lobes give this plant a mossy appearance.
Folklore / Traditional Uses:Saxifraga is Latin for stone breaker. It was first believed that this name was describing the cracks in rock were Saxifraga species commonly grow, and that there roots may be causing the rocks to break. But it was then discovered that this plant can be used in the treatment of urinary calculi commonly known as kidney stones.
Where to find in the park: On rock ledges, cliffs and scree.
When to see: Flowers May to August.
Mountain Avens
Dryas octopetala
Leathín
Description: One of the Burren ‘specialities’, this plant forms carpets on limestone pavement and grasslands. Its flowers have a yellow centre and white petals which usually occur in multiples of eight, hence its latin name ‘octopetala’, which means ‘eight petals’. ‘Dryas’ refers to its leaves, which resemble tiny oak leaves; ‘dryas’ means ‘oak’ in Greek.
In Ireland, Mountain Avens is restricted to the Burren, where it is locally abundant, and several locations in Northern Ireland, where it is occasional on mountainsides. It is considered part of the arctic/alpine element of the Burren flora, being usually found in more northerly latitudes and in the high mountains of Europe. In the Burren, this plant occurs at sea level, alongside plants which usually have a more southerly distribution (the ‘Mediterranean’ element), such as bloody cranesbill and dense-flowered orchid.
Folklore and Traditional Uses: The stems of Mountain Avens are quite woody, and there is evidence that this plant was used as a fuel source during the 1800s.
Where to find in the park: Mountain Avens are easy to find throughout the park, forming dense mats on limestone pavement and grasslands.
When to see: The main flowering season is in late spring/early summer, with a second flowering period in late summer/autumn (Late April to June and Late July to September). After flowering, the plant produces very distinctive large, fluffy seed-heads.
Photo: Margaux Pierrel
Mountain-everlasting/Cat’s-paw
Antennaria dioeca
Catluibh
Description: A small, creeping perennial herb which is considered to be one of the real ‘Burren specialities’, its distribution limited to this part of Ireland. Known by two names: Mountain Everlasting and Cat’s-paw; the former referring to the fact that it is a perennial plant which normally occurs in northern or montane regions, the latter describing its soft, five-headed flower clusters, which very closely resemble the paw of a kitten when observed from above. Its specific name, dioeca, refers the fact that it is ‘dioecious’, meaning that individual plants produce either male or female flowers; in general, male flowers are white while female flowers are, suitably, pink!
Where to find in the park: Abundant in grasslands and on limestone pavement and edges of woodland.
When to see: Flowers May to June.
Primrose
Primula vulgaris
Sabhaircín
Description: Solitary flowers (one on a stem); pale yellow with a dark yellow centre. Basal rosette of dark green leaves with a crumpled appearance. Flowers have a very distinctive sweet scent.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: In early medicine, primrose was used in the treatment of muscular rheumatism, paralysis and gout.
Where to find in the park: Abundant in woodlands, hedgerows, grassy verges and even on open limestone pavement in springtime.
When to see: One of the earliest flowers to appear, these lovely flowers, along with daffodils and swallows, herald the onset of spring. The main flowering period is May/June, but flowers may appear as early as late winter, hence its scientific name; Primula, in latin, means early.
Photo: Margaux Pierrel
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa
Tor cúigmhéarach
Description: A twiggy shrub which grows up to 1m tall. Leaves are greyish-green and pinnate, with 5-9 leaflets. The yellow flowers usually have five petals, hence the name ‘cinquefoil’. This plant is regarded as one of the Burren specialities; its only other Irish station is on the shores of Lough Corrib, and it is rare in Britain.
Where to find in the park: This plant may be found at the winter high water mark around turloughs and lakes.
When to see: Flowers Late June to August.
Spring Gentian
Gentiana verna
Ceadharlach Bealtaine
Description: One of the most famous plants of the Burren, the spring gentian is notable for its beautiful, trumpet-shaped, bright-blue flowers. Each flower has five petals and an inner fringe of fine lobes between the petals, surrounding a white centre. White or mauve-coloured varieties may sometimes be seen.
Where to find in the park: Found on limestone pavements and grasslands throughout the park.
When to see: The spring gentian, as its name suggests, begins to flower in late April and continues to flower until early June. Flowering may be earlier or later depending on the weather.
Photo: Margaux Pierrel
St. John’s-wort, perforate
Hypericum perforatum
Lus na Maighdine Muire
Description: This plant has clusters of very cheerful bright yellow flowers on upright stems. The leaves, as the name suggests, have translucent dots which look like little pin-pricks when held up to the light. Stems are round and hairless with two raised ridges.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: This plant has been used in herbal medicine for centuries. An oily extract from the plant was used to heal wounds. This use was justified, by way of the Doctrine of Signatures, an ancient herbal philosophy that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. The herbalist William Coles wrote of the plant in the 17th century: “The little holes where of the leaves of Saint Johns wort are full, doe resemble all the pores of the skin and therefore it is profitable for all hurts and wounds that can happen thereunto.” This explanation is obviously very spurious, but recent research has proven that H. perforatum is effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.
Where to find in the park: Common in meadows and on roadsides throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers from June to September.
Squinancywort
Asperula cynanchica
Lus na Haincise
Description: A low-growing, mat-forming plant with clusters of small white or pinkish-coloured flowers. Flowers with four pointed petals which curl backwards, and leaves in whorls of four along the stem. Branched four-angled stems.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: According to folklore, this plant was used to cure quinsy, a complication of tonsillitis which is uncommon nowadays due to the availability of anitibiotics to treat tonsillitis.
Where to find in the park: Common on limestone and in grassy areas throughout the park.
When to see: Flowers from June to August.
Wild Thyme
Thymus politrichus
Tím Chréige
Description: Similar to the garden variety which is used in cooking, this plant has erect stems with tiny pink/purple flowers. Leaves are evergreen, small, ovate, and are slightly aromatic when crushed, though not as strong-smelling as garden thyme. This species prefers free-draining soils, and is often associated with ant-hills of the yellow ant (Lasius flavus). Both thyme broomrape and Irish eyebright (link) parasitise this plant, but there are many parasite-free patches of this plant within the park.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: Like its close relative Thymus vulgaris, this species may be used in cooking. It has a strong scent and essential oils may be distilled from the leaves.
Where to find in the park: Frequent in meadows and on limestone pavement often found growing on ant-hills.
When to see: Flowers July to September.
Photo: Margaux Pierrel
Wood Sorrel
Oxalis acetosella
Seamsóg
Description: A very distinctive plant with trifoliate leaves which are sometimes mistaken for clover. The white flowers are solitary and quite delicate, with pink-lilac veins.
Folklore / Traditional Uses: The leaves of this plant are edible, with a sharp, bitter taste. An oxalate called “sal acetosella” was formerly extracted from the plant, through boiling.
Where to find in the park: Abundant in the ash/hazel woodlands.
When to see: Flowers April to May.
Photo: Mark O’Callaghan
Yellow Rattle
Rhinanthus minor
Gliorán
Description: This plant is abundant in the meadows of the park, and is very distinctive, with tough, erect stems and waxy, serrated leaves in opposite pairs along the stem. Flowers occur in clusters at the top of the stem and are bright yellow and irregular, with an upper and a lower lip. It is so-called because of its yellow flowers and its seed-pods, which turn quite dry and papery in the autumn, and when shaken the seeds inside produce a rattling sound.
This species is hemi-parasitic, i.e. it absorbs some water and nutrients from other plants, but produces its own chlorophyll. There is evidence to suggest that this species increases plant diversity in meadows, probably due to the fact that it keeps back tall, tussocky grasses by absorbing water and nutrients from their roots.
Where to find in the park: Yellow-rattle is abundant in the meadows throughout the Park.
When to see: Flowers from May to August.
Yellow-wort
Blackstonia perfoliata
Dréimire Buí
Description: A very distinctive plant with erect, grey-green stems and branched clusters of bright yellow flowers.
Folklore and Traditional Uses: Its Irish name, Dréimire Buí (meaning ‘yellow ladder’) is inspired by its leaves, which occur in opposite pairs at regular intervals along the stem and are fused at the base, resembling the rungs of a ladder. The common name, Yellow-wort, indicates that the plant was once used medicinally (the suffix –wort in their names usually indicates that the plant had a medicinal use), but if the plant was once used to treat some ailment, this use is not now known.
Where to find in the park: This species occurs in shallow, dry, gravelly or stony calcareous ground, often in disturbed areas.
When to see: Yellow-wort blooms in late summer (July to September).
