Most development sites do not contain rare / protected species of plants, although if the proposed development site is in an area known to harbour such species, or is a habitat of principal importance (BAP Habitat), it might require a more in depth botanical survey to be undertaken.
The depth of the surveys is often determined by the County Ecologist and or Natural England. It is becoming more frequent for LPA ecologists to request botany surveys of semi-improved grassland. This can prove significant as depending on the evaluation, it is possible that ‘compensation’ for loss of habitat will be requested
Whatever level of survey you might require, please discuss it with us.
The following lists are not intended to be definitive. They are occasionally updated and it is recommended that you check for any updates rather than rely on the following.
There is probably not a single ecologist who would be able to recognises / identify all of the species in the following lists. Most would struggle to identify more than a handful.
Schedule 8 – Protected Plants
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) is the principal legislation dealing with non-native species. The WCA has been amended in relation to England and Wales by various pieces of legislation, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 9) (England and Wales) Order 2010, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Vascular Plants | |
Ajuga chamaepitys | Ground-pine |
Alisma gramineum | Ribbon-leaved Water-plantain |
Allium sphaerocephalon | Round-headed Leek |
Althaea hirsuta | Rough Marsh-mallow |
Alyssum alyssoides | Small Alison |
Apium repens | Creeping Marshwort |
Arabis alpina | Alpine Rock-cress |
Arabis scabra | Bristol Rock-cress |
Arenaria norvegica | Norwegian Sandwort |
Artemisia campestris | Field Wormwood |
Atriplex pedunculata | Stalked Orache |
Bupleurum baldense | Small Hare’s-ear |
Bupleurum falcatum | Sickle-leaved Hare’s-ear |
Carex depauperata | Starved Wood-sedge |
Centaurium tenuiflorum | Slender Centaury |
Cephalanthera rubra | Red Helleborine |
Chenopodium vulvaria | Stinking Goosefoot |
Cicerbita alpina | Alpine Sow-thistle |
Clinopodium menthifolium | Wood Calamint |
Coincya wrightii | Lundy Cabbage |
Corrigiola litoralis | Strapwort |
Cotoneaster cambricus | Wild Cotoneaster |
Crassula aquatica | Pigmyweed |
Crepis foetida | Stinking Hawk’s-beard |
Cynoglossum germanicum | Green Hound’s-tongue |
Cyperus fuscus | Brown Galingale |
Cypripedium calceolus | Lady’s-slipper |
Cystopteris dickieana | Dickie’s Bladder-fern |
Dactylorhiza lapponica | Lapland Marsh-orchid |
Damasonium alisma | Starfruit |
Dianthus armeria | Deptford Pink |
Dianthus gratianopolitanus | Cheddar Pink |
Diapensia lapponica | Diapensia |
Eleocharis parvula | Dwarf Spike-rush |
Epipactis youngiana | Young’s Helleborine |
Epipogium aphyllum | Ghost Orchid |
Equisetum ramosissimum | Branched Horsetail |
Erigeron borealis | Alpine Fleabane |
Eriophorum gracile | Slender Cottongrass |
Eryngium campestre | Field Eryngo |
Filago lutescens | Red-tipped Cudweed |
Filago pyramidata | Broad-leaved Cudweed |
Fumaria reuteri | Martin’s Ramping-fumitory |
Gagea bohemica | Early Star-of-Bethlehem |
Gentiana nivalis | Alpine Gentian |
Gentiana verna | Spring Gentian |
Gentianella anglica | Early Gentian |
Gentianella ciliata | Fringed Gentian |
Gentianella uliginosa | Dune Gentian |
Gladiolus illyricus | Wild Gladiolus |
Gnaphalium luteoalbum | Jersey Cudweed |
Hieracium attenuatifolium | Weak-leaved Hawkweed |
Hieracium northroense | Northroe Hawkweed |
Hieracium zetlandicum | Shetland Hawkweed |
Himantoglossum hircinum | Lizard Orchid |
Homogyne alpina | Purple Colt’s-foot |
Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Bluebell |
Lactuca saligna | Least Lettuce |
Leersia oryzoides | Cut-grass |
Limosella australis | Welsh Mudwort |
Liparis loeselii | Fen Orchid |
Lloydia serotina | Snowdon Lily |
Luronium natans | Floating Water-plantain |
Lychnis alpina | Alpine Catchfly |
Lythrum hyssopifolium | Grass-poly |
Melampyrum arvense | Field Cow-wheat |
Mentha pulegium | Pennyroyal |
Minuartia stricta | Teesdale Sandwort |
Najas flexilis | Slender Naiad |
Najas marina | Holly-leaved Naiad |
Ononis reclinata | Small Restharrow |
Ophioglossum lusitanicum | Least Adder’s-tongue |
Ophrys fuciflora | Late Spider-orchid |
Ophrys sphegodes | Early Spider-orchid |
Orchis militaris | Military Orchid |
Orchis simia | Monkey Orchid |
Orobanche artemisiae-campestris | Oxtongue Broomrape |
Orobanche caryophyllacea | Bedstraw Boomrape |
Orobanche reticulata | Thistle Broomrape |
Petroraghia nanteuilii | Childing Pink |
Phyllodoce caerulea | Blue Heath |
Phyteuma spicatum | Spiked Rampion |
Polygonatum verticillatum | Whorled Solomon’s-seal |
Polygonum maritimum | Sea Knotgrass |
Potentilla rupestris | Rock Cinquefoil |
Pulicaria vulgaris | Small Fleabane |
Pyrus cordata | Plymouth Pear |
Ranunculus ophioglossifolius | Adder’s-tongue Spearwort |
Rhinanthus angustifolius | Greater Yellow-rattle |
Romulea columnae | Sand Crocus |
Rumex rupestris | Shore Dock |
Salvia pratensis | Meadow Clary |
Saxifraga cernua | Drooping Saxifrage |
Saxifraga cespitosa | Tufted Saxifrage |
Saxifraga hirculus | Yellow Marsh-saxifrage |
Schoenoplectus triqueter | Triangular Club-rush |
Scleranthus perennis | Perennial Knawel |
Scorzonera humilis | Viper’s-grass |
Selinum carvifolia | Cambridge Milk-parsley |
Senecio paludosus | Fen Ragwort |
Stachys alpina | Limestone Woundwort |
Tephroseris integrifolia ssp. maritima | South Stack Fleawort |
Teucrium scordium | Water Germander |
Thlaspi perfoliatum | Perfoliate Penny-cress |
Trichomanes speciosum | Killarney Fern |
Veronica spicata | Spiked Speedwell |
Veronica triphyllos | Fingered Speedwell |
Viola persicifolia | Fen Violet |
Woodsia alpina | Alpine Woodsia |
Woodsia ilvensis | Oblong Woodsia |
Lichens | Mosses | ||
Alectoria ochroleuca | Alpine Sulphur-tresses | Acaulon triquetrum | Triangular Pygmy-moss |
Bryoria furcellata | Forked Hair-lichen | Anomodon longifolius | Long-leaved Anomodon |
Buellia asterella | Starry Breck-lichen | Bartramia stricta | Rigid Apple-moss |
Caloplaca luteoalba | Orange-fruited Elm-lichen | Bryum mamillatum | Dune Thread-moss |
Caloplaca nivalis | Snow Caloplaca | Bryum neodamense | Long-leaved Thread-moss |
Catapyrenium psoromoides | Tree Catapyrenium | Bryum schleicheri | Schleicher’s Thread-moss |
Catillaria laureri | Laurer’s Catillaria | Buxbaumia viridis | Green Shield-moss |
Catolechia wahlenbergii | Goblin Lights | Cryphaea lamyana | Multi-fruited River-moss |
Cladonia convoluta | Convoluted Cladonia | Cyclodictyon laetevirens | Bright-green Cave-moss |
Caldonia stricta | Upright Mountain-cladonia | Desmatodon cernuus | Flamingo Moss |
Collema dichotomum | River Jelly-lichen | Didymodon cordatus | Cordate Beard-moss |
Enterographa elaborata | New Forest Beech-lichen | Didymodon glaucus | Glaucous Beard-moss |
Gyalecta ulmi | Elm Gyalecta | Ditrichum cornubicum | Cornish Path-moss |
Heterodermia leucomelos | Ciliate Strap-lichen | Grimmia unicolor | Blunt-leaved Grimmia |
Heterodermia propagulifera | Coralloid Rosette-lichen | Hamatocaulis (Drepanocladus) vernicosus | Slender Green Feather-moss |
Lecanactis hemisphaerica | Churchyard Lecanactis | Hygrohypnum polare | Polar Feather-moss |
Lecanora achariana | Tarn Lecanora | Hypnum vaucheri | Vaucher’s Feather-moss |
Lecidea inops | Copper Lecidea | Micromitrium tenerum | Millimetre Moss |
Nephroma arcticum | Arctic Kidney-lichen | Mielichhofieria mielichhoferi | Alpine Copper-moss |
Pannaria ignobilis | Caledonian Pannaria | Orthotrichum obtusifolium | Blunt-leaved Bristle-moss |
Parmelia minarum | New Forest Parmelia | Plagiothecium piliferum | Hair Silk-moss |
Parmentaria chilensis | Oil-stain Parmentaria | Rhynchostegium rotundifolium | Round-leaved Feather-moss |
Peltigera lepidophora | Ear-lobed Dog-lichen | Saelania glaucescens | Blue Dew-moss |
Pertusaria bryontha | Alpine Moss-pertusaria | Scorpidium turgescens | Large Yellow Feather-moss |
Physcia tribacioides | Southern Grey Physcia | Sphagnum balticum | Baltic Bog-moss |
Psedocyphellaria lacerata | Ragged Pseudocyphellaria | Thamnobryum angustifolium | Derbyshire Feather-moss |
Psora rubiformis | Rusty Alpine Psora | Zygodon forsteri | Knothole Moss |
Solenopsora liparina | Serpentine Solenopsora | Zygodon gracilis | Nowell’s Limestone-moss |
Squamarina lentigera | Scaly Breck-lichen |
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Teloschistes flavicans | Golden Hair-lichen |
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In addition to Protected Plants, there are also plants which cause concern if they are present – You have probably heard of Japanese knotweed and Giant hogweed, but there are many more.
Section 14(1) of the WCA makes it illegal to release or allow to escape into the wild any animal which is not ordinarily resident in Great Britain and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state, or is listed in Schedule 9 to the Act. It is also illegal to plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild any plant listed in Schedule 9 to the Act. The Schedule 9 list of animal and plant species has been amended by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 9) (England and Wales) Order 2010. Offences under section 14 carry a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine and/or 6 months imprisonment on summary conviction (i.e. at Magistrates’ Court) and an unlimited fine (i.e. whatever the court feels to be commensurate with the offence) and/or 2 years imprisonment on indictment (i.e. at Crown Court). Guidance on Section 14 of the WCA gives further information.
The following plants were added to Schedule 9 by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 9) (England and Wales) Order 2010: | |
Common name | Scientific name |
Alexanders, Perfoliate | Smyrnium perfoliatum |
Algae, Red | Grateloupia luxurians |
Archangel, Variegated Yellow (Garden) | Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. argentatum |
Azalea, Yellow | Rhododendron luteum |
Balsam, Himalayan | Impatiens glandulifera |
Cotoneaster | Cotoneaster horizontalis |
Cotoneaster, Entire-leaved | Cotoneaster integrifolius |
Cotoneaster, Himalayan | Cotoneaster simonsii |
Cotoneaster, Hollyberry | Cotoneaster bullatus |
Cotoneaster, Small-leaved | Cotoneaster microphyllus |
Creeper, False Virginia | Parthenocissus inserta |
Creeper, Virginia | Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
Dewplant, Purple | Disphyma crassifolium |
Fanwort (otherwise known as Carolina Water-Shield) | Cabomba caroliniana |
Fern, Water | Azolla filiculoides |
Fig, Hottentot | Carpobrotus edulis |
Garlic, Three-cornered | Allium triquetrum |
Hyacinth, Water | Eichhornia crassipes |
Knotweed, Giant | Fallopia sachalinensis |
Knotweed, Hybrid | Fallopia japonica x Fallopia sachalinensis |
Knotweed, Japanese | Fallopia japonica |
Leek, Few-flowered | Allium paradoxum |
Lettuce, Water | Pistia stratiotes |
Montbretia | Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora |
Parrot’s Feather | Myriophyllum aquaticum |
Pennywort, Floating | Hydrocotyle ranunculoides |
Potato, Duck | Sagittaria latifolia |
Primrose, Floating Water | Ludwigia peploides |
Primrose, Water | Ludwigia grandiflora |
Primrose, Water | Ludwigia uruguayensis |
Rhododendron | Rhododendron ponticum |
Rhododendron | Rhododendron ponticum x Rhododendron maximum |
Rhubarb, Giant | Gunnera tinctoria |
Rose, Japanese | Rosa rugosa |
Salvinia, Giant | Salvinia molesta |
Seafingers, Green | Codium fragile |
Stonecrop, Australian Swamp (otherwise known as New Zealand Pygmyweed) | Crassula helmsii |
Waterweed, Curly | Lagarosiphon major |
Waterweeds | All species of the genus Elodea. |
Please contact us for a site specific quotation –
help@ecological-surveys-ltd.co.uk
Please call us on 0800 888 6846 / 07736 458609
Natural England Standing Advice for Planning Authorities –
Plants: surveys and mitigation for development projects – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-plants-protection-surveys-and-licences
