Snowdonia Flora

[jhewitt15]

on sunday I'm off to Snowdonia for a week to betws-y-coed. what plants should I look out for whilst in the mountains as I'm not very familiar with mountain plants.

[PeterJL]

For maximum results with minimum effort go to Cwm Idwal.

Walk up to Llyn Idwal using the usual path and standing at the Bridge where the lake flows out into a mountain stream look at the lake in the bowl of Cwm Idwal.

To your right you will see shingly beach. Washed up on here you can usually find Isoetes lacustris (Quillwort). Continue walking round the lake past the shingly beach and go through gate and across a little stream.

At the edge of the Lake walk along and look for Lobelia dortmanna (Water Lobelia) and in the shallows the very small Subularia aquatica (Awlwort) which will flower underwater (flowers 1mm to 2mm across!). More quillwort here sometimes.

The path rises over moraines dumped in the last ice age and in the distance you will be able to make out the cliffs of the Devil's Kitchen and below them many rocks like a giant landslide. As you walk towards these rocks lookout for Alchemilla glabra (Lady's-mantle) and at the right hand side of the path, Diphasiastrum alpinum (Alpine club-moss).

You will come to an obvious boggy area on your left where these is Cotton grass, Loads of Drosera rotundifolia (Probably in flower now) and Narthecium ossifragum (Bog Asphodel). Continue to the rocks.

The path becomes quite rocky and a very small stream runs down mini cliffs through which the path goes. Look out for Oxyruia digyna (Mounatin Sorrel) here. Go into the rocks where ever you like and hunt round.

Under rocks you should find Gymnocarpium dryopteris (Oak Fern) often accompanied by Phegopteris connectilis (Beech Fern). Wilson's Filmy Fern also grows under one or two but unless it's been wet enough you won't find it.

You should also find plenty of Saxifraga hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage) and Saxifraga stellaris (Starry Saxifrage) although much of it will be over as will the Minuartia verna (Spring Sandwort) and Sedum rosea (Roseroot) which grows out of rocks. You should also be able to find Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) and plenty of Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort). On these rocks there is also plenty of Huperzia slegao (Fir Clubmoss).

Climb up to the cliffs of the Devils Kitchen and you may still see Globe flower out (Trollius europaeus) and Galium boreale (Northern Bedstraw) and Lathyrus linifolius var montana (Bitter Vetch) but you may need binoculars to make the plants out up here.

There are other plants including some rarities but you'll have to contact me privately for those.

If you're staying Bettws y Coed and have a car then Anglesey is quite close. Visit Newborough Warren for another shedload of great plants.