Cow parsley is in abundance at the moment – lining the verges of all the country lanes and spreading too far into my wildflower patch for comfort. Yes it is very pretty and really earns its alternative name – Queen Anne’s Lace!
Like the ox-eye daisy, the broad swathes of white flowers are very appealing, but maybe they are a bit too invasive, blocking out the space and light for the less extrovert and pushy wildflowers.. And the facts prove this to be so – in the last 30 years cow parsley has increased by half as much – particularly along the roadside. This is because the verges are much more fertile than they used to be as the local councils grass cutters allow the grass to lie where it falls and this in turn adds nutrients to the soil and makes it more fertile. Many wildflowers grow best on poorer thinner soil.
Recent Comments