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Protected Species

All wildlife is important, but some rare and threatened species and habitats have extra protection in law or policy.
Species

Bird's-nest orchid

The Bird's-nest orchid gets its name from its nest-like tangle of roots. Unlike other green plants, it doesn’t get its energy from sunlight. Instead, it grows as a parasite on tree roots, so…

Species

Fly orchid

The fly-shaped flowers of this fascinating plant are attractive to insects - but not the ones you might expect!

Species

Purple-loosestrife

A tall plant, purple-loosestrife can form dense stands of bright purple flower spikes in wet habitats like reedbeds, fens and marshes.

Species

Early gentian

The early gentian is a rare plant that is only found in the UK. It likes sunny, lowland chalk grasslands, its purple, trumpet-shaped flowers blooming in May and June.

Habitat

Purple moor-grass and rush pasture

This distinctive type of damp pasture is generally found on commons, as a component of lowland fen, or in undeveloped corners of otherwise intensively farmed landscapes.

Species

Greater butterfly-orchid

The Greater butterfly-orchid is a tall orchid of hay meadows, grasslands and ancient woodlands. It has whitish-green flowers that have spreading petals and sepals - a bit like the wings of a…