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Here we have our ongoing inventory of weeds and wildflowers documented as growing at Taplin's Fields.
Much of this info was sourced from Irishwildflowers.ie ⬇️
Common Ragwort
Common Ragwort
Weed
Flowering Period: June – October
Life Cycle:: Biennial (occasionally perennial)
Pollinator Value: Excellent , attracts many insects, especially hoverflies, bees, and butterflies.
Description:
Bright yellow daisy-like flowers in dense clusters. Leaves are deeply divided and dark green. Common in pastures, roadsides, and waste ground. Vital for the Cinnabar moth, whose caterpillars feed on it.
Poisonous — contains toxic alkaloids harmful to livestock and humans.
Nettle
Nettle
Weed
Flowering Period: May – September
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Supports butterflies (especially Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell) and many insects.
Tall herbaceous plant with serrated leaves covered in stinging hairs; greenish flower clusters hang from leaf axils. Found in nutrient-rich soils and disturbed areas.
Edible — young leaves used in soups, teas, and pesto (sting neutralised when cooked).
Red Dead Nettle
Red Dead Nettle
Flowering Period: February – November (can flower year-round in mild winters)
Life Cycle: Annual
Pollinator Value: Excellent — early and long-season nectar source for bees, especially bumblebees and solitary bees. One of the first flowers available to pollinators in spring.
Native
Description:
A small, square-stemmed plant with soft, slightly hairy leaves and clusters of pinkish-purple tubular flowers at the top. The leaves resemble those of true nettles but do not sting — hence the name “dead-nettle.” Found in gardens, roadsides, and disturbed ground throughout Ireland. It often blooms early, forming low mats that can quickly colonise bare soil.
Edible — young leaves and flowers can be eaten raw in salads or cooked; mild and slightly sweet flavour.
Chickweed
Chickweed
Weed
Native Wildflower
Flowering Period: March to October
Growth Type: Annual
Pollinator Value: Attracts small flies and bees; also self-pollinating.
Description:
Low-growing mat-forming plant with small white star-like flowers and a single line of hairs along the stem. Found in gardens, fields, and disturbed soils.
Edible — young leaves and stems used in salads or cooked as greens.
Curly Dock
Curly Dock
Status: Noxious Weed
Flowering Period: June to September
Growth Type: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Wind-pollinated (limited value for bees).
Native
Curly dock is a tall perennial plant with long, lance-shaped leaves that are wavy along the edges. It produces small, greenish flowers in clusters and is found in disturbed soils, like roadsides and fields. It is considered a weed in some areas but has edible young leaves
Clustered Dock
Clustered Dock
Flowering Period: June to September
Growth Type: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Wind-pollinated.
Native
Clustered dock is a perennial plant that forms dense clusters of small, greenish flowers. Commonly found in wet habitats like marshes, stream sides, and wet meadows, it has broad, lance-shaped leaves. It’s related to curly dock but often with a more compact flower arrangement.
often found in disturbed wetland areas.
Daisy
Daisy
Flowering Period: March to October
Growth Type: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Excellent for early bees and hoverflies.
Native.
A small perennial herb that grows close to the ground, the daisy has white petals with a yellow center. Commonly found in lawns, meadows, and grassy areas, the daisy has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Very common on grassland, waste ground, roadsides and gardens.
Hedge Mustard
Hedge Mustard
Flowering Period: May to October
Growth Type: Annual or short-lived biennial
Pollinator Value: Attracts bees, hoverflies, and small insects.
Native
Not a plant in danger of being picked to extinction, this is a stiffly erect annual or biennial which is commonly found on waste ground, in hedgerows and disturbed ground. It stands up to 80cm high and bears its tiny yellow 4-petalled flowers (3mm across) in a terminal cluster from May through to October. This cluster of flowers elongates as the fruit develops. The lower leaves are stalked and pinnate with the end lobe being the largest and its upper leaves are narrow and unstalked. The fruits are hairy pods (6-20mm long) which are closely pressed into the stem. This is a native wildflower belonging to the Brassicaceae family.
Colt’s Foot
Colt’s Foot
Flowering Period: May to October
Growth Type: Annual or short-lived biennial
Pollinator Value: Attracts bees, hoverflies, and small insects.
Native
One of the first flowers to poke its head up before the end of winter, the robust little yellow blooms of the perennial, Colt's-foot, brighten up any day from February to April. The solitary flowers (15-30mm ) are made up of numerous narrow rays (like petals) and disc florets (the centre) giving this member of the Daisy family a sun-like appearance. The erect flowers appear on pinkish stems covered in scales and before the appearance of the large heart-shaped leaves. Where the leaf-stalk attaches to the leaf there is a ‘U’ shape which was thought to resemble the foot of a colt, hence the English name. The Latin name Tussilago refers to this plant’s properties to cure coughs – Tussere meaning to cough. The seeds are distributed by means of a ‘clock’ or pappus. This widespread plant is a native and belongs to the family Asteraceae.
Smooth Sow Thistle
Smooth Sow Thistle
Flowering Period: June – October
Growth Type: Annual (sometimes short-lived perennial tendencies in mild conditions)
Pollinator Value: Good nectar source for bees and hoverflies.
Native
Sowthistles and other such 'Dandelion-like' flowers are difficult to identify. Having said that, I'd like to present this wildflower with as much confidence as I can muster. Smooth Sowthistle is a hairless, greyish annual or biennial which reaches about 80cm high. Its pale yellow flowerheads are numerous (20-25mm across) and are borne in clusters on stalks, which, when broken exude a milky sap. The individual flowers are comprised of strap-shaped ray florets, backed by a circle of closely overlapping bracts, and they bloom from May to November. The leaves are not glossy, rather matt, have only softly spiny margins and they clasp the stem with arrow-shaped points, the lower leaves being pinnately lobed. This is a widespread native plant which belongs to the family Asteraceae
Edible: young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten after cooking; older parts may be bitter. No major poison issues when properly identified
Spear Thistle
Spear Thistle
Status: Noxious Weed
Flowering Period: June – October
Biennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent — highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hoverflies; a key native pollinator plant.
This stiff-stemmed downy, thistle is extremely spiny and very robust. Being a biennial, early in the first year of its life its leaves form a very prickly rosette but by its first birthday it has become a downy plant which supports distinctive deep purple flowerheads (20-30mm), sometimes solitary, sometimes in clusters. The spreading bracts below the flowers are also prickly, in fact there's not a lot of this plant which isn't prickly except for the actual flower head. The leaves are wavy and pinnately lobed and spiny. This plant flowers from July to October and then its seeds are distributed from a feathered pappus. It is a native plant and belongs to the family Asteraceae.
Nipplewort
Nipplewort
Flowering Period: June – October
Annual or sometimes biennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Visited by bees and small flies; minor but useful pollinator plant.
Found growing throughout Europe and classed as a garden weed by many, this little wildflower, so easily overlooked, is quite pretty when examined closely. It's of medium height, has spindly, wiry stems and very small 10-20mm dandelion-like flowers which open in sunshine only, from May to October. The flowers are borne in loose panicles. The upper leaves, which are edible, are lanceolate and toothed, while the lower leaves are more oval-shaped. This plant produces large amounts of hairless achenes. It is a native plant and belongs to the family Asteraceae.
White Clover
White Clover
Flowering Period: May – October
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent — one of the best native nectar plants for bees and other pollinators.
Low-growing plant forming dense mats with characteristic three-part leaves (often showing a pale crescent mark). White to pinkish flower heads rise slightly above the foliage. Common in lawns, fields, and roadsides.
Edible — leaves and flowers can be eaten raw or cooked; used in teas and salads.
Red Clover
Red Clover
Flowering Period: May – September
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent for bumblebees and honeybees.
Low-growing plant with trifoliate leaves (each with a pale crescent mark) and rounded pink-purple flower heads. Common in pastures and meadows.
Edible — leaves and flowers edible raw or cooked; traditional herbal uses for menopause and skin health. .
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial Ryegrass
Flowering Period: May – September
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Wind-pollinated, so limited value for pollinators.
A tufted, dark-green grass with narrow, glossy leaves and upright seed heads. Commonly used in lawns and pastures for its hardiness and fast regrowth.
Edible to grazing animals; staple pasture grass.
Cock’s-foot
Cock’s-foot
Flowering Period: May – August
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Wind-pollinated (not a bee plant).
Tall, tufted grass with a distinctive, tufted, one-sided seed head resembling a bird’s foot. Leaves are coarse and blue-green. Common in hedgerows, pastures, and waste ground.
Edible for livestock; important pasture grass.
Cleavers (Sticky Willy)
Cleavers (Sticky Willy)
Flowering Period: May – September
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Attracts small pollinating insects.
Climbing, sticky plant with square stems and whorled leaves covered in tiny hooked hairs that cling to clothing and fur. Tiny white flowers and round burr-like seeds. Common in hedges, fields, and disturbed ground.
Edible when young (mild cucumber flavour) but covered in hooked hairs; seeds roasted as a coffee substitute.
Cow Parsley
Cow Parsley
Flowering Period: April – June
Biennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Good for pollinators, particularly hoverflies and beetles.
Tall, lacy plant with fern-like leaves and umbrella-shaped clusters of small white flowers. Common along roadsides and hedgerows in spring.
Edible with caution — young leaves can be eaten but easily confused with toxic species (e.g., hemlock).
Common Hogweed
Common Hogweed
Flowering Period: June – September
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent — attracts many species of flies, beetles, and bees.
Tall umbellifer with broad, divided leaves and large flat heads of white to pinkish flowers. Common in meadows, roadsides, and woodland edges.
Edible when young (leaves, buds, seeds used in cooking), but sap can cause skin irritation when exposed to sunlight.
Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet
Flowering Period: June – September
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Good for bees and hoverflies.
Tall, elegant plant with creamy-white frothy flower clusters and a sweet almond-like scent. Prefers damp meadows, riverbanks, and ditches.
Edible and medicinal — flowers used in drinks, teas, and flavourings (contain salicylic acid, like aspirin).
Description:
Ribwort Plantain
Ribwort Plantain
Flowering Period: April – October
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Good pollen source for bees; wind-pollinated too.
Low-growing rosette of narrow ribbed leaves with tall spikes of small brownish flowers. Common in grasslands and roadsides.
Edible and medicinal — leaves used in salads, teas, and herbal remedies for wounds and coughs.
Common Plantain
Common Plantain
Flowering Period: May – October
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Provides pollen for bees; also wind-pollinated.
Native
Description:
Low rosette of broad oval leaves with parallel ribs and tall spikes of small greenish-brown flowers. Common along paths, lawns, and compacted soil.
Edible and medicinal — young leaves eaten raw or cooked; used for treating wounds and inflammation.
Petty Spurge
Petty Spurge
Flowering Period: April – October
Annual
Native
Pollinator Value: Minor; self-pollinating and insect-visited occasionally.
Small, delicate plant with smooth oval leaves and tiny green-yellow flowers. Milky latex sap exudes when damaged. Common in gardens, waste ground, and cultivated soil.
Poisonous — milky sap is irritating and toxic if ingested; used traditionally for wart treatment.
Description:
Sun Spurge
Sun Spurge
Flowering Period: April – October
Life Cycle: Annual
Pollinator Value: Limited — small flies and beetles visit flowers.
Native
Description:
Small upright plant with smooth oval leaves and greenish-yellow flower clusters at the top of the stem. Exudes milky latex when broken. Common in fields and gardens.
Poisonous — milky sap is an irritant and toxic if ingested.
Yarrow
Yarrow
Flowering Period: June – October
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent — attracts bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Feathery, aromatic leaves and flat clusters of white to pink flower heads. Common in grasslands, roadsides, and meadows.
Edible and medicinal — leaves used in salads, teas, and as a bitter herb; healing plant since ancient times.
Germander Speedwell
Germander Speedwell
(Veronica)
Flowering Period: April – July
Perennial
Native
Pollinator Value: Good nectar source for bees and flies.
Description:
Low-growing plant with bright blue, four-petalled flowers and hairy stems. Found in grasslands, woodland edges, and verges.
Edible — mildly bitter leaves used in teas and salads; traditional tonic.
Field Speedwell
Field Speedwell
Flowering Period: February – November
Life Cycle: Annual or short-lived perennial
Pollinator Value: Good nectar plant for small bees and hoverflies.
Introduced (from western Asia, now naturalised)
Description:
Low-growing, spreading plant with bright blue flowers with a white centre, one petal slightly smaller. Hairy leaves and stems. Found in gardens, fields, and verges.
Non-toxic, but not commonly eaten.
Pink-sorrel
Pink-sorrel
Flowering Period: May – October
Perennial (tuberous)
Non Native Introduced species (South American origin, naturalised).
Pollinator Value: Visited by small bees and flies.
Description:
Low-growing ornamental escape with clover-like leaves and clusters of pink flowers. Common in gardens and waste areas.
Mildly edible — leaves have a sour lemony flavour (contain oxalic acid, so only in small amounts).
Common Mallow
Common Mallow
Flowering Period: June – October
Perennial or biennial
Non Native Introduced species (South American origin, naturalised).
Pollinator Value: Excellent — loved by bees and butterflies.
Description:
Tall, branching plant with rounded, lobed leaves and large mauve-purple flowers with darker veins. Common on roadsides, field edges, and waste ground.
Edible — young leaves and flowers eaten raw or cooked; soothing medicinal plant.
Wild Mustard
Wild Mustard
Flowering Period: May – September
Life Cycle: Annual
Native
Pollinator Value: Excellent for bees and hoverflies.
Description:
Erect plant with bright yellow four-petalled flowers and rough leaves. Found in arable fields, roadsides, and disturbed ground.
Edible — young leaves, flowers, and seeds used like mustard greens.
Knotgrass
Knotgrass
Flowering Period: May – October
Life Cycle: Annual
Pollinator Value: Small flowers attract flies and solitary bees.
Native
Description:
Low-growing, mat-forming plant with tiny pinkish-green flowers in leaf axils. Common in compacted soil, tracks, and field edges.
Edible — young shoots and seeds eaten; traditional fodder plant.
Common Knapweed
Common Knapweed
Flowering Period: June – September
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Outstanding — one of Ireland’s best wildflowers for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Native
Description:
Tufted perennial with purple thistle-like flowers (non-spiny). Common in meadows, verges, and grasslands.
Edible — young leaves sometimes eaten; petals decorative in salads.
Purple Toadflax
Purple Toadflax
Flowering Period: June – October
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Excellent — very attractive to bees, especially bumblebees, due to its long flowering season and nectar-rich flowers.
Native to Italy, but widely naturalised in Ireland and the UK.
Description:
A slender, upright plant with tall spires of delicate, purple-lilac flowers that resemble miniature snapdragons. The narrow grey-green leaves grow alternately along the stem. It thrives in dry, disturbed, or rocky soils, and often appears on walls, roadside verges, and garden edges. Despite being non-native, it’s considered benign and pollinator-friendly.
Slightly toxic if ingested in quantity (contains alkaloids), so not edible.
Common Fumitory
Common Fumitory
Flowering Period: April – October
Life Cycle: Annual
Pollinator Value: Visited by bees and small flies.
Native
Description:
Delicate sprawling plant with finely divided leaves and pinkish-purple tubular flowers with dark tips. Common on arable land, gardens, and disturbed soils.
Mildly toxic if eaten in large amounts; contains alkaloids but used medicinally for liver and skin
Groundsel
Groundsel
Flowering Period: Year-round (especially February – November)
Life Cycle: Annual
Pollinator Value: Provides nectar and pollen for small flies and bees; also self-pollinating.
Native
Description:
Small upright plant with soft, lobed leaves and clusters of yellow, tuftless flower heads that quickly turn to fluffy seed heads. Very common in gardens and disturbed soils.
Poisonous — contains toxic alkaloids (same as Ragwort); not edible.
Vervain
Vervain
Flowering Period: June – October
Life Cycle: Perennial (short-lived)
Pollinator Value: Good nectar plant for small bees and hoverflies.
Native but uncommon
Description:
Slender upright plant with opposite leaves and delicate spikes of tiny lilac flowers. Found on dry grassland, roadsides, and old walls.
Medicinal — used in teas and tinctures; mildly bitter but not poisonous.
Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle
Flowering Period: June – September
Life Cycle: Biennial
Pollinator Value: Excellent nectar plant for bees.
Introduced, now naturalised.
Description:
Large thistle with striking white-marbled leaves and purple flower heads. Spiny but ornamental. Found on disturbed ground and waste sites.
Edible and medicinal — seeds used for liver support; young leaves edible when spines removed.
Pineappleweed
Pineappleweed
Flowering Period: May – October Life Cycle: Annual Pollinator Value: Visited by small bees, hoverflies, and flies; also self-pollinating.
Native / Naturalised: Introduced (native to North America / Northeast Asia, widely naturalised in Ireland and the UK).
Description: A low-growing, bushy plant with finely divided, feathery leaves and cone-shaped, yellowish-green flower heads that lack outer white petals. Highly characteristic when crushed, emitting a distinct sweet pineapple aroma. Thrives in compact, high-traffic soils along tracks, field edges, farmyards, and driveway gravel.
Edible and medicinal: fresh or dried leaves and flower heads can be brewed into an aromatic, pineapple-flavoured herbal tea or used raw in salads; closely related to wild chamomile with mild soothing properties.
Mare’s-tail
Mare’s-tail
Aka Field Horsetail
Spore / Growth Period: March – October
Life Cycle: Perennial Pollinator
Value: Non-flowering (reproduces via spores; no nectar or pollen value).
Native
Description: A primitive, highly persistent native plant with two distinct growth forms: early spring brings pale brownish, jointed spore-bearing shoots (resembling small asparagus spears), followed by bright green, feathery, fir-tree-like fronds throughout summer. Thrives in damp, sandy, or gravelly ground, spreading aggressively via deep underground rhizomes that can reach meters deep into the soil.
Poisonous to livestock : contains silica and the enzyme thiaminase (which breaks down Vitamin B1), making it toxic to horses and grazing animals if ingested in quantity. Historically used as an abrasive scrub for pewter and wood ("pewterwort") due to its high silica content.
Buddleja
Buddleja
AKA butterfly Bush
Flowering Period: July – October
Life Cycle: Perennial shrub
Pollinator Value: Excellent - Exceptional nectar source for adult butterflies, bumblebees, and hoverflies. Non Native
Introduced (native to central China, widely naturalised and invasive in Ireland and the UK).
Description: A fast-growing, woody shrub with long, arching stems, lance-shaped leaves with downy white undersides, and dense, cone-shaped clusters of highly fragrant purple, pink, or white flowers. Thrives in dry, disturbed ground, waste sites, and readily colonises urban masonry, railway tracks, and old walls.
Invasive status
Spreads rapidly via wind-blown seeds and can damage structural stonework; not a host plant for native butterfly caterpillars (only feeds adult insects).
Wild Teasel
Wild Teasel
Flowering Period: July – September
Life Cycle: Biennial
Pollinator Value: Excellent, flowers attract bees, hoverflies, and butterflies; dry winter seed heads are a vital food source for goldfinches.
Native
Description: A tall, striking plant reaching up to 2 meters in height with a spiny, ridged stem and paired leaves that fuse at the base to form small cups that collect rainwater (cupped teasel). Produces large, egg-shaped flower heads covered in stiff, spiny bracts with rings of small lilac-purple flowers that bloom from the middle outwards. Common along roadsides, hedgerows, and rough grassland.
Non-toxic / Historical Uses
The stiff dried seed heads were historically used in textile manufacturing to raise the nap on woolen cloth. Seed heads persist throughout winter, providing essential wildlife value.
Red Valerian
Red Valerian
Flowering Period: May – October
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Outstanding — rich nectar source highly attractive to bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and long-tongued moths (such as the Hummingbird Hawk-moth).
Non Native
Introduced (native to the Mediterranean region, widely naturalised in Ireland and the UK).
Description: A robust, bushy perennial with smooth, blue-green, lance-shaped leaves and dense, rounded clusters of small, fragrant, tubular flowers ranging in color from deep crimson-red to pink and occasionally white. Thrives in dry, poor, or chalky soils, frequently growing out of old stone walls, coastal cliffs, roadside verges, and urban masonry.
Edible with caution
Young leaves and roots can be eaten raw in small amounts or cooked, though they have a strong, bitter taste. Non-toxic, but can become invasive in limestone habitats and dry wall structures.
Mugwort
Mugwort
Flowering Period: July – September
Life Cycle: Perennial
Pollinator Value: Wind-pollinated; limited nectar value for bees, but serves as a food plant for several moth caterpillars.
Native
Description: A tall, aromatic, woody-stemmed perennial reaching up to 1.5 meters, with deeply lobed, dark green leaves that have a distinctive silvery-white downy underside. Produces reddish-brown or yellowish flower heads in dense, upright spikes. Common on waste ground, roadside verges, riverbanks, and unmanaged soil.
Aromatic & Herbal
strong herbal scent when leaves are crushed. Long history in herbal medicine and culinary use as a bitter seasoning for rich meats; however, avoid during pregnancy as it contains active compounds (thujone) that can stimulate uterine contractions.
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