Plant species of Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia is a very popular destination for a lot of tourists from the UK, presumably because of its remoteness and the mountains that offer the most impressive views. When you go there in the off-season like late May or early June, you automatically avoid large crowds and you get to be there in the best period to look for wild flowers too! The area is easily accessible by car but there is a good alternative: use the bus. During the day a network of bus services takes you anywhere you want for the amazing price of £ 1,00 per ride only. The use of a bus gives you the opportunity to make long walks without having to end at the same point where you have started. When we had to wait too long for one of these busses we asked friendly people if we could ride along with them in their cars. Mostly this was no problem. We put up our tent at the Bryn Trych Campsite in Capel Curig. It was a nice and quiet place, with few tourists, a small grocery store and a pub that serves Guinness and great food.
Useful identification keys
- M. Blamey, R. Fitter and A. Fitter: Wild flowers of Britain & Ireland (London 2003).
- Peter Rhind and David Evans (eds.): The plant life of Snowdonia (Llandysul 2001).
- Paul Gannon: RockTrails Snowdonia (Caernarfon 2008).
Report of this BotanicalJourney
2, 3 and 6 June 2011: Around Capel curig (Google Map)
We used the first couple of days to check out the environment of
our base-camp in Capel Curig. This village lies in one of the
valleys of Snowdonia. At the bottom of the valley the Afon Llugwy
can be a ferocious stream, suddenly flooding areas that earlier
appeared to be high and dry. Especially in periods with lots of
rain (wich really DO occur in Wales) the water level rises
quickly. Alongside the river there are both grassy lands and
woodlands. Species of moderate climates can be found here, such as
Alchemilla mollis, Alliaria petiolata, Ballota nigra, Cirsium
palustre, Digitalis purpurea, Epilobium hirsutum, Epilobium
montanum, Hypericum pulchrum, Primula vulgaris and Viola
riviniana. In the grassy fields the scent of Anthoxanthum
odoratum was very abundant. Extended heath lands were
present more in the hills. The funny thing was that some of the
plant species from heathy habitats could be found in the village
as well, like Erica cinerea, Eriophorum angustifolium,
Euphrasia nemorosa, Pedicularis sylvatica, Polygala
serpyllifolia and Polygala vulgaris. Some of the
ferns I found in and around Capel Curig are: Asplenium
ruta-muraria, Phyllitis scolopendrium, Asplenium trichomanes,
Blechnum spicant, possibly Polypodium interjectum,
Polypodium vulgare and Pteridium aquilinum.
3 June 2011: from Pen-y-pass via "the Horseshoe" to Snowdon mountain and Cwm Dyli (Google Map)
When we woke up the sun was shining brightly and there were no
clouds to be seen. So we decided to climb the highest mountains of
Snowdonia: the Snowdon and some of its neighbors. We took the bus
to Pen-y-Pass (for those of you who do so by car: you have to pay
about 10 pounds to park your car there, whereas the bus from any
town in the area only costs you one pound per person and there are
plenty of busses coming from Betws-Y-Coed, Capel Curig,
Bedgellert, LLanberis and Bethesda). Descriptions of the route we
followed (as displayed on the map) are to be found on the internet
in large numbers, so I will keep it short here. It is not
necessary to have mountain experience when you want to follow the
horseshoe track in good weather conditions. However you have got
to have some sort of physical condition and if you’re afraid of
heights you probably should go somewhere else. The closer you get
to the top of the Snowdon (1,085m) the more alpine the vegetation
will be. For example the beautiful fern Dryopteris oreades
can be seen in many rocky cracks, as is the case with Saxifraga
stellaris (though less abundant). When you go downhill
towards Cwm Dyli gradually you will pass several heaths with
species like Anagallis tenella, Eriophorum vaginatum (see
picture), Lycopodium clavatum, Narthecium ossifragum,
Stellaria uliginosa and Viola canina.
4 June 2011: From Capel Curig to Betws-y-Coed (Google Map)
The climb towards the summit of the Snowdon offered lots of
plants from mountainous habitats and heaths. Therefore we decided
to stay low for a day and visit the forests and grassy fields
between Capel Curig and Betws-Y-Coed. This was an easy walk but it
offered us nice plant species nevertheless. In a small stream
coming from the heaths in the hills we found Potamogeton
natans.
5 June 2011: From Capel Curig to Craig Wen to the Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir and back (Google Map)
North of Capel Curig is the Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, a large
reservoir for irrigation water. From Capel Curig we walked up the
hills (heathlands again with for example Huperzia selago)
until we reached Blean y nant. There were several small houses
there which gave the place a rather fairy-tale like atmosphere.
From there we went along up the hill through a dense forest with
Quercus serris and several small water streams that
contained Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. Finally we
reached the water reservoir. Unfortunately the rocks made the
shore of the lake not very interesting for plant hunters but
alongside the lake there were several locations where small water
surfaces had formed. Some of them, for example east of the dam,
were transformed to real bogs with species like Potamogeton
polygonifolius, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Myosotis scorpioides,
Persicaria maculosa, Caltha palustris and Pinguicula
vulgaris. Others contained more water. Large numbers of Menyanthes
trifoliata (see picture) and Equisetum arvense could
be found there. On the other side of the lake we followed some
small canals downhill. We finally reached and crossed Afon Llugwy,
where we found Ranunculus hederaceus.
6 June 2011: from Capel Curig to the Moel Siabod and back (Google Map)
The "Moel Siabod" (Lonely Mountain) is one of the most undervalued
mountains of Snowdonia. The climb is challenging (the last part of
the "track" to the top you have to find for yourself) and the
views from the top are spectacular: you can see the entire
Snowdonian mountain range. Also, the plant life of the Moel Siabod
is interesting. We started our walk in Capel Curig. There were
some forests and grassy fields along the Afon Llugwy.
Unfortunately many sheep were grazing in the meadows, so little
plant species could be recognized. However soon we started to
climb up the hill and saw Aconitum napellus. After we
passed a farm a huge bog land came into sight. After a while we
passed a small pond with very clear water and with lots of Lobelia
dortmanna in it. In moist places in the heath we found
numerous plants of Drosera rotundifolia. Some abandoned
quarries were present further up the hill (partly filled with
water). The slopes of the mountain were overgrown with shrubbery
and Lysimachia nemorum here (see picture). More to the top
the surroundings became more rocky and the path was sometimes hard
to find (but as long as you move upwards nothing can go wrong).
From the top there were two ways of going back to Capel Curig.
Both are displayed on the Google Map. The first went down directly
through a forest and then all the way down to the Plas y Brenin
(National Mountain Centre). On a second visit to the Moel Siabod
we followed the fence to the west, soon coming close to the edge
of a spectacular ridge with Llynau Diwaunydd at the bottom. From
Clogwyn Bwich-y-maen we followed a stream downhill. There was a
very beautiful "hidden valley" (described by Paul Gannon) with
some spectacular geologic sightings. The trip ended near the
Pen-y-Gwyrd hotel, where we just missed our bus. Fortunately a
friendly woman from New-Zealand was willing to bring us back to
our camp site.
8, 10 and 13 June 2011: Cwm Idwal / Twll Du (Google Map)
One of the most special places of Snowdonia is Cwm Idwal / Twll
Du. There are many different types of rock there. When you stand
in front of the valley and look to the back side, slightly right
of the middle, you see a large number of rocks that seem to have
fallen down from a narrow ravine at the very top of the valley.
This ravine is called "devils kitchen"(Twll Du).
The rocks are partially rich in lime, which is very rare in
Snwodonia. As you can imagine this richness in lime has an
immediate effect on the vegetation. The vegetation tells you a lot
about the different geological formations that are present at the
surface of Cwm Idwall, even if you are not a geologist and you
don’t have the book by Paul Gannon. The minerals from the rocks
come together in Llyn Idwal, the lake at the bottom of the valley.
Here you can find for example Isoetes lacustris and Litorella
uniflora. When you want to see nice plant species I
recommend that you just climb up the boulders that fell down from
Twll Du. See how far you can get! It is also possible to reach
Twll Du from higher points. We passed the lake Llyn y Cwn on
several of our walks and from there you can just follow the stream
until in drops down towards Cwm Idwal. You will find species like
Diphasiastrum alpinum, Oxyria digyna, Thalictrum alpinum and
Woodsia alpina there. Beware of the steep cliffs though! In
Twll Du itself we found an astonishing vegetation. Some of the
species you would expect on rocks near the shore, like Armeria
maritima and Sedum rosea (see picture).
Other species were Ranunculus lingua, Sanguisorba minor,
Silene acaulis, Thalictrum minus and Trollius
europaeus. We could easily discover both Saxifraga
hypnoides (see picture) and Saxifraga oppositifolia
from the path and Orchis mascula was easy to find as
well. Unfortunately I did not see Lloydia serotina, although
I knew roughly where to look. Bad luck for me. Nevertheless the
species I did see were enough to go back to this special location
several times during our stay in Snowdonia.
9 June 2011: from Llyn Ogwen to Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn, Y Briach and Capel Curig (Google Map)
From the parking area near Llyn Ogwen, close to the specialties of
Cwm Idwall, you can also cross the A5 and start climbing to the
north. The scenery at Carnedd Dafydd (1,044m) and Carnedd Llewelyn
(1,064m) is spectatcular. These mountains are almost as high as
the Snowdon, but there are fewer people here. I added to the list
of species Hieracium maculatum, Salix herbacea and Sedum
album. Down from the Carnedd Llewelyn we followed a rigde
that is called "Bwlch Eryl Farchog" and later "Y Briach". We did
not follow the path but descended towards one of the canals that
lead us to the Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir. There we saw several
specimens of Dactylorhiza maculata (see picture).
11 June 2011: from Llanberis to Moel Eilio, Foel Goch an back to Llanberis (Google Map)
Llanberis is known for its famous Llanberis slate. Most of the
quarries are not in use anymore but the landscape near Llanberis
is largely influenced by their presence. It feels a little like
walking on the moon. We followed the path all the way up to the
Moel Eilio (726m) and from there along a ridge to the Foel Goch
(605m). Again spectacular views. We walked on top of several
‘Cwms’ with rare geological sites that are described in the book
by Paul Gannon. The way down lead us to the small valley of the
Afon Arddu where we found some plant species that could be
expected alongside a river. In a small ditch we found Callitriche
obtusangula.
12 June 2011: from Nantgwynant to Cwm Llan, Craflwyn Hall and Sygun Copper mine (Google Map)
The surroundings of Nantgwynant and Bedgellert are very beautiful.
We would have had a nice walk there if it wasn’t for the rain that
kept falling down for more than 24 hours. In the pouring rain we
went up the hill to discover the secret valley of the Afon Gorsen.
It was very beautiful and quiet (the latter possibly due to the
rain). After that we descended to end near the Sygun Copper mine.
Inside the mine we saw some specimens of Blechnum spicant,
taking profit of the lights that were installed for the tourists.
The slopes of the hills were covered with Rhododendron
ponticum (see picture). Now I know this is a non-native
specie (it is removed on a large scale by the National Trust) but
nevertheless the sight of hill slopes that are completely pink was
pretty impressive... At the end of the day, while we were
desperately looking for someone to give us lift back to our tent,
we found Oxalis corniculata which was probably an escapee
from a nearby castle garden.
List of the recorded plant species
PLEASE NOTE:
Only the first finding of species is displayed. So species that
were both recorded on the 3rd and the 10th of June ONLY are noted
on the 3rd.
2, 3 and 6 June 2011: Around Capel curig (Google Map)
Abies grandis / Giant fir
Acer pseudoplatanus / Sycamore
Achillea millefolium / Yarrow
Aegopodium podagraria / Ground elder
Ajuga reptans / Bugle
Alchemilla mollis / Garden Lady's mantle
Alliaria petiolata / Garlic Mustard
Anthoxanthum odoratum / Sweet Vernal-grass
Asplenium ruta-muraria / Wall-rue
Phyllitis scolopendrium / Hart's-tongue
Asplenium trichomanes / Maidenhair Spleenwort
Ballota nigra / Black Horehound
Bellis perennis / Daisy
Betula pubescens / Downy Birch
Blechnum spicant / Hard-fern
Cardamine pratensis / Cuckooflower
Carex echinata / Star Sedge
Carex panicea / Carnation Sedge
Carex viridula / Yellow Sedge
Castanea sativa / Sweet Chestnut
Cerastium fontanum / Common Mouse-ear
Cirsium arvense / Creeping Thistle
Cirsium palustre / Marsh Thistle
Cochleria officinalis / Common Scurvygrass
Corylus avellana / Hazel
Crataegus monogyna / Hawthorn
Cymbalaria muralis / Ivy-leaved Toadflax
Daucus carota / Wild Carrot
Digitalis purpurea / Foxglove
Epilobium hirsutum / Great Willowherb
Epilobium montanum / Broad-leaved Willowherb
Erica cinerea / Bell Heather
Eriophorum angustifolium / Common Cottongrass
Euphrasia nemorosa / Eyebright
Galium aparine / Cleavers
Galium saxatile / Heath Bedstraw
Geranium robertianum / Herb-Robert
Hedera helix / Ivy
Heracleum sphondylium / Hogweed
Holcus lanatus / Yorkshire-fog
Hyacinthoides non-scriptus / Bluebell
Hypericum maculatum / Imperforate St John's-wort
Hypericum pulchrum / Slender St John's-wort
Hypochaeris radicata / Cat's-ear
Ilex aquifolium / Holly
Iris pseudacorus / Yellow Iris
Juncus effusus / Soft-rush
Larix decidua / European Larch
Lathyrus linifolius / Bitter-vetch
Lotus corniculatus / Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
Luzula congesta / Congested Wood-rush
Lychnis flos-cuculi / Ragged-Robin
Pedicularis sylvatica / Lousewort
Pilosella aurantiaca / Fox-and-cubs
Plantago lanceolata / Ribwort Plantain
Poa annua / Annual Meadow-grass
Polygala serpyllifolia / Heath Milkwort
Polygala vulgaris / Common Milkwort
Polypodium interjectum / Intermediate Polypody
Polypodium vulgare / Polypody
Potentilla erecta / Tormentil
Primula vulgaris / Primrose
Prunella vulgaris / Selfheal
Pteridium aquilinum / Bracken
Quercus robur / Pedunculate Oak
Ranunculus acris / Meadow Buttercup
Ranunculus flammula Lesser / Spearwort
Ranunculus repens / Creeping Buttercup
Rubus fruticans agg / Bramble
Rumex acetosa / Common Sorrel
Rumex acetosella / Sheep's Sorrel
Rumex obtusifolius / Broad-leaved Dock
Salix alba / White Willow
Scrophularia nodosa / Common Figwort
Senecio jacobaea / Common Ragwort
Senecio vulgaris / Groundsel
Sorbus aucuparia / Rowan
Stellaria graminea / Lesser Stitchwort
Thymus polytrichus / Wild Garden
Trifolium dubium / Lesser Trefoil
Trifolium pratense / Red Clover
Trifolium repens / White Clover
Umbilicus rupestris / Navelwort
Urtica dioica / Common Nettle
Vaccinium myrtillus / Bilberry
Veronica chamaedrys / Germander Speedwell
Veronica officinalis / Heath Speedwell
Veronica serpyllifolia / Thyme-leaved Speedwell
Viola riviniana / Common Dog-violet
3 June 2011: from Pen-y-pass via "the Horseshoe" to Snowdon mountain and Cwm Dyli (Google Map)
Agrostis canina / Velvet Bent
Anagallis tenella / Bog Pimpernel
Calluna vulgaris / Heather
Cardamine hirsuta / Hairy Bitter-cress
Carex bigelowii / Stiff Sedge
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium / Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage
Cryptogramma crispa / Parsley Fern
Dryopteris oreades / Mountain Male-fern
Eriophorum vaginatum / Hare's-tail Cottongrass
Lycopodium clavatum / Stag's-horn Clubmoss
Nardus stricta / Mat-grass
Narthecium ossifragum / Bog Asphodel
Oxalis acetosella / Wood-sorrel
Pinguicula vulgaris / Common Butterwort
Saxifraga stellaris / Starry Saxifrage
Sedum anglicum / English Stonecrop
Stellaria uliginosa / Bog Stitchwort
Viola canina Heath / Dog-violet
4 June 2011: From Capel Curig to Betws-y-Coed (Google Map)
Carex pauciflora / Few-flowered Sedge
Centaurea nigra / Common Knapweed
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Lawson's Cypress
Cotoneaster horizontalis / Wall Cotoneaster
Dactylis glomerata / Cock's-foot
Dryopteris dilatata / Broad Buckler-fern
Eleocharis palustris / Common Spike-rush
Erica tetralix / Cross-leaved Heath
Eupatorium cannabinum / Hemp-agrimony
Fagus sylvatica / Beech
Filipendula ulmaria / Meadowsweet
Fraxinus excelsior / Ash
Geum urbanum / Wood Avens
Hieracium murorum / Hawkweed
Juncus conglomeratus / Compact Rush
Juncus squarrosus / Heath Rush
Lapsana communis / Nipplewort
Lepidium campestre / Field Pepperwort
Luzula sylvatica / Great Wood-rush
Lysimachia nemorum / Yellow Pimpernel
Melampyrum pratense / Common Cow-wheat
Melica uniflora / Wood Melick
Mentha aquatica / Water Mint
Mycelis muralis / Wall Lettuce
Myrica gale / Bog-myrtle
Pilosella officinarum / Mouse-ear-hawkweed
Potamogeton natans / Broad-leaved Pondweed
Prunus serotina / Rum Cherry
Ranunculus ficaria / Lesser Celandine
Rhododendron ponticum / Rhododendron
Ribes rubrum / Red currant
Silene dioica / Red Campion
Spiraea x pseudosalicifolia / Willow-leaved Bridewort
Stachys sylvatica / Hedge Woundwort
Stellaria media / Common Chickweed
Taraxacum officinale / Dandelion
Ulex europaeus / Gorse
5 June 2011: From Capel Curig to Craig Wen to the Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir and back (Google Map)
Alchemilla glabra Smooth Lady's-mantle
Arctium minus / Lesser Burdock
Betula pendula / Silver Birch
Caltha palustris / Marsh-marigold
Ceterach officinarum / Rustyback
Cirsium vulgare / Spear Thistle
Dactylorhiza maculata / Heath Spotted-orchid
Equisetum arvense / Field Horsetail
Huperzia selago / Fir Clubmoss
Hydrocotyle vulgaris / Marsh Pennywort
Lamiastrum galeobdolon / Yellow Archangel
Luronium natans / Floating Water-plantain
Menyanthes trifoliata / Bogbean
Myosotis scorpioides / Water Forget-me-not
Persicaria maculosa / Redshank
Plantago major / Greater Plantain
Potamogeton polygonifolius / Bog Pondweed
Quercus cerris / Turkey Oak
Ranunculus hederaceus / Ivy-leaved Crowfoot
Ulex gallii / Western Gorse
6 June 2011: from Capel Curig to the Moel Siabod and back (Google Map)
Aconitum napellus / Monk's-hood
Drosera rotundifolia / Round-leaved Sundew
Genista anglica / Petty Whin
Lobelia dortmanna / Water Lobelia
Molinia caerulea / Purple Moor-grass
8, 10 and 13 June 2011: Cwm Idwal / Twll Du (Google Map)
Angelica sylvestris / Wild Angelica
Armeria maritima / Thrift
Campanula rotundifolia / Harebell
Diphasiastrum alpinum / Alpine Clubmoss
Fragaria vesca / Wild Strawberry
Geum rivale / Water Avens
Isoetes lacustris / Quillwort
Litorella uniflora / Shore-weed
Meconopsis cambrica / Welsh Poppy
Orchis mascula / Early-purple Orchid
Oxyria digyna / Mountain Sorrel
Ranunculus lingua / Greater Spearwort
Sanguisorba minor / Salad Burnet
Saxifraga hypnoides / Mossy Saxifrage
Saxifraga oppositifolia / Purple Saxifrage
Sedum rosea / Roseroot
Silene acaulis / Moss Campion
Solidago virgaurea / Goldenrod
Thalictrum alpinum / Alpine Meadow-rue
Thalictrum minus / Lesser Meadow-rue
Trollius europaeus / Globeflower
Woodsia alpina / Alpine Woodsia
9 June 2011: from Llyn Ogwen to Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn, Y Briach and Capel Curig (Google Map)
Hieracium maculatum / Spotted Hawkweed
Salix herbacea / Dwarf Willow
Sedum album / White Stonecrop
11 June 2011: from Llanberis to Moel Eilio, Foel Goch an back to Llanberis (Google Map)
Aquilegia vulgaris / Columbine
Callitriche obtusangula / Blunt-fruited Water-starwort
Ulex minor / Dwarf Gorse
12 June 2011: from Nantgwynant to Cwm Llan, Craflwyn Hall and Sygun Copper mine (Google Map)
Oxalis corniculata / Spreading Yellow Sorrel