Woodland Plant I.D. Guide

Correct identification of woodland plants is essential for effective woodland management at all levels, including for professionals using Forest Research's ESC-DSS tool.

Our ESC Woodland Species Guide contains details of the most common woodland indicator species as well as information on the soils that they are commonly found in.

You can download the full ESC Woodland Species Guide or below are listings for individual plants.

 

 

A

common bent ~ Agrostis capillaris

bugle ~ Ajuga reptans

 

ransoms, wild garlic ~ Allium ursinium

 

wood anemone ~ Anemone nemorosa

 

sweet vernal-grass ~ Anthoxanthum odoratum

 

lady-fern ~ Athyrlum filix-femina

 

B

hard fern ~ Blechnum spicant

 

false-brome ~ Brachypodium sylvaticum

 

C

green-ribbed sedge ~ Carex binervis

 

heather ~ Calluna vulgaris

 

rosebay willowherb ~ Charmerion angustifolium

 

enchanter’s nightshade ~ Circaea lutetiana

 

hazel ~ Corylus avellana

 

hawthorn ~ Cretaegus monogyna

 

D

cocksfoot ~ Dactylis glomerata

 

tufted hair-grass ~ Deschampsia cespitosa

 

wavy hair-grass ~ Deschampsia flexulosa

 

foxglove ~ Digitalis purpurea

 

scaly male-fern ~ Dryopteris affinis

 

broad buckler-fern ~ Dryopteris dilatate

 

male-fern ~ Dryopteris filix-mas

 

E

bell heather ~ Erica cinerea

 

common cotton-grass ~ Eriophorum angustifolium

 

cotton-grass, hare’s tail ~ Eriophorum vaginatum

 

G

cleavers, goosegrass ~ Galium aparine

 

heath bedstraw ~ Gallium saxatile

 

herb robert ~ Geranium robertianum

 

wood avens ~ Geum urbanum

 

ground ivy ~ Glechoma hederacea

 

H

ivy ~ Hedera helix

 

yorkshire fog ~ Holcus lanatus

 

creeping soft-grass ~ Holcus mollis

 

bluebell ~ Hyacinthoides non-scripta

 

I

holly ~ Ilex aquifolium

 

J

soft rush ~ Juncus effusus

 

L

honeysuckle ~ Lonicera periclynmenum

 

great woodrush ~ Luzula sylvatica

 

M

common cow-wheat ~ Melampyrum pratense

 

dog’s mercury ~ Mercurialis perennis

 

purple moor-grass ~ Molinia caerulea

 

N

wood sorrel ~ Oxalis acetosella

 

P

tormentil ~ Potentilla erecta

 

bracken ~ Pteridium aquilinum

 

R

creeping buttercup ~ Ranunculus repens

 

bramble ~ Rubus fruiticosus

 

raspberry ~ Rubus idaeus

 

S

elder ~ Sambucus nigra

 

hedge woundwort ~ Stachys sylvatica

 

greater stitchwort ~ Stellaria holostea

 

chickweed ~ Stellaria media

 

T

white clover ~ Trifolium repens

 

wood sage ~ Teucrium scorodonia

 

U

stinging nettle ~ Urtica dioica

 

V

blaeberry, bilberry ~ Vaccinium myrtillus

 

cowberry ~ Vaccinium vitus-idaea

 

germander speedwell ~ Veronica chamaedrys

 

wood speedwell ~ Veronica montana

 

common valerian ~ Valeriana officinalis

 

common violet  ~ Viola riviniana

 

U

gorse ~ Ulex europeaus