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
ransoms, wild garlic ~ Allium ursinium
wood anemone ~ Anemone nemorosa
sweet vernal-grass ~ Anthoxanthum odoratum
lady-fern ~ Athyrlum filix-femina
B
false-brome ~ Brachypodium sylvaticum
C
green-ribbed sedge ~ Carex binervis
rosebay willowherb ~ Charmerion angustifolium
enchanter’s nightshade ~ Circaea lutetiana
D
cocksfoot ~ Dactylis glomerata
tufted hair-grass ~ Deschampsia cespitosa
wavy hair-grass ~ Deschampsia flexulosa
scaly male-fern ~ Dryopteris affinis
broad buckler-fern ~ Dryopteris dilatate
male-fern ~ Dryopteris filix-mas
E
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
ground ivy ~ Glechoma hederacea
H
yorkshire fog ~ Holcus lanatus
creeping soft-grass ~ Holcus mollis
bluebell ~ Hyacinthoides non-scripta
I
J
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
R
creeping buttercup ~ Ranunculus repens
S
hedge woundwort ~ Stachys sylvatica
greater stitchwort ~ Stellaria holostea
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