County Mayo’s wide range of habitats has a wealth of botanical interest. However, compared to Europe, Ireland has a relatively poor flora. Roadsides are still awash with wild flowers. However, in the spring, the roadside hedgerows are covered in banks of Primrose, look closely and you will find Violets too. The delicate pink flowers of Herb Robert are nearly always present. As the season progresses to summer the hedgerow banks grow tall with cow parsley. More open road verges are often covered in a meadow of tall Ox-eyed daisies. As autumn approaches, the hedgerows fill with ripening blackberries.
In spring, the bogs and peatlands are dotted with the soft heads of Bog cotton bobbing in the wind. Later, from about July onward the bog take on a purple hue as the heather comes into flower. The heather in mainly Ling Heather (Calluna vulgairis) but Crossed-leafed heath (Erica tetralix) and Bell heather (Erica cinerea) are also common. Of course the bogs would not be bogs without mosses, Sphagnum moss being the most important. Sundew and Butterwort are insectivorous plants that have adapted to growing in the nutrient poor bog. They trap insects on their sticky leaves. A great place to view wild bog plants is along the nature trail at Ballycroy National Park.
One of the most unique flora habitats of Mayo are the machair and dunes habitats of the coast. Machair is a sandy grassland habitat found on the western seaboard of Ireland and Scotland. In summer, these grassland are awash with flowers including Buttercups, Wild thyme and Harebells. Some other plants typical of machair include Red fescue grass, Lady’s bedstraw, Common bird’s foot trefoil, White clover and Sand sedge. A rare liverwort Petalophyum ralfsii also occurs. Some good examples of machair can be found on the Mullet peninsula, and on Achill Island. Along the rockier coast, pink swathes of Thrift are a common sight during the summer months.
The native oak trees found at Old Head and Brackloon are described as Old sessile oak wood. The trees here are covered in ferns, lichens and mosses. The ground flora at Old Head includes other typical woodland species such as Bilberry and Wood Sorrel.
Orchids can be found in abundance along the shore of Lough Carra. Some of the common species include Common twayblade, Early purple orchid and Common spotted orchid. Less common species like the Dense flowered orchid and the Bee orchid also occur. Orchids, particularly the pyramid orchid can also be found in machair and dune areas.
There is a group of Irish flora known as the Lusitanian Flora. These plants came originally from the Iberian Peninsula (North Spain and Portugal) and in Ireland are found mostly in the South and West. A number of species occur in Mayo including the Maidenhair fern, Irish heath, and St. Dabeoc’s heath.
Author & Photography
By Karina Dingerkus