Flora and Fauna at Snakemoor Nature Reserve

The range of plants and flowers is extensive with a least 100 main species. The flowering plants that make Snakemoor attractive to visitors can be observed mainly from January through to July. Snowdrops start the year followed by the Daffodils. The smaller Daffodil to be found in the glade near to the pond is Lent Lily – an English native.

Snakeshead Fritillaries.

These delicate flowers usually appear at the end of March or early April and it is hoped with the careful management of the meadow it will encourage them to multiply.

The first Fritillaries appeared in 2012.

a white Snakeshead fritillarie on the left and a deep red one on the right

The Hay Meadow

The Hay Meadow was introduced to encourage the flowering of meadow plants such as Fritillaries, Meadow Craneshill, Campion, Orange Hawksweed and Lesser Knapweed. To achieve this objective has taken painstaking management.

The soil where the meadow is located is very fertile as a result of being used for sewage works and this isn’t a good environment for meadow plants to thrive. Extensive work has been undertaken to reduce the fertility of the meadow and reduce the number of plants which are too competitive against the meadow plants.

The meadow is cut and the grass removed in February and September/October. After February the meadow is not cut until July when a hay crop is taken. This allows the meadow flower seeds to mature, providing the food for the birds and insects and seeds for future plants.

a hay meadow on a summer day with hay barrels on it

Fungi

There is a huge variety of fungi to be found at Snakemoor. Over the last six years, 38 different species have been observed.

These include:

Blushing Blanket
Soft Slipper Toadstool
Dryads Saddle
Ear Fungus
Glistening Ink Cup
Ganoderma Adspersum

two white mushrooms