In addition to looking pretty, wild flowers are an essential part of the summer ecosystem. They provide vital food for pollinators, who are in turn part of the food chain for other wildlife. They’re great for biodiversity, as multiple species often exist in the same meadow. They can also provide valuable protection against flooding, as they have complex root systems which can help to hold onto rain water and prevent it spreading.
Since the 1930s, we’ve lost a huge number of wildflower meadows in the UK. Thankfully, they’re on the rise again with domestic gardeners and farmers alike making space for new species. Growing your own wild flowers can be surprisingly hard – just because they’re wild, doesn’t mean they want to grow just anywhere! Just like domesticated species, they require the right soil and climate conditions to flourish. That means that you’ll tend to find them in the wild in concentrated areas of the same species, with a few other plants mixed in.
Next time you take a country or woodland walk this summer, keep an eye out for some of these species. It’s important not to pick them, as that deprives pollinators of food and helps prevent the species from thriving, but they’re so pretty to look at. Here are our favourite summer-flowering species.
Foxgloves. Although domesticated foxgloves come in a variety of pink, purple and white, the common foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is almost always pinky-purple. They can grow as tall as two metres, and are easily recognisable for their hairy, oval leaves and bell-shaped flowers.
Herb robert (geranium robertianium) is a type of perennial, wild geranium. It grows very readily in a variety of soil types and is easy to find. It will also grow happily in a domestic garden, but will be quite happy to take over completely so keep an eye on it! It has small, pink, delicate flowers and lacy looking leaves.
Red campion (silene dioica). The flowers of the red campion are a similar colour to herb robert, but the plant is much larger and more upright and the leaves grow in pairs on the stem. Unlike 95% of plants, red campion is dioecious, which means that the female and male flowers grow on separate plants.
Cornflowers (centaurea cyanus). If you’re lucky enough to spot cornflowers, you’re in for a treat! They’re most often found on arable land, as, like poppies, they thrive on disturbed soil. They’re also known as ‘batchelors’ buttons’, as according to folklore unmarried men would wear them in their buttonhole to see if their love was requited.
Cow parsley. Also called Queen Anne’s lace, this relative of the wild carrot can be seen flowering prolifically in hedgerows all over the UK. When it’s allowed to flourish freely, it puts on a stunning display. It helps support wildlife throughout its lifecyle, as the flowers appeal to pollinators and the seeds are eaten by small birds. It does tend to spread prolifically, as you’ll know if you’ve ever had any in the garden.
All images (c) Pixabay 2025
