Here are some of the yellow flowers that you may see at Plas Farm. Colour psychologists say that yellow, the lightest hue of the spectrum, is illuminating and uplifting, offering hope, cheerfulness, fun and happiness.
Wild Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
March is the month to holiday in Wales if you want to see the daffodils in their prime where they grow along the farm drive, in the woods and around the self catering holiday cottages. Along with the Welsh dragon and leek, the daffodil is the national emblem of Wales. The Welsh name for the daffodil is “cennin Pedr” or “cenhinen Bedr,” meaning “Peter’s leek”. The Welsh words for leeks (cennin) and daffodils (cennin Pedr, lit. "(Saint) Peter's Leeks") are closely related and it is likely that one of the symbols came to be used due to a misunderstanding for the other one, though it is less clear which came first. The scientific name of the daffodil derives from the Greek god Narcissus, who looked into a pool, saw his reflection and fell in love with himself. The daffodil is a perennial flowering plant of the family Amaryllidaceae which grows from a bulb. It has pale yellow flowers with a darker central trumpet. The long, narrow leaves are slightly greyish in colour and rise from the base of the stem.
Golden Rod (Solidago virgaurea)
Golden Rod is usually found on rock ledges and is very common in upland Wales. It is a member of the daisy family and flowers from July until September with flowers varying between 10 mm and 25 mm across. In the past, this plant was used to treat wounds.
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Creeping Buttercup grows in abundance at Plas Farm, along many of the paths around the farm. It flowers from May to August and differs from the Meadow buttercup by having a hairy stem.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
This attractive climbing plant can be found growing wild in the hedges and woodland around Plas Farm. It is sweetly scented, especially in the evening when it attracts moths, which pollinate the flowers as they gather nectar. Honeysuckle is a clockwise climber and can rapidly cover trees up to six metres tall. It blooms between June and October, and it is quite common to see the red fruit berries alongside fresh honeysuckle blooms in autumn.
Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus)
Sometimes referred to as 'Bacon and Eggs' due to its yellow flowers sometimes being tinged with red, this perennial, spreading herbaceous plant, of the pea family (Fabaceae), grows in the meadows and woodland around the holiday cottages. The flowers are about 2 cm wide, grow in clusters of 5 to 10 and appear between May and September. The plant is an important nectar source for many insects and it is also used as a larval food plant by many species of butterfly.
Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)
Tormentil grows in the hillside meadows behind the holiday cottages where it creeps amongst the grasses on sheep grazed pasture. It is a member of the rose family and has tiny flowers - usually 1 cm to 1.5 cm across. Easily distinguished from a buttercup because, although its leaves are similar to those of buttercups, the Tormentil flower has just four petals. (Buttercups have five petals.) The scientific name "potentilla" comes from the Latin word "potens," for powerful, a sign of the respect given the plant's medicinal powers. The common name "Tormentil" refers to the torment the plant supposedly can remedy. The flowers may be seen from June right through until the end of September. Tormentil has a preference for acid soils, and is rarely found on chalky land.
Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Ragwort is well known to farmers as it is poisonous to to horses, ponies, donkeys, cows and other livestock. Luckily animals hate the taste of it and have to eat considerable amounts to be poisoned. At Plas Farm, there is plenty of lush green grass for the animals to enjoy and where ragwort does appear from time to time, it does not pose a problem. Ragwort sometimes grows in the Christmas tree patch behind the holiday cottages. It begins to flower in June. It's Welsh name is Creulys Iago.
Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense)
Common cow-wheat likes to grow at the edge of woodlands and you should see it on the tree lined lane that leads from the holiday cottages to Cilybebyll. It is partially parasitic on the roots of other woody plants, although this arrangement does not seem to harm the host plant. It is famed as the food plant of the rare heath fritillary butterfly which is thought to be extinct in Wales, although some colonies do exist across the Bristol Channel in Devon, so do keep an eye out - you never know!
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
Sweet smelling Meadowsweet can be found growing in the ditch in the fields in front of the holiday cottages. The stems are 1-2m tall, erect and furrowed. Meadowsweet is aromatic and has delicate, graceful, creamy-white flowers clustered close together. They flower from June to early September. The whole herb possesses a pleasant taste and flavour, the green parts having a similar aromatic character to the flowers, leading to the use of the plant to strew on floors to give the rooms a pleasant aroma, and its use to flavour wine and beer. Meadowsweet was regarded as sacred by the druids. It is reputed to have many medicinal properties. In 1897 Felix Hoffmann created a synthetically altered version of salicin, derived from the species, which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally Acetylsalicylic acid, was named aspirin by Hoffman's employer Bayer AG. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as NonSteroidal AntiInflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs.
Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica)
The Welsh Poppy grows in abundance around the holiday cottages where it contrasts beautifully with the blue grey sandstone from which the cottages are built. It is north-west Europe's only native species of poppy.
Yellow Pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum)
This flower likes shady places and may be found in the woods which are a short walk from your holiday cottage. Its flowers are typically no more than 1 cm to 1.2 cm across and first appear in May, but it is usually late June before this plant is in full bloom. You might still find yellow pimpernel in flower as late as the end of August. Yellow Pimpernel has been used historically by herbalists to staunch bleeding. Another common name for this wild flower is Creeping Yellow Loosestrife. It's Welsh name is Gwlyddyn Melyn Mair which translates as Mary's Yellow Haulm.
Plas Farm’s Yellow Flowers
1. Bird’s Foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus
2. Common Cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense
3. Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
4. Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
5. Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
6. Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
7. Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria
8. Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris
9. Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
10. Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea
11. Primrose Primula vulgaris
12. Silverweed Potentilla anserina
13. Smooth Hawk’s-beard Crepis capillaris
14. Tormentil Potentilla erecta
15. Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica
16. Wild Daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus
17. Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum
18. Golden Rod Solidago virgaurea
19. Common Gorse Ulex europaeus
If you spot any yellow wild flowers at Plas Farm during your cottage holiday, please let us know and if possible take a photograph of it. If you are unable to identify the plant, try posting the image on one of the forums on the excellent Wild About Britain.
