Meadow thistle
2 August 2010
A handsome thistle particularly characteristic of fen meadows in the South West, the meadow thistle bears its solitary magenta flower heads atop slender stems. Its spear-shaped leaves are softly prickly not spiny, have slightly toothed edges and a distinctive web of white cottony hairs below, which extend up the stem. Like most members of the thistle family it is visited by many insects and seed-eating birds.
Meadow thistle © Ruud de Man
Latin name: Cirsium dissectum
Population numbers:
Meadow thistle is found in moist, nutrient poor grasslands and heathlands, habitats that have declined throughout Europe. The species is endangered in Germany and the Netherlands and whilst neither rare or scarce in the British Isles it has suffered a significant decline since 1930, with losses being particularly significant in south and east England. Meadow thistle is a key species in the Culm grasslands of Devon and Cornwall. Here, a 50% loss was recorded between 1884 and 1991. Losses are principally due to drainage and fertiliser application, conversion to forestry plantation and management neglect. The areas remaining are often small and isolated and this can have negative effects for the plants and animals that depend on the habitat.
Where to see and when:
Meadow thistle flowers throughout June and July. Particularly good sites to see it include the Volehouse Moor and Dunsdon Farm NNR in Devon, which also support rare insects such as the Marsh Fritillary and the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth. In Dorset it can be seen in at the glorious meadows at Kingcombe.
What’s being done?
Culm grasslands have benefitted from Butterfly Conservation’s Re-connecting the Culm project, which provided advice to landowners managing the habitat and assisted applications for Higher Level Stewardship agreements. All in all, sympathetic management was achieved on 480 hectares of high quality grassland and a further 96 ha of Culm habitat is under re-creation from arable land and forestry plantation. Whilst this project has now ended, their Two Moors project in Dartmoor and Exmoor will deliver similar benefits for Meadow thistle habitat.
More information:
