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FLOWERS
Fair Isle may be best
known for its birds, but the island also possesses an interesting variety of
other wildlife, including its flora. The variety and abundance of species
recorded are limited by such factors as the island’s relative isolation,
small size (just over 1000 ha) and harsh maritime climate. Grazing and
agriculture over centuries have also had a major impact, though by no means
all negative. The 250 + flowering plants include several rare and notable
species.
The Isle appears to
support only four major habitats: heather moorland, marsh and wetland,
cliffs and the coastal fringe; and cultivated areas. However, variations in
soil chemistry and depth, topography, aspect, exposure, drainage, grazing
intensity and degree of agricultural improvement all contribute to a rich
mosaic of micro-habitats. It is this mosaic which makes Fair Isle so full of
botanical surprises.
Heather moorland
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Heath
Spotted Orchid, June |
Fair Isle Heather,
constantly blasted by winter storms, is best described as Prostrate or
Dwarf. Ling dominates much of the north and a few places in the south. It
shares free-draining soils with Bell Heather, Crowberry, Common Milkwort,
Heath Bedstraw, Heath-spotted Orchid and the ubiquitous Tormentil.
Here and there are
clumps of Prostrate Juniper. This unusual form is rare in Shetland and the
Fair Isle community is one of the finest examples of its type in Britain.
Some particularly good specimens can be found alongside the road at Byerwall.
On wetter soils, Ling is accompanied by other plants such as Heath Rush,
Deer-grass and Common Cotton-grass.
Where the moorland was
once cut for peat, little remains but wind-scoured, bare, stony wastes. At
higher altitudes however, patches of Lichen / Bryophyte heath occur – these
lower plants gaining a foothold where few vascular plants can. Flowering
plants that do occur include alpine specialists such as Least Willow, Alpine
Bistort and Stiff Sedge.
Finally, one cannot
fail to notice that Bracken, quite a rare plant in Shetland, has taken hold
in places in the North-east, smothering all before it.
Marsh and Wetland
Fair Isle boasts a
range of wetlands: bogs, mires, lochans, quarry pools, peat pools, wet mud,
hillside flushes, permanent burns and marshy grassland. The characteristic
species vary, but the more widespread include Common Cottongrass, Marsh
Willowherb and Butterwort. In July, bog asphodel carpets the ground in
places. Wet flushes are particularly rich and harbour a number of notable
species such as Bog Pimpernel, Early Marsh Orchid, Separate-headed Sedge and
Black Bog-rush. Round-leaved Sundew occurs in the north. Ditches support a
diverse vegetation including Ivy-leaved Water Crowfoot, Water Mint, Lesser
Spearwort and Water Forget-me-not, while alongside grow Ragged Robin, Lady’s
Smock and Marsh Willowherb. The rare Lesser Marshwort grows in Gilsetter
Burn and Sukka Mire.
Marshy grassland
supports magnificent Northern Marsh Orchids, often growing with Early Marsh
Orchids and a host of other flowers. Marsh Ragwort is widespread but Marsh
Cinquefoil is restricted to Da Water and Sneezewort to a small area of Boini
Mire. Amphibios Bistort is abundant at just a few places (namely Utra and
Schoolton) but is not found elsewhere. In July Cotton-grass smother Da Water
and Boini Mire.
Cliffs and the coastal fringe
The coastal fringe can
be a riot of colour in summer. Cliffs and gullies exposed to the sun are
among the first places to burst into flower, as Thrift, Common Birdsfoot
Trefoil, Sea Campion and even Primrose form a colourful patchwork quilt.
Later, they are joined by Kidney Vetch, Sea Mayweed and the Shetland Red
Campion. In damper areas, Common Scurvy-grass dominates. Special plants of
ledges and crevices include Rose-root and Scots Lovage, flowering from late
June.
Around the cliff tops
is a band of coastal grassland, characterised by springy close-cropped turf.
“Grassland” is a misnomer because close inspection reveals that it is
largely composed of Thrift, Sea Plantain, Buckshorn Plantain and other
salt-tolerant plants. Spring squill turns some areas a sea of blue from late
May, to be replaced in late June/early July by a pink carpet of flowering
Thrift. With careful searching, rare species can be found. Look in June-July
for the rare Small Adder’s-tongue (by the Observatory), Moonwort (Buness)
and Frog Orchid (which may be found near North Light and on the west side of
the Houll). Also in July, a range of Eyebrights appear, including north
Scotland and Shetland endemics.
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Oysterplant
- Muckle Uri Geo
Among the few plants
getting a foothold on Fair Isle’s beaches are the rare Oysterplant and
Spear-leaved Orache - both occurring on the shingle above Muckle Uri Geo.
Sea Rocket is an occasional colonist, its seeds borne on the sea.
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Cultivated Areas
Many plants eliminated
from farmland elsewhere still thrive on Fair Isle. This is due to the
persistence of traditional agricultural practices. The best areas are those
where grazing is light or animals are removed for a short period in summer.
These, and roadside
verges, are adorned by orchids and a host of other flowers. Traditional
hayfields are full of vetches, while the cultivated rigs have a
characteristic and colourful flora including Small Bugloss, Corn Spurrey,
Arctic Knotgrass, and Common and Northern Hemp-nettles.
With such varied
habitats you are never far from colourful or special plants. There is no
perfect time to see them all, but the months of June and July are the best
for variety and colour, though the isle remains a picture well into August,
and some of the special plants can still be found as late as October. The
bright meadows, roadside verges and cliffs bear witness to what has been
lost elsewhere through modern technology and intensive farming. Fair Isle
remains a rich natural garden and a reminder of a floristic landscape now,
sadly, a distant memory in great swathes of the British countryside.
The Flowering
Plants and Ferns of the Shetland Islands
(1987)
by Walter Scott & Richard Palmer (Shetland Times, Lerwick).
Shetland’s Wild
Flowers: a photographic guide
(1992),
by D. Malcolm (Shetland
Times, Lerwick). |
