Marsh Cinquefoil Potentilla Palustris
Globeflower, Trollius europaeus
Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata
A select band of three botanists met at the Quarry car park near Malham Tarn and headed onto the boardwalk. While it started a bit grey and cool, we got to enjoy some warmer sunshine later on. The whole site was looking so much more lush than in 2025 when we visited in almost drought conditions. Near the gate we found some Nettle-leaved Bellflower plants (none yet in flower) Campanula trachelium and once on the boardwalk, we were rewarded with some bog specialist plants in flower including Marsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre, Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata, Globeflower Trollius europaeus and Northern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella. The Ragged Robin Silene floscuculi was looking particularly bedraggled by recent rain but still gave a good show. We stopped to look at a milkwort and concluded it must be Heath Milkwort Polygala serpyllifolia.
Further along the boardwalk beyond the trees, we found lots of Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia and patches of Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccus while towards the end of the boardwalk, we found good examples of Northern Marsh X Common Spotted Orchid hybrids Dactylorhiza x venusta showing plenty of hybrid vigour. Once we got our eye in, we were able to find a number of plants of the diminutive Common Wintergreen Pyrola minor in flower.
On the way back, we spotted Mossy Saxifrage Saxifraga bryoides having missed it on the way out. And finally, as we headed back to the car, we came across a carpet of Cranberry.
This site is so varied and offers the opportunity to see many grasses, sedges and reeds including Bottle Sedge Carex rostrata, Lesser Pond-Sedge Carex acutiformis and Star Sedge Carex echinata.
Jane Welsh
Hybrid Northern Marsh and Common Spotted Dactylorhiza x venusta
Common Wintergreen Pyrola minor
