Other Plant Species

The following table sets out some links between common wildflower species, horses and biodiversity.

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Wildflower Species	Information	Soils	Examples of their biodiversity benefits
Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus	Liked by horses. Anthelmintic (worm reducing properties). Important nutritious plant late on in the summer when grasses start to decline.	All soil types. Nitrogen fixing species, can help to improve soil fertility.	Excellent species for pollinators. Food plant for the Common Blue and Dingy Skipper.
Black medick (also called yellow trefoil) Medicago lupulina	Nutritious for horses.	All soil types. Adds organic matter, can suppress other weeds due to is creeping nature and fixes nitrogen using a deep tap-root, so supports soil fertility	Pollinated by bees of all varieties as well as moths and butterflies. It is the food plant of the Common Blue.
Ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata	Common in grasslands, some horses will seek it out. Relatively low yielding but has deep roots and good vitamin and mineral content (especially copper, calcium and selenium).	All soil types.	Butterflies, moths and hoverflies particularly feed on these flowers. Sheep love it too and its seeds are readily eaten by goldfinches.
Thistles Cirsium, Carduus, Carlina spp.	Horses will eat the growing flower buds and wilted plants. Thistles are mineral rich.	All soil types. But are less successful in damp grasslands.	Linnets, and goldfinches each the seeds. Painted Lady and Peacock butterflies use it at various stages of their lifecycle.
Yarrow Achillea millefolium	Liked by horses. Deep rooting, pulls trace elements from deep within the soil, making them available to grazing animals. High in Vitamin A so good for young horses.	All soil types. Low lying meadows where fertility is a bit higher.	Hoverflies
Self-heal Prunella vulgaris	Has a creeping, mat-forming habit.	All soil types.	Bumblebees
Knapweed Centaurea nigra	Extensive roots make this an excellent drought tolerant species.	All soil types.	Common and a source of good quality nectar so favoured by butterflies, bees and beetles. Seeds are an important food source for birds.
Lady’s bedstraw Galium verum	Flowers smell of hay when dried.	All soil types.	Food plant of the broad-bordered bee hawkmoth
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis	A good source of nectar.	All soil types. Prefers well-drained chalky to neutral soils.	A great source of nectar and very long flowering period make this plant great for invertebrates. Seeds are liked by finches and linnets.
Salad Burnett Sanguisorba minor	Fairly deep-rooted and spreading so useful part of a mix of species in areas previously poached.	Chalk, low fertility soils.	Bumblebees
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare	Can do well on thin, dry soils.	Chalk, low fertility soils.	Excellent source of nectar – food plant of the Large Blue butterfly.
Wild Basil Cinopodium vulgare	Found in dry places, edges of pasture along hedge lines.	Chalk to Acidic sandy soils but always low fertility.	Good for bees like other dead nettles, and flowers later on in the summer so a late source of food for insects.
Musk Mallow Malva moschata	Found largely along field margins, prefers dry soils.	Chalk, low fertility soils.	Many pollinating insects
Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria	Copes well in dry conditions.	Chalk, low fertility soils.	A favourite amongst bees and butterflies. flowers late on in the summer.
Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis	Spreads through underground stems called rhizomes, so good to help break up compacted or poached ground.	Heavy soils, can be found in more fertile pastures.
Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa		Heavy soils.
Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pratense		Particularly likes chalky soils.	Bumble and honey bees.
Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis		Heavy soils, favours damp slightly acid grasslands.	Important food plant for the marsh fritillary butterfly.
Ox-eye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare		Low lying meadows where fertility is a bit higher.