Spring is on its way and most notably we are starting to see the buds on the trees swell and burst revealing fresh green leaves and flowers. But it's not just the change in leaf colour that heralds the first signs of spring, our woodland flowers do too.  

Perhaps the earliest sign of spring that is most notable to us all is the sight of snowdrops poking their way through the frosted soil of woodlands. The snowdrop displays nodding, white flowers, each carried on a single stem. Snowdrops don't have petals and are actually composed of six white flower segments known as 'tepals'. 

As the days get gradually get warmer and brighter, we see our woodlands begin to pop with colour from the bright yellow of lesser celandines to the pretty pink of the dainty herb robert. But come late April are woodlands are awash with the much-loved, nodding purple heads of the bluebell. Millions of bulbs can exist in just one wood, giving rise to the 'blue carpets' that are a springtime joy.

The bluebell spends most of the year as bulb underground in ancient woodland, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. This early flowering allows it to make the most of the sunlight that is still able to make it to the forest floor habitat, before the canopy becomes too dense. 

As spring fades into summer, some of our more delicate flowers begin to emerge with the first being that of the early purple orchid. In early spring, when the flowers first open, they have a sweet smell which attracts bees and other insects to pollinate them, despite having no nectar. Once fertilised, they give off a strong and unpleasant smell.

And as the sunny days continue the hardy and determined bramble grows rapidly in our woodlands but produces a countryside favourite, blackberries! Not only does bramble provide us with juicy blackberries but it is also an important food and habitat source for wildlife including honeybees, birds, grass snakes, and deer.

Our ancient woodlands truly are magnificent with our wildflowers making them so beautiful. Ancient woodlands are completely unique and their complex biodiversity which accumulates over hundreds of years makes them even more special as they support some of our most vulnerable species.