Burren Flora Specialities

Some of the most distinctive and characteristic plant species in the Burren uplands would include the mountain avens (Dryas octopetala), bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) and, of course, the spring gentian (Gentiana verna). Aside from the stunning beauty and unparalleled profusion in the Burren, these species are of significant scientific interest. 

The spring gentian for instance is mainly found in alpine regions – seeing it at sea level in the Burren is as surprising as it is pleasant. The mountain avens is actually an ‘Arctic-Alpine’ plant, normally at home in icy environs: it is thought to have survived in the Burren having been brought here by glaciers in the last Ice Age.

The presence of plants such as the gentian and mountain avens in the Burren is rendered all the more fascinating by the fact that they are found growing beside plants of Mediterranean origin such as the dense flowered orchid (Neotinea maculata) and the maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), the latter usually safely tucked away in dark, damp grikes. This is truly a unique combination by any standards, one that continues to perplex and charm even the most experienced botanists.

Many other fascinating ‘specialities’ exist in the Burren, including the Irish eyebright (Euphrasia salisburgensis), thyme broomrape (Orobanche alba) and shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), all of which have their main British Isles populations in the Burren. The thyme broomrape is in fact a parasitic plant, drawing most of its energy from wild thyme. Other plants in the Burren are insectivorous – butterworts (Pinguicula spp.) for instance – adopting a different strategy to survive in this nutrient poor environment.

Less spectacular specialities of the Burren would include blue moor grass (Sesleria albicans). Known in Irish as féar boirne or Burren grass, this plant is of major significance for farming, as its beautiful metallic-blue flowering head appears in early spring, providing an important source of nutrients for outwintering cattle.

These are but a few of the special plants of the Burren: though often small in size, these flowers more than compensate for their tiny forms with their sublime beauty and fascinating stories.