Salt Meadow, Earl's Common
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO961591 | — | Favourable | 2.71 | 2012-05-31 |
Description
Description Salt Meadow is an ancient hay meadow on neutral, loamy soils overlying the Lias clays of central Worcestershire. It has been selected as an example of neutral grassland with a number of locally uncommon species. The meadow contains a variety of grasses representative of neutral hay meadows. These include quaking grass Briza media, meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens. Characteristic herbs include adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and green winged orchid Anacamptis morio. Of particular interest is the presence of saw wort Serratula tinctoria and dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, plants which are uncommon in other neutral hay meadows in Worcestershire. A small, lower lying part of the meadow overlies a clay soil and has damp loving species such as soft rush Juncus effusus and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. Dyer’s greenweed Genista tinctoria, a plant uncommon in Worcestershire, is frequent along the uncut edges of the meadow. The surrounding old hedges include wild privet Ligustrum vulgare dogwood Cornus sanguinea and field maple Acer campestre.
Species mentioned
Show the 14 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adders-tongue fern | Ophioglossum vulgatum | LC | fern | ophioglossaceae |
| meadow foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| yellow oat grass | Trisetum flavescens | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| dropwort | Filipendula vulgaris | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| dyer's greenweed | Genista tinctoria | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| saw wort | Serratula tinctoria | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
| soft rush | Juncus effusus | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| dogwood | Cornus sanguinea | LC | shrub | cornaceae |
| wild privet | Ligustrum vulgare | LC | shrub | oleaceae |
| field maple | Acer campestre | LC | tree | aceraceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Reddish buff Acosmetia caliginosa |
Critically Endangered | Serratula tinctoria |
| Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata |
Endangered | Acer campestre |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Serratula tinctoria |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Acer campestre |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Cornus sanguinea |
| Lead belle Scotopteryx mucronata |
Vulnerable | Genista tinctoria |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.