Mappp.co - Plaster's Green Meadows

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Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
ST532611	—	Favourable	4.14	2012-12-04

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Description

Area, 4.3 ha. 10.6 ac. Description The unimproved and traditionally managed species rich meadows at Plaster’s Green support a neutral grassland community of a type which is now rare throughout Britain. The site is situated on the slopes fringing the Lias Tablelands and is underlain by Rhaetic clays and, lower down the slope, Keuper Red Marl. The slowly permeable clay soils are slightly calcareous in nature and this is reflected in elements of the flora. The gently sloping meadows are characterised by the nationally rare common knapweed / crested dog’s tail Centaurea nigra / Cynosurus cristatus neutral grassland community. The dominant grasses include sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, while quaking grass Briza media and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens are also frequent. There is a high component of herb species throughout the meadows including saw wort Serratula tinctoria, dyer’s greenweed Genista tinctoria, common knapweed, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis, betony Betonica officinalis and spiny rest-harrow Ononis spinosa. The calcareous nature of the soil is reflected by the presence of cowslip Primula veris, fairy flax Linum catharticum, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and occasional salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. The meadows are bounded by hedges supporting numerous species including hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, wych elm Ulmus glabra, English elm Ulmus procera, hazel Corylus avellana and field maple Acer campestre. Hedgerow trees include ash Fraxinus excelsior, sweet chestnut Castanea sativa, holly Ilex aquifolium and oak Quercus sp.

Species mentioned

Show the 25 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
sweet vernal grass	Anthoxanthum odoratum	LC	grass	poaceae
quaking grass	Briza media	VU	grass	poaceae
crested dog's tail	Cynosurus cristatus	LC	grass	poaceae
Yorkshire fog	Holcus lanatus	LC	grass	poaceae
yellow oat grass	Trisetum flavescens	LC	grass	poaceae
betony	Betonica officinalis	VU	herb	lamiaceae
black knapweed	Centaurea nigra	LC	herb	asteraceae
lady's bedstraw	Galium verum	LC	herb	rubiaceae
dyer's greenweed	Genista tinctoria	LC	herb	fabaceae
fairy flax	Linum catharticum	LC	herb	linaceae
spiny rest-harrow	Ononis spinosa	Not listed in GB list	herb	fabaceae
salad burnet	Poterium sanguisorba	VU	herb	rosaceae
cowslip	Primula veris	LC	herb	primulaceae
saw wort	Serratula tinctoria	VU	herb	asteraceae
pepper saxifrage	Silaum silaus	EN	herb	saxifragaceae
devils-bit scabious	Succisa pratensis	VU	herb	caprifoliaceae
glaucus sedge	Carex flacca	LC	sedge	cyperaceae
hawthorn	Crataegus monogyna	LC	shrub	rosaceae
field maple	Acer campestre	LC	tree	aceraceae
sweet chestnut	Castanea sativa	LC	tree	fagaceae
hazel	Corylus avellana	LC	tree	corylaceae
ash	Fraxinus excelsior	LC	tree	oleaceae
holly	Ilex aquifolium	LC	tree	aquifoliaceae
wych elm	Ulmus glabra	LC	tree	ulmaceae
English elm	Ulmus procera	LC	tree	ulmaceae

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
Black-veined moth Siona lineata	Critically Endangered	Centaurea nigra
Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria	Endangered	Linum catharticum
Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala	Endangered	Crataegus spp.
Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata	Endangered	Acer campestre
The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	Crataegus monogyna
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina	Endangered	Primula veris
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Ulmus spp.
Least minor Photedes captiuncula	Endangered	Carex flacca
White-letter hairstreak Satyrium w-album	Endangered	Ulmus glabra, Ulmus spp.
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp., Poterium sanguisorba, Serratula tinctoria
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus spp.
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Ulmus spp.
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Acer campestre, Castanea sativa, Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Ulmus spp.
Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia	Vulnerable	Succisa pratensis
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Centaurea spp., Galium spp.
White-line dart Euxoa tritici	Vulnerable	Galium verum
Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii	Vulnerable	Galium spp.
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Ulmus spp.
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra
Silver studded blue Plebejus argus	Vulnerable	Ononis spp.
Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae	Vulnerable	Poterium sanguisorba
Lead belle Scotopteryx mucronata	Vulnerable	Genista tinctoria
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus monogyna
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna, Ulmus spp.
Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna
Grey chi Antitype chi	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna
Dusky-lemon sallow Cirrhia gilvago	Near Threatened	Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera
The sallow Cirrhia icteritia	Near Threatened	Ulmus glabra
Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus	Near Threatened	Cynosurus cristatus
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Ulmus spp.
Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria	Near Threatened	Fraxinus excelsior
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	Galium spp.
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	Betonica officinalis, Centaurea spp., Crataegus monogyna
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp., Ulmus spp.
Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae	Near Threatened	Centaurea nigra
Wall Lasiommata megera	Near Threatened	Holcus lanatus
Rosy minor Litoligia literosa	Near Threatened	Carex flacca
Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata	Near Threatened	Galium spp.

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.

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 8 species from the description above: Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Fraxinus excelsior, Holcus lanatus, Ilex aquifolium, Poterium sanguisorba, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera

Show 81 indicator species

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Holcus lanatus

Show 49 indicator species

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub

Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 2 species from the description above: Anthoxanthum odoratum, Holcus lanatus

Show 40 indicator species

Hedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum