Groton Wood
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL977431 | — | Favourable | 20.17 | 2009-04-24 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Description Groton Wood is an ancient coppice woodland on a boulder clay plateau overlain by a surface deposit of loess. The site consists of a primary core with later additions of post medieval secondary woodland. The wood contains the finest stand known in Suffolk of the small leaved lime Tilia cordata, a community of great ecological interest. There is a diverse ground flora that includes a number of species that are confined to ancient woodlands. Acid birch ash lime woodland dominates the medieval core of Groton Wood. Lime is present as both coppiced stools and standard trees and forms an almost pure stand in many areas. The post medieval areas are generally acid pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland with frequent wild cherry Prunus avium and fragments of other stand types. The wood is still managed in a traditional way with annual coppicing. Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. dominates the ground flora over much of the wood with patches of dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis. The flora is rich and includes several uncommon species such as violet helleborine Epipactis purpurata, stinking iris Iris foetidissima, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, wood spruge Euphorbia amygdaloides and woodruff Galium odoratum. A series of rides have been created in the wood. These have a distinctive flora and are dominated by great willow herb Epilobium hirsutum and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. There is an active badger sett on the site.
Species mentioned
Show the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| great willowherb | Epilobium hirsutum | LC | herb | onagraceae |
| violet helleborine | Epipactis purpurata | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| wood spurge | Euphorbia amygdaloides | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| woodruff | Galium odoratum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| stinking iris | Iris foetidissima | LC | herb | iridaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| bramble | Rubus fruticosus agg. | Not listed in GB list | herb | rosaceae |
| wild cherry | Prunus avium | LC | tree | rosaceae |
| lime small leaved | Tilia cordata | LC | tree | malvaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala |
Endangered | Prunus spp. |
| The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia |
Endangered | Prunus spp. |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria, Rubus fruticosus |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Prunus spp., Tilia spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria, Galium spp. |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Epilobium spp., Galium spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Prunus spp., Rubus fruticosus |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Tilia spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Prunus spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Tilia spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Iris foetidissima |
| Scarce hook-tip Sabra harpagula |
Near Threatened | Tilia cordata |
| 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.