Wildlife: Oxford ragwort spread by rail from city of dreaming spires thestar.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestar.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wharfedale Naturalists Society THE mention of plants and railways might make you think of poorly maintained plant troughs or the usual autumn excuses of ‘leaves on the line’. Next time you find yourself standing on a railway platform or travelling by train, take a look around you. Railways are an interesting habitat with some attractive flowers, but you need to be quick before Network Rail arrives with its weedkiller! The four plants that always catch my attention, I have nicknamed ‘The Railway Children’. These are Buddleia, Rosebay Willowherb, Red Valerian and Oxford Ragwort. The seeds have all arrived by wind, including the breeze produced by passing trains. Valerian, Willowherb and Ragwort all have seeds with feathery parachutes much like a dandelion, while buddleia seeds are so small and light they are easily carried upwards, with plants often germinating high up on derelict buildings.