Luck of the Irish Landscape

With Saint Patrick's Day upon us, it seemed appropriate that we explore some non-shamrock plants native to the heaths, marshes, hillsides and meadows of Ireland.

A country rich with history and culture as vibrant as the greenery that beautifies it, Ireland is home to a humble 835 species of native vascular plants, of which only a handful are shared with us across the pond. Many of our favorite ornamental plants that embellish our perennial borders belong to Irish soil, creating dynamic communities attuned to hyper-specific environmental needs.  A country rich with history and culture as vibrant as the greenery that beautifies it, Ireland is home to a humble 835 species of native vascular plants, of which only a handful are shared with us across the pond. Many of our favorite ornamental plants that embellish our perennial borders belong to Irish soil, creating dynamic communities attuned to hyper-specific environmental needs. Thunder-and-Lightning by the Celts, Ajuga reptans serves as a vigorous and dense groundcover, helping to stabilize nutrient-poor soils, although preferring moist, somewhat humic soils and part shade.
Alternatively, other ornamental plants, such as Ireland’s native Digitalis purpurea have solidified their place as garden champions without posing a threat to more sensitive North American native species. We’ve covered Digitalis before, highlighting its significance in Celtic lore as well as its importance in the horticulture trade as an irreplaceable ornamental perennial.   Bell-shaped blooms are a recurring theme throughout the Irish landscape, from the large foxgloves of Digitalis to the tiny ericaceous flowers of native heaths to the explosion of delicate bluebells and harebells.
Campanula rotundifolia, native to both North America and Ireland, can be found across vast swaths of both countries, often preferring rocky outcroppings, cliffs, and sunny grasslands. Its ability to tolerate mountainous terrain and high altitudes make it particularly useful in highly exposed environments suffering from harsh sun and dry, shallow soils.  The tiny but mighty Harebell carpenter bee (Chelostoma campanularum), also called the small scissor bee, can be found visiting the violet-to-indigo flowers from May to July, small enough that they require closer exploration of the individual blooms in order to see their inhabitants.  Equally tiny, adorable, and reliant on Campanula rotundifolia flowers in the Irish landscape is the long-snouted and highly textured weevil, Miarus campanulae. Harebell weevil offspring develop within the floral structure, while the adults feed on young harebell stems, buds, and sepals.
In completely opposite plant communities of Ireland, our shared native marsh marigold, Caltha palustris, can be found inhabiting moist woodland soils and wet meadows, managing also to succeed in shade conditions. As it does in North America, marsh marigold also serves as a nectar source for early Irish spring pollinators, such as the tiny but colorful marsh marigold moth (Micropterix calthella) and Prasocuris phellandrii, an orange and greenish-black striped leaf beetle that munches on the sepals of the flowers throughout their bloom period.

Check out our lists below of selected native Irish plants, complete with their names from the homeland.  First up, our list of shared natives that exist peacefully on both sides of the pond:
North American & Irish Natives
Achillea millefolium | Athair thalún | yarrow
Athyrium filix-femina | Raithneach Mhuire | lady fern
Caltha palustris | Lus buí Bealtaine | marsh marigold
Campanula rotundifolia | Méaracán gorm | harebell
Deschampsia cespitosa | Móinfhéar garbh | tufted hairgrass
Deschampsia flexuosa | Móinfhéar | wavy hairgrass
Dryopteris filix-mas | Raithneach mhadra | male fern
Festuca rubra | Feisciú rua | red fescue
Juncus effusus | Geataire | soft rush
Osmunda regalis | Raithneach ríúil | royal fern

Irish Native Selections
Achillea ptarmica | Lus corráin | sneezewort
Ajuga reptans | Glasair choille | thunder-and-lightning
Armeria maritima | Rabhán | sea thrift
Asplenium scolopendrium | Creamh na muice fia | hart’s tongue fern
Briza media | Féar gortach | quaking grass
Carex divulsa | Cíb liath | grey sedge
Cornus sanguinea | Conbhaiscne | bloodtwig dogwood
Digitalis purpurea | Lus mór | foxglove
Galium odoratum | Lus moileas | sweet woodruff
Geranium pratense | Crobh gorm | meadow cranesbill
Geranium sanguineum | Crobh dearg | bloody cranesbill
Juncus inflexus | Luachair chrua | hard rush
Lysimachia nummularia | Lus an dá phingin | creeping Jenny
Molinia caerulea | Fionnán | purple moor grass
Sagina subulata | Mongán móna | Irish moss
Sambucus nigra | Tromán | elder
Viburnum opulus | Caorchon | Guelder rose