Lathraea squamaria

Why it’s special
This unusual white, ghost-like plant is a parasite on the roots of Hazel and Field Maple trees in chalky woodland areas. It produces a stem and flowers in March, just before the Bluebells come into flower, but never turns green as it does not need to produce food from the sun.

Where to find it

In a good year, you could see over two thousand plants flowering at the Wildlife Trust’s reserve at Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses in early spring.

What else is there at Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses?
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), this is one of the finest examples of chalk woodland on the Isle of Wight with fine Ash, Oak and Wych Elm trees as well as a Hazel and Field Maple coppice for the indigenous Red Squirrel. In spring the woodland floor is carpeted in bright Bluebells and large numbers of butterflies can be found in the grassland, including Brown Argus and Chalkhill Blue.

Best time to see
Spring.

Find out more:

www.hwt.org.uk/files/eaglehea.pdf
OS Grid reference: SZ 582 877
Open access with public footpath

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