UK wildflowers flourish in 2009

A number of British wildflower species are fighting their way back from the brink of extinction, research has found.

A survey into the UKs wildflowers has found that many varieties have flourished this year, with some fighting their way back from the brink of extinction.

The survey from conservation charity Plantlife even found that some believed to have been extinct have re-surfaced, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) revealed.

One such plant is the marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata – environmental workers clearing "choking vegetation" in the Thames Basin found more than 100 new spores of the species growing un-noticed.

According to Plantlife, the resurgence is down to a combination of the ideal growing conditions experienced during 2009 and work put in by horticulture professionals.

The experts also noticed a recovery in numbers of Salvia pratensis and Juncus pygmaeus as part of the "startling" results of the research.

Meanwhile, the RHS recently revealed that the National Trust had discovered a number of rare cultivars growing in its grounds across the UK.