MEADOW SWEET

Collecting Meadow Sweet

Today I intended to set this article in the Teign gorge, where I intended to collect quite a few plants, on route to Exeter. Unfortunately; my bike wouldn't start, so I did it all here instead.

The clump of Meadow Sweet illustrated here to the right; is one of the first experimental specimens, which I planted, but I couldn't really hazard a guess, as to which year that might have been.

This established clump has spread herbaceously and seems to have seeded too, as there are other clumps around it. They are situated on the thin part of Upper Bee woods, which runs along the perimeter fence of Dartmoor Prison. in fact, this clump grows up right against the fence.

Now, these plants have thick rhizomes, which spread out about 5cm/2" under ground. I just stick my fingers into the damp earth, feel for the roots and the gently remove a chunk, with as much root ball, as I can get on it. As you can see, I get one from the middle, so as not to diminish the existing clump, in any way. Remove flowering stem and leave a few leaves.

Meadow Sweet's are one plant I really do want to encourage to grow up here. They are very common all around the moor, mainly lining damp bases of hedges. I have brought them up here to the top of the moors, from a wide variety of local sites, so hopefully; the gene-pool here will be sufficiently varied.

I am very impressed, with how these plants have done up here. Hopefully in a

few years time; they will be a common sight up here. I am sure that; with them a few more species of insects and other invertebrates will also arrive, which will strengthen the food chain an with it the overall ecosystem.

I don't think I will have to spend too much time planting Meadow Sweet, since it dose spread quite well. now that there's a healthy and genetically diverse population already established up here; all I need to do is to add a few more to locations, where there are still none, expecting that they will be able to be pollinated by those already exiting up here.

So, 2 years from now and I believe this will be a common plant of upper Dartmoor. But now, I think I ought to go and plant these, before they wilt.