Limestone Grassland Restoration

Limestone Grassland ©Craig Wade

Cotoneaster Control

Become a volunteer

Why Cotoneaster?

Plant Swap for a FREE £20 voucher

Explore limestone grassland walks (coming soon)

Help protect vulnerable limestone grasslands in North Wales

Join us and help save our threatened limestone grasslands from invasive non-native cotoneaster. Brought to the UK in the 19^th century as a garden plant, it has now been identified in the top ten species negatively impacting protected sites in Wales.

If not controlled it may cause permanent change to our local landscapes having devastating effects on wildlife. Berries are easily dispersed by birds causing cotoneaster to progressively spread, for this reason, we must act now!

Cotoneaster

Manage

Invasive Non-Native Species

Cotoneaster

Limestone grassland ©Craig Wade

Protect

Habitat

Calcareous Grassland

Why do we want to protect limestone grasslands?

As the days get longer, limestone grasslands should be ablaze with colour. Bountiful swards of flowers include small scabious, kidney vetch, carline thistle, rock rose and salad burnet. Delicate bee and pyramidal orchids will be on display accompanied by thyme, stemless thistle and knap weed. An abundance of butterflies including marbled white, brown argus and silver studded blue, will visit for their rich source of nectar.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for many of our limestone grasslands. Flowers which would have once been in full bloom have been smothered and outcompeted by cotoneaster, dominating the large areas of once favorable grassland. Sadly, 90% of our semi natural grasslands have declined since the 20^th century, remaining areas are now often small in size and highly fragmented, having devastating effects on our local wildlife. To help protect our cherished habitats, we must take action for nature.

We believe that limestone grasslands disappearing from our landscapes would be a huge loss, and getting people involved in conserving them locally can have real benefits – for individuals, communities as well as our wildlife!

Limestone grassland at Minera Quarry © Simon Mills

Pyramidal orchid © Les Binns

Carline Thistle © Lin Cummins

A pair of choughs, a type of crow often found in coastal areas, with a pitch black body and bright red beak and legs, centre right of the picture. They are stood on a steep cliff with alternating patches of rock and small grassy areas, and the blue/green shade of the sea is just visible out of focus in the top left corner

Choughs at Rhiwledyn © Henry Cook

Kidney Vetch © Vaughn Matthews

Limestone grassland © Simon Mills

Volunteers © Jon Hawkins, Surrey Hills Photography

Limestone Grassland flora (Craig Y Forwyn) ©Craig Wade

What are we doing?

The North Wales Wildlife Trust have been awarded Nature Network Heritage Fund grant to deliver the Limestone Grassland Restoration project. We're excited to continue the great work of volunteers and partners involved in the North Wales Cotoneaster Control project managing cotoneaster removal.

The project aims to;

Further survey the spread and abundance of cotoneaster across North Wales
Prioritise five protected sites most in need of control
Undertake restoration of limestone grassland following cotoneaster treatment
Raise awareness of the impact cotoneaster has on natural heritage via guided audio walks

North Wales Cotoneaster Control

Join Hannah, our Limestone Grassland Restoration Project Officer, to explore how the North Wales Cotoneaster Control project has left a legacy for our ongoing mission.

Volunteers removing cotoneaster Mynydd Marian

Volunteers removing cotoneaster ©Hannah NWWT

Cotoneaster removal ©Hannah NWWT

Cotoneaster

Removing cotoneaster ©Hannah NWWT

Cotoneaster smothering Limestone Grassland ©Craig Wade

Volunteers clearing cotoneaster ©Hannah NWWT

Limestone Grassland Cotoneaster coverage Craig Y Forwyn

Limestone Grassland Cotoneaster Craig Y Forwyn ©Craig NWWT

Questions or want to get involved? Contact us

Hannah Everett, Cotoneaster Project Manager

Email: hannah.everett@northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

Jon Hawkins, Surrey Hills Photography

Volunteer

Come along to a volunteer day where you can explore new sites, meet like-minded people and help protect threatened species and habitats.

How to ID the most dominant and invasive species of cotoneaster

Cotoneaster species are listed on the Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 England and Wales. Although still readily available to buy, it can be planted and contained in private gardens. However it is an offence to plant or otherwise cause these species to grow in the wild. GBNNSS

Entire leaved cotoneaster (C. integrifolius)

Entire leaved Cotoneaster ©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 — ©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 Entire leaved Cotoneaster (C. integrifolius)

Evergreen low growing shrub
Leaves: small elliptical, dark green and hairs underside
Flowers: white, purple anthers
Berries: late summer crimson colour, holds throughout winter

Himalayan cotoneaster (C. simonsii)

©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper copyright 2023 Himalayan cotoneaster — ©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 Himalayan cotoneaster (C. simonsii)

Large hardy upright evergreen shrub
Leaves: small none serrated, alternate along stem, glossy hairless upper and slight hairs on lower surface
Flowers: pale pink, red patch centre of petal
Berries: slightly larger, orange-red in clusters

Hollyberry cotoneaster (C. bullatus)

Hollyberry cotoneaster Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 — ©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 Hollyberry cotoneaster (C. bullatus)

Much larger deciduous shrub up to 4 metres
Leaves: matt green, oval and pointed, indented veins growing alternate on stem
Flowers: pink, 5 petal, white anthers
Berries: bright red, large slight square-shaped

Small leaved cotoneaster (C. microphyllus)

©Illustrations by Lizzie Harper at www.lizzieharper.co.uk copyright 2023 Small leaved cotoneaster (C. microphyllus)

Evergreen low-lying shrub
Leaves: glossy green top, grey/white underside, small (1cm length), elliptic
Flowers: solitary white, 5 petals, dark violet anthers
Berries: coral red and globular

Wall cotoneaster (C. horizontalis)

Deciduous low growing shrub: herringbone-shaped branches, stems woody dark brown, hard and knotty
Leaves: small dark green upper, pointed and shiny on both sides, red in autumn
Flowers: pink, 5 petal with white anthers
Berries: orange-red

WildNet - Tom Marshall

How you can help

Plant Swap Scheme

Sign up to the Plant Swap Scheme and receive a FREE £20 gardening voucher in exchange for removing your garden cotoneaster.

Plant wildlife friendly alternatives in your garden, shrubs such as holly, wild privet and blackthorn can help reduce the cotoneaster seed source.

Unfortunately, the spread of cotoneaster has been primarily caused by birds transferring the berries to new habitats.

Find out more

Here’s a handy guide to "Gardening without harmful invasive plants" including cotoneaster alternative shrubs (page 30) to keep your garden buzzing.

The GB Non-Native Species Secretariat has created useful "Tips for gardeners to Be Plant Wise" a campaign to help choose what to grow, how to stop the spread of invasive plants and composting with care after removal.

©INNS Mapper

Record your invasive non-native species sightings, surveys and management on INNS Mapper. Sign up via the link or download the app! It's free to use, providing resources to support INNS programmes to coordinate efforts across England, Wales and Scotland.