Plantwatch: Cities make a surprising refuge for threatened UK wildflowers

Nooks and crannies in urban areas provide a welcome alternative to intensive farming and other rural pressures

Wildflowers are having a rough time in the countryside, mostly from the onslaught of intensive farming with fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and less grazing. On top of that, there are building developments, competition from invasive plant species and the climate crisis to contend with.

The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century and over half of the country’s native flowers have been in decline for 70 years.