7
The Discovery of Field Garlic on Benfleet Downs
Field Garlic (Allium oleraceum) is a nationally scarce plant recorded on only very few
occasions in Essex. Apart from 2 old records from Black Notley (recorded by John Ray)
and Osea Island (1888), previous records have all been from the calcareous north-west of
the county. For instance, there exists a small colony of the plant on a south-facing bank
beside a lane at Wendens Ambo (TL53) where it was recorded in 1982.
On 5th August 1996, Steven Massey found a large colony of Field Garlic on Benfleet
Downs. Although realising its difference from Crow Garlic (Allium vineale), he was
unable to put a certain name to it. I identified his specimen as that of Field Garlic which
was confirmed by Tim Pyner. The next day I visited the site, which is at the South
Benfleet end of Hadleigh Castle Country Park. I found a substantial colony comprising
well over a hundred plants in full flower. Despite being a tall plant, it is easily missed
owing to its dull purplish-brown flowers which seem to blend in with the brown hue of
the surrounding vegetation.
The colony is growing on a dry, south-facing slope quite close to the only Essex and,
indeed, British colonies of Hartwort (Tordylium maximum). This dry slope is part of a
large open area surrounded by hawthorn and blackthorn scrub which until a few years ago
was kept mown short and used as a recreational area popular with picnickers. A change
in its management has reduced the mown areas, the rest being treated like a hay meadow.
In fact, the whole area is quite florally rich with lots of Narrow-leaved Birds-foot Trefoil
(Lotus tenuis), Hardhead (Centaurea nigra), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), vetches and a
small colony of Spiny Rest-harrow (Ononis spinosa). Plants associated with the Field
Garlic include Cat's tail (Phleum pratense) ssp. bertolonii), Oat-grass (Arrhenathrum
elatius), Meadow Barley (Hordeum secalinum), Cock's foot (Dactylis glomerata),
Hardhead (C. nigra), Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), and Creeping Cinquefoil
(Potentilla reptans).
Almost certainly, the reason why this substantial colony of Field Garlic has been
overlooked until now, is that it has not been allowed to flower until recently. It has
probably been reproducing vegetatively for many years. Though distant from its other
Essex stations, it is quite close to colonies in Kent and is most probably native. In
Britain, the plant occurs mainly on south-facing, dry grassy sites subject to summer
drought (Stewart, Pearman, and Preston,), though usually on oolitic or carboniferous
limestone. As well as this type of habitat it has been found, perhaps more frequently,
along river banks and on banks in floodplain meadows or on sandy banks in the middle
reaches of river systems.
Field Garlic is an exciting addition to the flora of the ridge of London Clay which
includes the Belton Hills at Leigh and Hadleigh Downs. Exposed parts of this naturally
dry escarpment may well be somewhat calcareous. The calcicole Hairy Violet, (Viola
hirta), occurs here locally. Several other scarce plants also occur along this ridge, most
notably, Hartwort, but also, Hairy Vetching (Lathyrus hirsuta), Bithynian Vetch (Vicia
bithynica), Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria), and Small-flowered Buttercup
(Ranunculus parviflorus).
REFERENCES:
Stewart, A., Pearman, D.A. and Preston, CD. (1994) Scarce Plants in Britain JNCC.
Roger Payne.