Pests and Pathogens
There is quite an extensive list of 'weed' plant species recorded in the formal gardens:
Aegopodium podagraria
Alopecurus myosuroides
Anagallis arvensis
Capsella bursa pastoris
(Chenopodium album
Chenopodium polyspermum
Cirsium arvense
Cirsium vulgare
Conium maculatum
Coronopus didymus
Coronopus squamatus
Epilobium hirsutum
Epilobium tetragonum
Euphorbia helioscopa
Euphorb ia peplus
Fumaria officinalis
Galium aparine
Lamium amplexicaule
Lamium purpureum
Lapsana communis
Myosotis arvensis
Papaver rhoeas
Papaver somnifereum
Picris echioides
Plantago major
Poa annua
Polygonum aviculare
Poygonum Persicaria
Ranunculus repens
Rumex crispus
Sagina procumbens
Sambucus nigra
Senecio jacobaea
Senecio vulgaris
Sonchus oleraceus
Stellaria media
Thlaspi arvense
Urtica dioica
Urtica urens
Veronica arvensis
Veronica chamaedrys
Veronica persica
Within the park rabbits arc controlled - the numbers being kept down to acceptable levels. At one
time I suspect (from anecdotal evidence and from the amount of rabbit-proof fencing) it was a
serious pest. Myxamatosis is probably present in the park; a rabbit with the symptoms of the disease
was seen near the main gate.
Moles are abundant in the park and the mole-hills are harrowed-out in the spring, before grass
cutting in the wider park can commence. Moles are rarely controlled in the formal gardens area.
Grey Squirrels arc common in the park, noticeably in the formal gardens, where they raid the
rubbish bins; there have been squirrel culls in the distant past. Brown Rat is w idespread, but not
common in the park. Foxes are probably not uncommon. Fallow Deer and Muntjac, the former at
Hylands in some numbers at night, although regarded as a 'menace' elsewhere in Essex, do not
seem to cause extensive problems, although both species are recorded in the formal gardens and do
eat cultivated plants (including bedding plants). Deer (it is not known which species) eat the flowering
spikes of Twayblade orchids in South Wood and may affect the long-term regeneration capabilities
of this and other species. Deer may possibly raid the litter bins in Writtle Car Park (at night), along
with Crow, Magpie and Grey Squirrel.
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Essex Parks: Section 2 - Hylands Park