A visit to Stockgrove Country Park in June and July sees the grassland at the park looking its best. The sandy slopes are tinged red with drifts of sheep sorrel, while a closer examination of the sward will reveal uncommon gems such as spring vetch and birdsfoot. The wetter grassland in the base of the valley supports in own special plants including the unusual adderstongue fern, one of the few ferns that grows in grassland.
A walk around the lake could reveal of two of Bedfordshire’s rarest plants on the edge of Bakers Wood SSSI - the wood vetch with its showy white pea flowers veined with purple, and the less obvious bitter vetchling, another member of the pea family that is notable in that its flowers change from red to blue as they age. The wood vetch is also found in nearby King’s Wood, but Stockgrove is the only remaining location for bitter vetchling in the county.
A walk around the lake could reveal of two of Bedfordshire’s rarest plants on the edge of Bakers Wood SSSI - the wood vetch with its showy white pea flowers veined with purple, and the less obvious bitter vetchling, another member of the pea family that is notable in that its flowers change from red to blue as they age. The wood vetch is also found in nearby King’s Wood, but Stockgrove is the only remaining location for bitter vetchling in the county.
