In 2002 Plantlife asked the nation to vote for a wild
flower emblem for each county in the UK (White Admiral 51: 32). Tens of
thousands cast their votes and the flowers and other plants voted first and
second in each county can be found in an attractively illustrated leaflet
entitled ‘The County Flowers Project’. 
The largest vote was for the bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), which led Plantlife’s National Wild Flower Committee to
choose ‘this vibrant, evocative flower as the emblem for the whole of the UK’, – a wild
flower for the nation. The bluebell has therefore been removed from the list of
county finalists.
The two wild flowers voted first and second for the county of
Suffolk are
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) and
Oxlip (Primula elatior) respectively.
Finalists for neighbouring counties are:
Cambridgeshire – Pasque Flower and Cowslip;
Essex –Bird’s-foot Trefoil
and Common Poppy;
Norfolk – Common Poppy and Alexanders.
Now you have the opportunity to say which of the two Suffolk finalists you would like to be chosen as our County Flower. Will it be the Bee Orchid or the Oxlip?
Both are native in Suffolk and both prefer the chalky Boulder Clay, but which, in your view, better reflects the County’s character?
For me, the Oxlip, once growing in abundance in a large number of our woodland habitats, presents a sight of breathtaking beauty and symbolises the area in which we live. It is a plant that is locally common, especially in ancient coppice woodland such as Bulls Wood and Bradfield Woods.
Others will prefer the more widespread and erratically occurring Bee
Orchid, with its striking flowers reminiscent of the body of a bee; a plant
of rough pastures, embankments, quarries and verges.
Whichever one you choose, be sure to cast your vote. Voting could not be easier. You can vote online at the Plantlife website:
Voting closes on Friday 31st October 2003. Note: Votes can also be cast for other counties where you visit.
Posters: If you know of any venue that would appreciate a stunning County Flowers Poster, or if you know anywhere that would be willing to distribute voting forms, please get, in touch with the Plantlife Office (Tel: 020 7808 0110).
Colin Hawes
© 2003 Suffolk Naturalists' Society