Rare Starved Wood-Sedge Rescued from Somerset Footpath

Conservationists have acted swiftly to save the starved wood-sedge, one of the UK’s rarest native plants, after it unexpectedly began growing on a public footpath in Somerset. This delicate grass-like species, naturally found in only two native UK sites, including Axbridge, had been surviving precariously along a woodland path edge.

The Species Recovery Trust, which has cared for the starved wood-sedge for over 20 years to prevent its extinction, discovered that the plants had moved off their carefully maintained bankside habitat and onto the footpath itself. Dominic Price, the Trust’s director, explained, “In recent years, the plants have rather catastrophically shifted onto a public path, putting them in great danger from foot traffic.”

In response, the Trust carefully relocated the plants into a specialist nursery where they can be propagated and nurtured. By splitting and growing clumps into mature plants, they aim to bolster the population before reintroducing them to safer, protected areas within the Mendip Hills National Landscape.

Typically thriving in wetland environments such as bogs, fens, swamps, and damp woodland edges, the starved wood-sedge plays a vital ecological role. Though its small, inconspicuous flowers feature both male and female blooms on the same plant, they attract a range of insect pollinators. Additionally, the sedge supports numerous insects, amphibians, and birds, while contributing to water regulation and nutrient cycling in its habitat.

The plant’s decline is attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, with populations now limited to Somerset, Surrey, and a few reintroduction sites. The Mendip Hills National Landscape team, whose funding supports this rescue effort, emphasizes the importance of preserving such species. As Jim Hardcastle, the team manager, notes, “This modest grass may be overlooked, but it remains a crucial part of the ecosystem and deserves our protection.”

The Species Recovery Trust is committed to pulling 50 UK species back from the brink of extinction by 2050, working with a range of threatened plants and animals, including the New Forest cicada, green tiger beetle, field gentians, Welsh groundsel, and marsh clubmoss.