Should I buy wildflower seed?

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan does not recommend that you sow wildflower seed.

Instead we recommend that you reduce your mowing.
This is for a few reasons:

  • You will achieve a higher biodiversity value by reducing your mowing.
  • You will often be surprised at what is waiting to flower when given the right conditions.
  • Sowing wildflower seed is often very expensive, especially in large areas and there is no guarantee that the wildflower seed will flower due to local conditions.
  • Most wildflower seed is imported and not native.

We have various blogs relating to why we do not recommend sowing wildflower seed:

Why I don’t plant wildflower seed – Dr. Úna FitzPatrick

Spreading seeds of doubt – fake ‘wildflower’ mixes – Dr. Noeleen Smyth

Why ‘wildflower seed’ is a prickly issue – Prof. Yvonne Buckley

Don’t mow, let it grow – and amazing things will happen! – Dr. Úna FitzPatrick

Why we don’t recommend wildflower seed mixes

To find out more, see our videos on creating natural meadows through reduced mowing:

Creating meadows for biodiversity

Top tips for creating a wildflower meadow

  • Contact Us
  • +353 51 306 240
  • National Biodiversity Data Centre
    Beechfield House,
    Waterford Institute of Technology West Campus,
    Carriganore,
    Co. Waterford,
    Ireland.
    X91 PE03

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The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Register Number: 730718.

 

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