Dune flora

It's well worth venturing onto the dunes at present to witness the stunning diversity of flowering plants and associated invertebrate fauna. Below is a small selection of dune plants flowering at present :

Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa)
A locally frequent alien at Kenfig Rivermouth - rather invasive hence
not particularly desirable, but gives off a powerful fragrance.

Sand Cat's-tail (Phleum arenarium), Sticky Stork's-bill (Erodium 

lebelii) and Kidney Vetch (Anthyllus vulneraria) at Baglan

Basil Thyme (Clinopodium acinos) Nicholaston

Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium) at Nicholaston

Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum) at Nicholaston

Beaked Hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) at Baglan Burrows

Sea Stock at Kenfig rivermouth

Kenfig Rivermouth 21st May 2012

The embryo dunes around the Kenfig Rivermouth currently support a strong population of Sea Stock (Matthiola sinuata), with over 300 plants counted recently. Outside of Glamorgan the species is known only from North Devon, so it's good to report that it is doing well at a number of our sites. Plants are now starting to come into flower (below right) and can be found just behind the strand-line on most West Glamorgan beaches.

The yellow-flowered sub-species of Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor subsp. curtisii) also occurs here along with a wide range of other fore dune species.