2024 County Report for County Durham

Keith Robson

25,766 records were added to the database in 2024, 13,642 relating to this year with the majority of the remainder being older records from other sources such as iRecord & iNaturalist.

During the year, six species new for the county were found and no less than 55 new hectad records. Notable records included:- Lonicera xylosteum (Fly Honeysuckle) ; Yucca gloriosa (Spanish-dagger) and a huge Viola × contempta (Field × Wild Pansy hybrid) hybrid swarm.

A number of formerly rare species are now on the increase and marching north, particularly - Polypogon viridis (Water Bent) ; Orobanche hederae (Ivy Broomrape) ; Helminthotheca echioides (Bristly Oxtongue) and Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Ragwort).

The Durham Botany Group had a very busy year running no less than 54 events including a number of urban botany walks and courses and outings for beginners. Indoor training was held in both the east and west of the county on vegetative identification and winter trees. Most of these are documented on the  Facebook group Durham Wildlife Trust Botany Group.

Two small projects carried out this year were survey monads with zero, or 1 or 2 only records and checking historical sites for rare plants that had not been for a very long time, often it was suspected for the first time since the original find,  Not surprisingly, change of habitat etc prohibited many from being re-found, but a few were, and it's always exciting when one is seen again after all these years.

Epipactis phyllanthes (Green-flowered Helleborine)

After the discovery of the species just over vice-county border in 2022, a sizable population was found on private land in 2024, about 12 mile away and only 100 metres within the VC.

It is thought that these are var.   pendula, whereas those over the border are nearer to var. vectensis, suggesting that the two populations have quite different origins.

Arctium tomentosum (Woolly Burdock)

Several plants along a farmland track near Tunstall reservoir

Hieracium scotostictum (Dappled Hawkweed)

A pavement weed near in Durham City

Eryngium giganteum (Tall Eryngo)

A Sea-Holly found by the sand dunes at South Shields turned out to be this garden escapee and not our native species. It’s well established with dozens of small plants as well as three fully grown specimens.