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Woodland & Heavy Shade 80/20 Wildflower Mix
Price range: £19.50 through £2,110.80 inc VAT
9 native grasses and 24 wildflowers for shaded bare ground. 80% grasses, 20% wildflowers by weight. Flowers April to October. Sow at 5 g/m².
UK delivery £5.95 per order
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About this product
Shaded ground is often where a sward struggles most. Ordinary meadow grasses thin out under trees, leaving bare patches that fill with nettles, brambles or moss. The Woodland & Heavy Shade 80/20 mix establishes a complete, shade-tolerant sward from bare ground: 9 native grasses that cope with low light, and 24 native wildflowers chosen because they tolerate dense or prolonged shade and grow naturally in woodland and woodland-edge habitats.
The mix is 80% grasses to 20% wildflowers by weight, which is what a natural woodland-edge sward looks like. It suits woodland rides and glades, shaded field corners, the north side of buildings and hedges, and new planting schemes where trees will close over in time. Heights range from 10 cm to around 2 m, with flowers from April to October.
Sow at 5 g per square metre, ideally from mid-August to late October, onto prepared bare soil. Don’t add compost or fertiliser. In the first year, cut back to 50 to 60 mm whenever growth reaches 100 to 150 mm, and remove the cuttings. From year two, a single late-summer cut with the cuttings taken away keeps the sward open and lets the wildflowers seed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Woodland & Heavy Shade 80/20 mix for?
It establishes a complete grass-and-wildflower sward on shaded bare ground, such as woodland rides, glades, shaded field corners and the north side of buildings and hedges. It contains 9 native grasses and 24 native wildflowers, all tolerant of shade.
How much seed do I need?
Sow at 5 g per square metre. A 50 g pack covers about 10 m², and larger packs cover 300 m² and more. Add up to 30% on slopes and exposed ground.
When should I sow a shade wildflower mix?
Mid-August to late October is best, when the soil is warm and moist and before leaf fall smothers the surface. Late March to May also works. Rake away leaf litter before sowing so the seed reaches bare soil.
How should I manage a shaded wildflower area?
In year one, cut back to 50 to 60 mm whenever growth reaches 100 to 150 mm and remove the cuttings. From year two, cut once in late summer after flowering and take the cuttings away. Never add fertiliser.
Agrimony, Common, (Agrimonia eupatoria), Angelica, Wild, (Angelica sylvestris), Avens, Wood, (Geum urbanum), Bedstraw, Hedge, (Galium mollugo), Bellflower, Nettle-leaved, (Campanula trachelium), Betony, (Stachys officinalis), Bluebell, (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Buttercup, Meadow, (Ranunculus acris), Campion, Red, (Silene dioica), Clary, Wild, (Salvia verbenaca), Columbine, (Aquilegia vulgaris), Foxglove, Wild, (Digitalis purpurea), Hedge Parsley, Upright, (Torilis japonica), Meadowsweet, (Filipendula ulmaria), Mustard, Garlic, (Alliaria petiolata), Ragged Robin, (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Sage, Wood, (Teucrium scorodonia), St John’s-wort, Hairy, (Hypericum hirsutum), Teasel, (Dipsacus fullonum), Vetch, Bush, (Vicia sepium), Vetch, Tufted, (Vicia cracca), Wild Garlic / Ramsons, (Allium ursinum), Woundwort, Hedge, (Stachys sylvatica), Yarrow, (Achillea millefolium), Hard fescue, Slender Creeping red fescue, Timothy, Chewing’s fescue, Grass, Strong Creeping red fescue, Grass, Smooth-stalked meadow grass, Grass, Sheeps fescue, Grass, Tall oatgrass, Grass, Meadow foxtail
Ground Preparation
Sowing
Aftercare: Year 1 & Once Established
Flower Colours: Varied
Plant Height: up to 2 metres
Flowering Season: April to October
Setting: Woodland and other sites with dense shade