The wildflowers of the Ox Mountain region

I was fortunate in recent times to be asked to provide images for a 2026 calendar. The calendar is being published by the Mill Community Cafe in south Sligo and features as its theme, 'Wildflowers of the Ox Mountains'.

It was a labour of love. I was taking photographs in the mountains but I was also gaining an education. I discovered many beautiful flowers that I was previously unaware of and this week I hope to share some of my new-found information with readers.

Sight and smell 

Wildflowers are important because they support biodiversity, particularly pollinators like bees, and by providing essential food and habitats. They also help improve soil health by reducing erosion and enhancing water retention. Additionally, wildflowers contribute to the natural beauty of our region and add to our cultural heritage.

National Geographic writer Christina Nunez (2021) gives us more of a world view with a piece she wrote about wildflowers on America’s Great Plains. She suggests that, now more than ever, many of us are more conscious of how our well-being is connected to the natural world. She points out that we are all seeking a greater connection with nature and encourages people to escape to the outdoors where we are, “revived by the sights and soothed by the smell of flowers and trees".

Consider the Northern Great Plains, an expanse of about 180 million acres covering parts of five US states and two Canadian provinces. It's a deceptively complex region: vast prairies that look quiet and almost monochromatic from afar support nearly 1,600 species of plants, which in turn provide a habitat for birds, mammals, and insects. Blooming wildflowers provide a burst of color, attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies, which are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat.

Wildflowers of Ireland 

Information from Wildflowers of Ireland tells us that, here in Ireland, we have over 800 flowering plants. Our mild climate and varied soil types are the major influences on this variety of plants. Our flora, while mostly shared with Great Britain, contains 15 plants which are not found there.

Conservation of our wildflowers is of the utmost importance as they are now facing threats on several different sides. One is the changing uses of land for building purposes or different agricultural practices and there is the increase in invasive species, particularly aquatic plants, which crowd out our native species. Also, it is estimated that climate change will affect 15% of our Irish flora, the most vulnerable being alpine plants.

But back to the Cloonacool calendar and its depiction of 12 local Ox Mountain wildflowers. The following is an account of four of our most unusual and attractive blooms. The information provided is drawn from two sources, Wildflowers of Ireland and Irish Wildflowers.

The Ox Mountain Four 

Goldilocks Buttercup. Irish: Gruaig Mhuire. Translation: Mary’s hair. Can be locally frequent in deciduous woodlands on limestone and other basic soils. Widespread but most records are from the north of Ireland.

I photographed this flower because it was growing in an attractive setting and without knowing its identity. Goldilocks Buttercup, not to be confused with the regular buttercup, is an unusual plant in that it often displays deformed flowers with some of the golden-yellow petals missing. It flowers from April to June and dies off by late summer. This is a plant that likes damp woodland, hedges, and secluded laneways. It belongs to the wider Buttercup family and, in common with other members of that clan, it is poisonous.

Ragged Robin. Irish: Plúr na chuaiche. Translation: Flour of the cuckoo. Abundant on damp ground in bog fields, meadows and open damp woodland throughout Ireland.

I love this flower, not so much as a single flower but because of the way that a whole grove of them can spread colour over a mountain meadow. This is a delicate reddish pink flower of the marshes and damp meadows with deeply cleft, feathery petals. It flowers from late May to early August. This perennial scentless plant must be one of the prettiest to be found along our mountain. Its five petals form ragged blossoms designed by nature to withstand the wind.

Ragged Robin is much loved by butterflies among them the Common Blue. The plant is also suited to the long-tongued bee, who feeds on the nectar produced by the plant. Sadly, Ragged Robin is no longer as common as it once was.

Harebell. Irish: Méarachán gorm. Translation: Blue thimble. Most frequent in west and north-west Ireland on dry grassland, heaths and dunes. Also grows in rock seams in mountainous areas.

This delicate, powder blue flower is a delight, appearing as it does on dry ditches in late summer. It demands so little yet provides so much. From July to October, it is such a delight to discover Harebells as their bell-shaped flowers nod and dangle from thin, curving stems. This plant is found in limestone mountain areas, dry grassland, and roadside ditches.

Grass of Parnassus. Irish: Fionnán bán. Translation: White bloom/blossom. Mainly found in western and central Ireland in base-rich flushes, damp grassland, fens and marshes.

Two things about this little flower; being close to the ground, it is difficult to photograph and the other thing is its intriguing name. This little-known plant has very distinctive features. It seems the 18th century Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, found this wildflower to be so beautiful that he gave it the name of Mount Parnassus in Greece. Bees and pollinating insects are attracted to the plant by a mild honey-like scent. This flower blooms from June to October and the plant is mostly found in moist grassy places and mountains roadside verges.

Awareness 

Estimates are that as many as 120 species of wildflowers are under threat in Ireland, six are on the verge of extinction. Through education and awareness of the diversity of our wildflowers, maybe, just maybe, the tide can be held back a little longer. A small mountain field left to its own devices blooms again very quickly and a section of lawn or garden turned into a tiny wildflower meadow provides pleasure for man and insect alike.

If, each month during 2026, you want to enjoy examples of our Ox Mountain wildflowers heritage, get a copy of the Mill Community Café calendar (€10 per copy). You can do this by calling to the café in Cloonacool, 11am to 2pm, Friday to Sunday, or by emailing this column.