Introduction
Summer ends, and the days continue to get shorter, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Many plants are at their visually most spectacular at this time of year. The heather and mountain gorse are vibrant pinks and yellows against the sea cliffs, stained black by the autumn showers. Other plants such as Sea pink and sea holly are undergoing interesting changes as the temperatures cool, and nights lengthen. Coastal plants also have interesting adaptations which allow them to live in such an extreme environment. You can spend a week exploring the various coves, beaches, cliffs, and bays of the Iveragh peninsula without exhausting the floral abundance on display. Let’s look at some of the interesting plants you are likely to see during your time on the peninsula and what they are up to at this time of year.
Coastal flora has evolved to cope with the salty and windy coastal environment, with pouring rain one moment and drought the next. While animals can run and hide from a storm. Plants must stay put and hold on. As the Winter approaches, so too do the dramatic weather which characterises this region. Many coastal plants are in their prime at this time of year, with beautiful flowers on display.
The rocks
The leaves of Sea pink (Rabhán) are thin and crowded as they grow together forming a dense tuft. It is perennial meaning it can live for many years. It can eventually grow into a huge cushion-like plant if given enough time, just have a look at this one I stumbled across.
The colours of its bright pink flowers are now calming to a papery white as autumn arrives. The leaves will stay green all winter though, so you can see them nestled up on the coasts as you explore them. During the winter, these plants will be exposed to some of the most dramatic storms in the whole of Europe; they need to be able to hold on. The Sea pink has a strong reddish root, which it uses to anchor itself down in the cracks of coastal rocks and on sandy soils. Here we can see it exploiting the cracks in between this rock at St. Finian’s Bay.
Samphire (Craobhraic) has thick fleshy leaves that hold in moisture. They also retain salt, which creates a balance and stops water from being pulled out of the leaves by the salty external environment. This saltiness also means that samphire is prized in cooking. It grows up to 30cm and will often be found growing along sea rocks and walls.
While samphire knows autumn is upon us, it is still looking in its prime with its vibrant green stems and swollen leaves. It can even be seen sending up white flowers at this time of year.
There are two types of plantain you will come across on the coasts of the Iveragh. You can tell these apart by the shape of their leaves. The leaves of Buck’s horn plantain (Adharca fia) are toothed, and form rosettes close to the ground. The flowers - which are dying back now - are on stalks which are as long as its leaves. In contrast, the leaves of Sea plantain (Slánlus mara) are smooth (without teeth) on the edge. These are very common, and you will find these a constant companion on your coastal adventures. In case you’re wondering, these plantains are not related to bananas; they’re another plant group which shares the same common name.
The dunes
Found at Derrynane, Waterville and Rossbeigh, Marram Grass (Muiríneach) is a dune builder. You may have from time to time wondered how the towering Irish dunes came to be. Marram grass holds the sand together as more and more sand is deposited by the wind. The dunes grow up to 15 m to form these colossal sea walls which greet the Atlantic. At the end of summer, the tall spikey flowers of marram grass release their seed and die back, having fulfilled their purpose. I especially like when the wind blows across the dunes at this time of year. The marram grass - which is so easily swayed by the wind – exposed the air currents allowing you to observe the mood of the wind.
Marram grass swaying in the breeze at Rossbeigh sand dunes
Sand dunes are a very important habitat for the chough also, a rare bird which has a crimson bill and feet. Lots of work has been done on this amazing bird on the Iveragh peninsula which you can read about here.
You won’t mistake Sea-holly (Cuileann trá) for anything else. It’s blue-green tinge and thick spikey leaves stand out against the sand. Take a moment to rest your eyes on the cool blue flowers and turquoise leaves in their last days of summer.
It grows up to about knee height and you might be poked by it as you meander along the dune paths at Rossbeigh. Its seed is being dropped now and will germinate next spring. Sea Spurge (Bainne léana) seed is also ripening and falling right now, leaving behind yellow casings on the sand.
The cliffs
High above the sea on the cliff tops, you will encounter different plant species. Heather (Frach mór) blankets the cliffs across the peninsula.
Their flowers are in their prime at the end of summer, providing nourishing energy-rich nectar to insects. Their colour adds a fantastic border to any photograph of birds or cetaceans you may snap along the sea cliffs but be careful and mind where you are going!
You may also encounter the Western gorse (Aiteann gaelach) on your cliff top walks.
This gorse species generally flowers much later than our other native Gorse (Aiteann gallda). It does not have the coconut smelling flowers which the larger gorse does, but the yellow aura which the gorse produces at this time of year provides warmth nonetheless.
While taking a break during a walk at the top of Bray Head cliffs, I noticed that the lawn I was sitting on was not just grass but was in fact a whole collection of plant species – all kept short by the constant nibbling and trampling by sheep and people (respectively, hopefully). While having a cup of tea and a biscuit, I started to count the different leaf shapes and observed Sea pink, Buck’s horn plantain, Heather, Daisy and Clover. On warm autumn days like this, it’s easy to drift into a plant hunting reverie. On this occasion, I was brought back to reality by the sudden cheer caused by someone spotting a dolphin and calf surfacing in the water below the cliff. Autumn on Iveragh has so much to offer. For more inspiration, visit https://www.ecomuseumlive.eu/discover and have a look at the ‘Autumn on Iveragh’ storymap.’
All the photographs in this article were taken by Calum Sweeney on the Iveragh peninsula, go out and see what you can see. But be careful, especially if it’s raining.
Calum Sweeney is very interested in the seasonal changes that plants go through every year. The timing of when these changes occur - such as leaf fall and bud burst - is known as phenology and is used as an indicator of climate change. He is collaborating with Valentia Meteorological observatory on an important phenological project looking at the timing of Spring on the Iveragh.
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