Wild daffodils reign supreme

There’s something distinctly classy about our native daffodils. They are demure in appearance with delicate trumpets in shades of egg-yolk and lemon.

Centuries of inbreeding and selection have created thousands of varieties of garden ‘daffs’, but none can compete with the quiet charm of the true native, which are smaller and more delicate.

Once abundant and hand-picked for markets, wild daffodils have become much rarer in England and Wales since the 19th century due to habitat loss.

Toadspawn comes in long strings of eggs, whereas frogspawn is laid in clumps.

The Trust’s main office in Curdridge is set in the heart of the Hamble’s daffodil country, where woods and meadows are flushed in spring by their dainty heads.

Daffodils have an affinity with quality habitats; side-lit slopes in the woods of the Wealden Hangers and in blackthorn scrubs where New Forest waters reach into ancient farmland.

On the Isle of Wight, native daffodils can be found in hedgerows and copses in the West Wight, while in north Hampshire, skeins of bulbs trace the streams through Pamber Forest.

So, let’s celebrate nature’s joyful herald of spring and take note of these happy, bobbing wildflowers! The challenge is not in finding them but in discerning the natives from their cultivated cousins.

Spot the spawn… frog or toad?

Early spring is a key time for amphibians. As the weather gradually gets warmer and the days lighter, frogs and toads will begin migrating to their breeding ponds to lay eggs.

But how do you distinguish between frog and toad spawn?

The key thing to remember is frogspawn is laid in jelly-like clumps, typically in shallow water.

Toad eggs, meanwhile, come in long chains that look like a string of pearls draped over pond vegetation.

Witnessing these eggs in nature is a fascinating wildlife experience, but avoid the temptation to move or collect spawn. Doing so could inadvertently introduce amphibian diseases to wild populations.

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