'It's been on my wish list for a few years': Rare discovery on banks of West Midlands river

Greater Dodder, a rare parasitic plant, has been recorded on the banks of the River Avon in Warwickshire: the first county record for 64 years.

Because it lacks chlorophyll and can’t photosynthesise, Greater Dodder has to get all its water, nutrients and carbon from a host plant, usually nettle.

The find was made this summer by April Webb, one of two Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland vice-county recorders for Warwickshire, near Bidford Upon Avon.

April said “Greater Dodder has been on my botanical wish list for a few years, since I noticed that it had been historically recorded in the village I live in (one mile over the border into Worcestershire). I was instantly intrigued by this rootless, twining parasitic plant which is so rarely recorded.

“No luck so far finding it in my village but in July I was going for my daily botany and dog training walk with Fennel, my young assistance dog in training.

“I was recording the plants in the River Avon and along the banks, and Fennel is learning to support me in my daily life, which includes while I'm out in the field carrying out plant surveys.

“The area of river where we were walking has generally steep banks but a few areas which allow close inspection of the water’s edge thanks to fishing pontoons and natural slipways.

“Fennel is just getting used to working with me next to water, and had ventured down to the next region we were to botanise, waiting patiently next to a large swathe of nettles. As I joined Fennel, I noticed an unusual stringy growth covering many of the nettle stems. Closer inspection revealed that I had found a dodder. Fennel was none the wiser to the discovery but handled a very excited water-side botanist with ease.

“Taking numerous photos and a small sample it was with bated breath that I checked the sample against my reference books and also consulted other national Vice-County Recorders, before truly celebrating the unexpected find!”

There are only eight previous records of Greater Dodder in Warwickshire; the first one dates from 1835 and, prior to April’s find, the most recent record was from the Coventry area in 1962: nothing in the 64 years since then.

April and Anna Dudley, the other vice-county recorder for Warwickshire, are currently updating the rare plant register for their area and until April’s find they were all set to label Greater Dodder as ‘potentially extinct from Warwickshire’.

Since the discovery of that first plant, they have carried on searching along the same stretch of river and now have ten individual colony records which they have mapped and will continue to monitor over time.