A. Brambles

Brambles may be prickly, but they’re wildlife heroes. Their flowers feed bees and hoverflies, and their berries are a feast for birds and mammals. Mousehold is home to over 25 species - including the rare Iceni Bramble.

You’re now viewing information about a stop on the Mousehold Heath Biodiversity Trail.

Mousehold - brambles

Brambles are at home almost everywhere in Britain. They have an impressive ability to scratch and trip us up. They are fitted with sharp thorns – good for fending off intruders and ratcheting upwards in local thickets – and their rambling stems arch outwards to propagate fresh plantlets at the tip. Their blackberries are a treat in autumn.
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Brambles are important for creating wildlife habitat. They are a shrubby member of the rose family and flower all summer, providing rich nectar resources for insect species such as the Hornet Hoverfly. Their blackberries are ready food for birds as well as mammals, such as fox and badger.
Mousehold brambles 1

There are over 350 bramble species in Britain and just over 100 live in Norfolk. Mousehold Heath is a hotspot, with over 25 species recorded.

[Images courtesy Dr Alex Prendergast]

Mousehold B10
The Iceni Bramble is one of the rarest plants in Britain – there are only 20 known examples. Named after the local Iron Age tribe, it is found almost entirely in Norfolk, particularly dotted around the area of the former Greater Mousehold.
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It has small, white flowers and red stems with pricklets and glands as well as thorns. It has small leaves arranged in groups of three, with dark green upper sides and velvety soft undersides when young.
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There is a patch near Long Valley. The Iceni Bramble thrives on nutrient poor, heathland soils, often with nearby Bracken. It may easily be overlooked because it grows close to the ground, below knee height.
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Other named species recorded on the Heath include the Boudiccan, Powdery, Elm-leaved and Norwich – each with its distinctive characteristics which need an expert botanist to identify. This picture shows Boreau’s Bramble, found in most parts of Norfolk, though named in France.

[Image courtesy Alex Prendergast]
Mousehold - scrub

Ten years ago, this was open ground near Britannia Road. Brambles have now made it their own, but wrens and other birds enjoy the protection provided for nesting. 
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Brambles can certainly spread fast and crowd out other plants. That is why they are controlled in some part of Mousehold Heath where other plants such as Heather are preferred. They soon bounce back, necessitating regular cutting campaigns. Some of the rarest bramble species require careful attention.

All images courtesy the author, unless otherwise indicated.

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