Churches and Castles provide Essential Habitat

Plantlife, Britain’s only national membership charity dedicated exclusively to conserving all forms of plant life in their natural habitat, is calling for owners of ancient buildings in Kent to look after the plants which may thrive on their external walls. Ancient buildings and churchyards are particularly important places for finding lichens – plant-like forms comprising two organisms, an alga and a fungus, rolled into one. While the alga supplies essential foodstuffs, the fungal partner provides anchorage.

Plantlife is so concerned about one such rare lichen, the Churchyard Lecanactis (Lecanactis hemisphaerica), that it is currently advising those responsible for managing churches and castles on the best ways to look after these unusual plant communities.

Found along the southern and south-eastern coast, growing on walls where there is no direct sunlight and little rain, the Churchyard Lecanactis survives in dry shady places such as window tracery, weathered stone window frames, recessed mouldings and rendered walls. It is extremely slow to grow and therefore likes to be left alone.

Dr Jenny Duckworth, Plantlife’s Biodiversity Research Manager says “These ancient and historical buildings really take on a whole new dimension once you realise that they are extremely important wildlife habitats.”

For more information, or to get a copy of the management leaflet ‘Churchyard Lecanactis: Old walls Can Harbour Secrets’ contact Plantlife on 020 7808 0100, e-mail enquiries@plantlife.org.uk or write to 21 Elizabeth Street London SW1W 9RP.