De tuin
Field flora
Ackerbegleitflora
Field flora
Field flora is the name for native herbaceous plant species that are characteristic in and along fields. These plants have a strong preference for the dynamic arable environment. They often have striking and colorful flowers. Grain fields and root crop fields in particular were rich in these field herbs.
In the days of traditional agricultural culture, the fields colored from red to blue to yellow due to a great wealth of plant species that could grow between the crops. One should not only think of poppies, cornflowers and chamomile, but many other special plants were found in these fields, and they therefore had a high biodiversity. And not only in terms of special plants, but also insects such as the wart-biter (a rare locust), wild bees, ground beetles and birds such as the corn bunting, quail, skylark, and Montagu’s harrier and of course the hamster had their habitat here.
History
Most field herbs originate from the steppes of Southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, where agriculture began about 10,000 years ago. Many field herbs have spread from there over time through all kinds of agricultural activities, uncleaned seed grain, trade, and troop transports.
Threats
After agriculture was the subsistence of these field herbs for centuries, changes occurred from the beginning of the 20th century to which many species could not withstand. High-tech agriculture, seed cleaning, scale enlargement, the use of artificial fertilizers and herbicides have led to a very sharp decline in Dutch farmland flora. Many species of field herbs are seriously endangered or even extinct. Rye brome and common corncockle, for example, only survive thanks to untrimmed seed grain.
Of the nearly 200 typical field herbs, 86 have been identified as species of interest, 55 are on the Red List and 27 have become extremely rare, such as rye lily, looking glass, lamb’s succory, downy hemp-nettle and wild larkspur.
Field reserves
Now most native, classic field herbs can only be seen in the wild in field reserves. These fields maintain the characteristic field flora. The oldest arable reserves are in the chalk area of the province of South Limburg. Since then, many reserves have been added, especially in the sandy areas in the north and east of the country.
The Hortus Field
Here is a small wheat field that forms a colorful spectacle with winter rye, poppies, cornflowers, common corncockle, chamomile, and wild larkspur. It gives a glimpse of how rich and biodiverse these fields used to be.