Teesdale is a botanist’s paradise, but one plant stands out – the spring gentian. You can see gentians in flower from many public footpaths in Upper Teesdale. Please stick to the path to protect these and other rare plants.

The spring gentian is rare in the British Isles, found only in western Ireland and in Upper Teesdale.

Spring gentians are best seen on warm, bright days, from April to early June. A sun-worshipper, this little flower closes as the weather becomes dull, leaving nothing to see but small, dark-blue spikes. However the flowers quickly open again when the sun emerges from behind the clouds.

One of the easiest places to see the flowers is along Natural England’s Moor-House Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve’s Nature Trail along the access road at Cow Green Reservoir. The area is safe from rabbits and sheep in a fenced-off enclosure and relatively easy to access.