There’s few plants as recognisable and iconic as the foxglove, crowning fields and woodlands with their purple-pink flowers. Bold and tube-shaped, they can grow up to 2m tall and tower over stone walls and other plants. You won’t miss the spectacle of this flower on Scilly between June and September. They provide an important source of pollen for bees - those dark spots tucked inside the petals are specially adapted to attract species such as the common carder bee. In the past, the leaves of the foxglove have been used to create black dye. A wreath of folklore surrounds this plant, such as the belief that fairies hide inside foxgloves, which stems from the way bees crawl inside the flowers to gather pollen and make it shake like a tiny bell.
Though not as vibrant, rock sea-spurrey is also a common sight in the summer months on Scilly, sprawling along the coastal paths in bursts of pink. These small flowers love salt and thrive on our blustery coastlines. Take a walk around the edge of St Mary’s to spot rock sea spurrey blooming.
Whilst you are exploring the coastal paths, you may spot shags diving offshore in search of food or drying their wings on the rocks, guarding the islands in a timeless display. Summer means many regionally important migrating seabirds visit Scilly to breed and fish. To see species such as Manx shearwaters, storm petrels, razorbills and puffins, it’s necessary to take a scheduled boat trip out to the Norrad Rocks, Annet or the Western Rocks, but by August many seabirds are dispersing.
Bird's-foot trefoil is an attractive sight in summer, growing in stunning displays of golden carpets across the islands. The individual flowers are small and look like tiny slippers with their seed pods appearing like claws or bird feet. This plant also has the common names of ‘eggs and bacon’ (no one knows exactly why!) and, perhaps even worse, ‘granny’s toenails,’ a nod towards the way the seed-pods curl. Bird's-foot trefoil is an important food-source for many caterpillar species.
When summer is at its peak between June and August, the eye-catching emperor dragonfly might be seen zipping across bodies of water in areas such as Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool. Although rarely seen away from water, their bright blue colours are hard to miss even when fluttering from place to place. Other dragonfly species such as the large southern hawker, blue-tailed damselfly, and the common darter may also be seen during summer near water and woody areas, fluttering about as they hunt for insects.
