Watergrasshill (Cnocán na Biolraí) literally means ‘Watercress Hill’ although you’ll not find any of this plant in the woods. But the damp edges of the track here has allowed for a nice range of damp-loving species to colonise including Soft rush, Wild Angelica, Lousewort, Creeping buttercup and the thread-like stems and star-shaped flowers of Bog Stitchwort.
These grow alongside a range of grasses including Yorkshire fog, Crested dogs-tail and Sweet vernal grass.
Other wildflowers that you can search for include the beautiful pink-flowered Herb Robert, Daisy and Thyme-leaved Speedwell.
The most common moss in this grassland patch is Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (Springy-turf moss). This moss has a distinctive appearance as the shoot tips look like stars as a result of the leaves being bent back away from the shoot at near right angles.
The Comma butterfly which was first reported in Wexford in 2000 and which has spread north and west across the country in subsequent years had been previously recorded in this area of the trail.
