Burren Botany

350,000,000 years ago this geographical area on the West coast of Ireland was a tropical sea located where Brazil is now. The limestone rocks in The Burren Unesco Global Geopark are made up of the bones of millions of ancient sea creatures.

Deforestation, glacial erosion and farming practices stripped the Burren of most of the soil exposing the limestone visible today. Rainwater is slightly acidic and over time dissolves the stone creating underground drainage channels and small pockets of acid soil next to areas of alkaline calcareous grassland.

Plants from all over the planet flourish side by side on the warm limestone hills.

The Burren is a special place for Botany, rare and unusual plants and wild orchids draw botanists from around the world, for example:

· Mediterranean plants – the exotic orchids enjoy the warmth of the heat absorbing limestone.

· Arctic and Alpine plants – the surprisingly stunning Spring Gentian and the hardy Mountain Avens are relics of the Ice age and glacial movement


· Subtropical plants – the delicate Maidenhair fern is a throwback to The Burren's tropical past