Talk to any French farmer and they will most likely tell you that the poppies you see throughout France during late spring are an invasive weed. Although it may appear that French farmers are growing this poppy in their fields as a crop, they are not. The only species of Poppy to be grown as a crop on a large scale would be the Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) used in making morphine, codeine and illegal drugs, but it’s illegal to cultivate in most developed countries.
Username: KisuKotha Published on 2024-11-25 05:31:33 ID NUMBER: 125688
The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. According to the Encyclopaedia of Earth, there are around 550 species of plants living in the Atacama Desert with over 60% being endemic.
Early in 2015, the Atacama Desert received a significant amount of rain, seven years worth of rain fell in twelve hours. Sadly as a result of the storm, people were killed, and thousands were left homeless.
The unusual amount of rain caused death and destruction, but it also gave life. Spring 2015 saw the usually dry and desolate looking landscape transform into a bright and vibrant landscape of pinks and purples.
The Pink Cistanthe grandiflora and hundreds of other flowering species emerged in a rare display called “Desierto Florido” or ” Flowering Desert”.
By the end of 2015, the desierto florido was over, and the landscape returned to its usual state.
The Californian Poppy is native to the US and Mexico and is the official state flower of California. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a 1745 acre reserve that turns into a sea of orange during peak flowering season.
The dominant flower, of course, is the Californian Poppy but also you can see flowers such as the Purple Lupine, Goldfields, Owl Clover, redstem filaree and much more
California state parks exclude grazing from livestock, and it does not water or stimulate the flowers in any way, the Reserve remains in its natural state. Every single flower in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is protected, picking them is prohibited.
Namaqualand is part of the Succulent Karoo and is an arid region of South Africa and Namibia. An estimated 3500 plant species that live in this dry place with around 1000 being endemic to the Namaqualand. The early Spring brings the South African daisy season, a very short period that transforms this arid land into an incredible rainbow of colours. Namaqua National Park resides inside Namaqualand and is one of the best places to see the spectacular spring flower displays and also conserves some of the world’s richest succulent.
Less than an hour’s drive, Northwest of London you will find the Ashridge Estate, which is now owned by the UK National Trust. The Ashridge Estate is a 5000-acre property and is one of the best places in the world to see living carpets of the Common Bluebell. According to the National Trust property manager, Graeme Cannon, the UK has between 25 to 50 percent of the world’s population of Bluebells. The first shoots of the Bluebells appear in January, and the flowers bloom for a very short period from April to May. Unfortunately, the Native Bluebell is now being threatened by not only people but also the Spanish Bluebell, which produces little to no scent compared to the Common Bluebell.
A common sight in some parts of Texas are the Indian Paintbrushes and Texas Bluebonnets. The Texas Bluebonnet is a biennial plant endemic to Texas and is also the chosen State flower (includes five species of the Lupinus). Only a small portion of Texas has the prime soil and climate for the Bluebonnets so the best place to start would be Ennis, Texas, the official Bluebonnet city of Texas and the best time of year is between Mid-March and Mid-April. Apart from their great looks, the Bluebonnets are natural fertilisers by improving levels of nitrogen in the soil which is needed for most crops and grass for livestock.
The Indian Paintbrush is also known as the Texas Paintbrush and a few other paintbrush names, they are a red to orange colour and Bloom time is from March to May. The flowers of the Indian Paintbrush were often consumed by the Native American’s as a side dish with fresh greens as well as many other uses such as a treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, immune system enhancer and treatment for rheumatism. However, they can be potentially toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed.
Talk to any French farmer and they will most likely tell you that the poppies you see throughout France during late spring are an invasive weed. Although it may appear that French farmers are growing this poppy in their fields as a crop, they are not. The only species of Poppy to be grown as a crop on a large scale would be the Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) used in making morphine, codeine and illegal drugs, but it’s illegal to cultivate in most developed countries.
Castelluccio di Norcia is a beautiful little town, well known for its lentil’s and situated in the Mount Sibillini National Park. Between late May and early July (depending on weather), you will find the plateau near Mount Vettore transform into a rainbow bursting with colours.
The flowers are a mixture of lentils but also you may see narcissuses, buttercups, violets, poppies, Eugenia’s violet’s, oxalis, clovers and much more. Each year the plain’s erupt in entirely different colours, you cannot predict which flowers will be the dominant colour or species.
Switzerland has over 60,000 kilometres of well maintained and historic walking tracks span the Swiss Alps with tracks suiting all hikers. From Mid-June to Mid-August the lush valleys and mountain fields explode into a myriad of wildflower colours. Even if you miss the fields of flowers, you will not be disappointed with what the Swiss Alps have to share with you. Your eyes will give you a hug (not literal) for indulging them in the huge variety of wildflower colours, from blue, to purple, yellow to pink, green to white and all many more shades.
A few of the Alpine flowers are endangered, much more are protected, and a couple of them are poisonous! So follow the Swiss Alp’s national park motto: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints on marked trails! While you explore the pristine wilderness, you may see a few flowers including Orchids, Gentians, Daisies, Rhododendron’s, Bell-flowers, buttercups, Saxifraga, Alpine rock Jasmine and of course, Switzerland’s national flower the Edelweiss. (plus a whole lot more!)
Western Australia is the place to see in Australia for flower lovers. Western Australia is home to over 12,000 species of flowers with sixty percent of these flowers can only be found here. Everlastings are native to Western Australia where they carpet massive areas of the countryside, roadsides and gardens during the spring. Kings Park in Perth is an excellent place to see a lot of Western Australia’s native flowers, including the Everlastings and the park, is located very close to the city, perfect for a day trip.
Everlastings are very hardy and adaptable and can spring up anytime the conditions suit. Flowering period lasts 4 to 10 weeks and the best time to see these beautiful fields of flowers in the wild is between August and November. Check out our Australian Wildflowers for more.
Talk to any French farmer and they will most likely tell you that the poppies you see throughout France during late spring are an invasive weed. Although it may appear that French farmers are growing this poppy in their fields as a crop, they are not. The only species of Poppy to be grown as a crop on a large scale would be the Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) used in making morphine, codeine and illegal drugs, but it’s illegal to cultivate in most developed countries.
The bat-eared fox is one of the weird animals native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is a small animal with ears that are over 5 inches long. Its body is sandy gray, with darker fur around the back of its ears, eyes, muzzle, feet, and the tip of its long, hairy tail.
The carnivorous mammal can live up to 14 years. According to the conservation status on the IUCN list, there’s no threat of extinction. It relies on its fast speed to escape from predators.
Talk to any French farmer and they will most likely tell you that the poppies you see throughout France during late spring are an invasive weed. Although it may appear that French farmers are growing this poppy in their fields as a crop, they are not. The only species of Poppy to be grown as a crop on a large scale would be the Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) used in making morphine, codeine and illegal drugs, but it’s illegal to cultivate in most developed countries.
They are known as the lesser pearl-bordered fritillary in Europe and the silver-bordered fritillary in North America. These butterflies are a species of Nymphalidae family. They are found throughout Europe and North America. Members of this species prey on a wide variety of birds and other insects, which are small in size and therefore are eaten by them.
These foxes are the most common type of fox in the world and are the type that we find in urban areas and who come into our gardens in the UK. It used to be that grey wolves were the most common canines across the globe, however it has now been officially documented that the red fox has overtaken them.
Vulpes Vulpes (to give the red fox it’s latin name) are actually part of the dog family, albeit the smallest members and can grow up to around 5kgs when fully grown. Their life expectancy is quite wide ranging and can differ depending on whether their habitat is in the city or in the countryside. Many cubs don’t make it past 2 years old, although foxes held in captivity have been known to live for 15 years.
The mating season for foxes normally occurs in December and January and their mating rituals often involves blood curdling screaming as a form of communication. Red fox cubs (or kits) are born into a fox ‘earth’ (a den located in a secluded place) and usually only leave after a few weeks. The red fox cubs become independent at around 3 or 4 months and can start to produce offspring of their own after about 1 year.
The Red Fox is able to live in all sorts of adverse conditions and is very adaptable to it’s environment. Hence it’s success in surviving in urban areas, particularly in the cities of London and Bristol. They have been known to feed on lots of different prey which has helped their survival. Mice, voles and rats are common prey but they also earthworms as well as food scraps left out in gardens.
The red fox can often divide opinion in urban areas, with some people enjoying them and encourage the fox into their gardens, whilst others see them as a pest and seek to purchase various fox repellent products to keep the foxes away. In the countryside too, farmers often have a love-hate relationship with the red fox. On the one hand the fox is seen as a danger to chickens and lambs, on the other they keep rabbits and rodents off of farmland. Some common fox deterrent methods in the country are snares, fox traps and electric fences.
The red fox has undergone some harsh treatment throughout the ages through fox hunting, the fox fur trade and a recent backlash caused by a few high profile fox attacks on humans. The red fox is however a very durable creature and far from declining, their numbers seem to be steadily increasing, meaning that love them or hate them, the red fox is here to stay.
Japanese maples have unparalleled curb appeal and one particularly eye-catching variety is 'Bloodgood.' "It’s a wider spreading Japanese maple and the branching is quite gnarly looking in winter," says Roethling. "New leaves emerge in mid-spring to a coppery red tone before turning burgundy red for the summer." In fall, the palmate-shaped leaves turn a beautiful crimson color.
Looking for a summer flowering annual with a long bloom period? Zinnias are just that—and they draw a variety of pollinators. "When flowers are in full bloom, they attract an array of bees, beetles, butterflies, and moths," says Adrienne Roethling. When choosing a variety, opt for disease-resistant profusion zinnias (Zinnia elegans 'Profusion'). "The profusion series is a hybrid with results that include medium sized, colorful blooms on short stems," she says. They are also self-cleaning, meaning there is no deadheading required.
A wildflower that thrives even in dry conditions, red feathers (Echium amoenum) have fringed 12- to 15-inch flower spikes in a beautiful raspberry-crimson color, Fradkin says. Pinch off spent blossoms to keep them blooming, but hold off late in the growing season to encourage reseeding.
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