The Wild Flowers of Skopelos
Blog
For those who love Skopelos and the wildflowers of Greece
The Wild Flowers of Skopelos
Blog
For those who love Skopelos and the wildflowers of Greece
More than 350 flowers and trees
A year in flowers
Μια κρονιά λουλουδιών
At the beginning of the year the island starts a new cycle of life, with the beautiful pink blossom of the almond trees contrasting with the brilliant clear blue skies of winter, the snowy white blossom of the olive trees and the blossom laden plum and cherry trees with their promise of fruit in the autumn.
The fragrant narcissi with their nodding heads make an appearance and the fields and olive groves fill with anemones from palest to deepest pink. Deep purple grape hyacinths.
In early spring plants and flowers which appear more typical of temperate zones take advantage of cool temperatures, with perennial daisies, celandine and little robin and pure white star of bethlehem emerge from underground bulbs and attractive white flowers of Gagea graeca, also called star of bethlehem, emerge from the stony ground on the terraces of the valley above Glisteri. These early flowers are followed by impressive white purple irises.
As springtime progresses while the land is still moist from winter rain, Skopelos comes alive with flowers of every colour, with the vivid reds of poppies (Papaver dubium and P. rhoeas) and bright yellow of crown daisies and corn marigolds (Glebionis coronaria and G. segetum) filling the fields and olive groves with their vibrant colours, the purple tassel hyacinths (Muscari comosum), the magenta gladioli (Gladiolus italicus & G. illyricus), beautiful blues Cynoglossum creticum and viper’s bugloss (Echium planaginium), with pinks of common centaury (Centaurium erythraea).
By late spring there are too many flowers to name, it is as if the plants are tumbling over each other in their haste to flower and produce seeds before the hot dry summer months set in. These are the months of orchids, - pyramidal orchids (Anacamtis pyramidalis), and the reddish brown bug orchids are abundant and hidden amongst the green sward, are the more elusive bee orchids, subtle and sophisticated (Ophry apifera & O. bombyliflora).
As the multitudes of many-coloured spring flowers begin to fade, Skopelos evolves into its yellow phase, with a magnificent display of yellow flowered spiny shrubs on the hillsides; dominated by spanish broom (Spartium junceum); with its long terminal spines, spiny broom (Calicotome villosa), with evil thorns and the prickly bushes Anthyllis hermaniae and Genista acanthoclada. Bladder senna (Colutea arborescence) with its curious seed pods and tree medic (Medicago arborea) brightens the slopes of the kastro. In May many of the fields are filled with yellow mustard flowers, often difficult to identify with accuracy.
The next phase sees the beautiful evergreen rose, Rosa sempervirans, with an abundance of pure white blooms and green glossy leaves and Clematis flammula entwines the wire fences and covering bushes giving off a heady scent from it's creamy white flowers. Iridescent blue flowers of chicory brighten the roadsides, reappearing later is summer following rain showers.
As temperatures rise, the aromatic herbs, thymes, sages, summer savoury and other spiny shrubs dominate the island; they exhibit features which allow them to withstand high temperatures, a paucity of moisture and prolonged exposure to high intensity of light, which would make other plants wilt or die. This is also the season of Greek thistles, some purple and some yellow, but all prickly. By mid summer, the fields are burnished with dried grasses but the flowers of wild carrot (Daucus carrota) appear as a white foam in olive groves and will persist into August providing fodder for animals.
After the first autumn rains, as the island cools, the autumn flowers begin to appear: delicate cyclamen, from palest pink to deep magenta; bright golden autumn daffodils (Sternbergia lutea), the mauve autumn crocus (Colchicum binovae) and white lady’s tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) simple wood daisies, Bellis sylvestris, which appear not only in forest clearings as their name suggests but also among the spiny herbs of the phrygana, they are distinguished from the similar perennial daisies by their late flowering and long slender stems.
Winter in Skopelos brings an atmosphere so pure that on many days one can clearly see Mount Dervis on Evia, Mount Athos on Halkidiki and sometimes the island of Skyros. Although the deciduous trees have lost their leaves the pines appear a more brilliant green. The dark green glossy green leaves of arbutus unedo suround bunches of waxy white bell flowers, which will develop into red strawberry-like fruits.
Oxalis pes caprae, which is a native of S. Africa, carpets the ground, throughout the season. and as the new year comes in the cycle begins again.