Do you know rosemary? Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic plant that grows wild along the Mediterranean coasts. It is an evergreen shrub, and its highly fragrant leaves are well known in cooking. The flowers, which are blue-mauve in color, bloom for a long period, starting from February. The rosemary flower, like that of other plants in the Lamiaceae family, is adapted to welcome bees and other pollinating insects . The lower petal, which is larger, acts as a landing pad for the insects. The stamens bend forward to "dust" their visitors with pollen. Bees produce a light-colored honey with [...]

European buckthorn A shrub for butterflies European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is a shrub with a compact and dense crown, featuring twisted branches that end in thorns. It grows in hedgerows and the edges of forests, but also on cliffs and riverbeds, up to 1200 meters. It is a pioneer species, suitable for consolidating rocky and dry lands. The flowers are inconspicuous, very small with 4 green-yellow petals. The fruits are round drupes, arranged in clusters, which turn black when ripe. Buckthorn is a host species for certain butterflies such as the common brimstone (Gonepterix rhamni), which lays its eggs only [...]

Colletes hederae Ivy Bee This medium-sized solitary bee belongs to the Colletidae family and was discovered in 1993. Colletidae have very specific dietary preferences and generally collect pollen from one or a few species of plants. For example, Colletes hederae feeds almost exclusively on ivy, so it is observed only in autumn when the plant blooms Colletes hederae nests in cavities in sandy soils. Although it is a solitary bee, it can nest in large numbers with tens of thousands of nests close together. Did you know? Colletidae line the walls of their cells with a transparent membrane... that resembles [...]

Permanent Meadows and Pollinators: An Engaging Visit to the Bastions of Palmanova Amidst History and Biodiversity On June 1, 2024, as part of the FAI days for biodiversity, the Biodiversity Service of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, in collaboration with FAI-FVG and the "Amici dei Bastioni di Palmanova", organized a walk titled "Prati stabili e impollinatori". The route wound through the permanent meadows of the Bastions, the Napoleonic and Venetian fortifications, and the first interventions to create flower strips within the lunettes and along one of the moats surrounding the star-shaped city. About twenty people participated in the initiative, showing [...]

Greater celandine The plant... of swallows The greater celandine (Chelidonium majus, family Papaveraceae) is a perennial plant often found on ruins, along hedgerows, and in cool, shady places. It belongs to the poppy family and also contains toxic alkaloids. The flowers are golden yellow and bloom from May to September; they have four petals arranged in a cross that attract pollinating insects . The plant contains within its green parts a pungent yellow latex that was used to remove calluses and warts. The name celandine derives from the Greek word chelidôn, swallow, perhaps because, according to ancient legends, swallows would [...]