Wildflowers of Tuscany

One of the most anticipated harbingers of springtime in Maremma Toscana is the appearance of wildflowers.  Starting at the end of March, the hills and forests around our hotel in Tuscany begin to sprinkle themselves with color.  Tiny white, pink, yellow, purple, and blue flowers are seen along path sides and in open fields, or under the dead leaves from the past year.  They start slowly and then, at the beginning of May, grow in full force across the landscape powdering everything with their splendor; a natural event that is truly worth seeing.  It is a personal goal to learn to recognize each of them, and although lack of time usually gets the better of me, I have started to identify and photograph a few species.  

The first flowers we began to see while riding through the woods in early April were le Primule salvati, or wild yellow primroses.  They grow in little bunches with thick green leaves.  Both the flowers and leaves are edible and the cook of our Toscana hotel uses them to decorate some dishes.  I read that they taste something between mild lettuce and bitter salad greens. The leaves can also be used for tea, and the young flowers can be made into primrose wine.

Around the same time or shortly after (listed in relative order) we saw violette selvatiche, wild violets; ranucolo, buttercups; la calendula, marigold; narciso, daffodils; il finocchio selvatico, wild fennel; ciclamini selvatici, wild cyclamen; la malva, mallow flower; stella di Betlemme, star of Bethlehem flower; coriandolo, coriander; il glicine, wisteria; purple iris; lilla, lilac; viola selvatica, a type of wild blue pansy; margherita comune, the oxeye daisy; and another unidentified small pink wildflower.  

Most recently the favored Tuscan flower has began to show its bright red face: the poppy.  These flowers are famous in this area and are a magnificent sight whether found by the side of the road or in huge abundant fields.  Later in the season the sunflowers will make their golden stand.  From now until the winter frost, the Maremma landscape surrounding Prategiano will be constantly changing from one shade of wildflowers to the next.

Swedish travellers can read all information about our hotell i Toscana following this link. Dutch clients can find the website of our hotel in Toscane on this website.