one crocus in flower...
... another crocus
.... more crocuses
... more crocuses!
... a bit lower down, on a snow-free meadow... dozens of Crocus variegatus (or C. biflorus...) in flower. #Abruzzo, Central #Apennines. 21st February 2026.
Crocus suaveolens
Crocus suaveolens
#Crocus suaveloens, same site in the Prenestini, #Apennines. 5th February 2026.
snow & clouds high up in the Simbruini Mountains
snow & clouds high up in the Simbruini Mountains
snow & clouds high up in the Simbruini Mountains
a view to north-east in the Simbruini
Monti Simbruini, Central #Apennines, #Lazio. Today (5th February 2026). #parchilazio
More Crocus suaveolens in the same site but on a sunnier day last year. Monti Prenestini, #Apennines, Central #Italy. 26th January 2025.
Crocus imperati
Crocus imperati
Crocus imperati
Crocus imperati
#Crocus imperati, Central #Apennines, #Lazio. 1st January 2026 (it was starting to snow when I took these photos). Except for photo #1, all are taken with a #Sigma SD15 and the #Foveon sensor.
the view toward Monte Vettore (2476 m asl), the highest peak of the Sibillini massif
through the snowy Piano Grande ("Great Plain") di Castelluccio (1270 m asl)
through the snowy Piano Grande ("Great Plain") di Castelluccio (1270 m asl)
the view from Castelluccio down to the Piano Grande
#Sibillini Mountains (& National Park), Central #Apennines, 23rd November 2025.
a Black pine in the fresh snow of the Apennines
Pinus nigra in the snow, Gran Sasso massif, Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo. 28th November 2025.
Late afternoon along the road to Forca Canapine, a pass in the #Sibillini mountains, Central #Apennines. November 2025
Acer opalus in beautiful Autumn colours
Fagus sylvatica
Acer campestre
the woods of Zompo lo Schioppo NR in the Autumn
And a bit more #foliage 😊 in Zompo lo Schioppo, #Apennines. 6th November 2025.
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Autumn colours
Eremo Madonna del Cauto
Eremo Madonna del Cauto
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Autumn colours
Autumn #foliage & an hermitage in the Nature Reserve Zompo lo Schioppo, #Abruzzo, Central #Apennines, 6th November 2025.
a group of Cyclamen hederifolium in flower in a mixed deciduous wood, Abruzzo
#Cyclamen hederifolium, Zompo lo Schioppo NR, #Abruzzo, Central #Apennines, 6th November 2025.
Cyclamen hederifolium in flower
Cyclamen hederifolium in flower
#Cyclamen hederifolium, Lucretili Mountains, #Apennines, today.
✨ Exciting update from the MIREN database!
The very first site in Italy, located in the Central Apennines, has now been included, managed by the UniMolise and UniRomaTre 🌍🌿
We keep monitoring #AlienPlants along mountain roads!
#MIREN #Biodiversity #Apennines #EnviXLab
zenodo.org/records/1574...
The History Files: Hercates
Hercates: these #Ligurians formed after the arrival of #WestIndo-Europeans, but little is known of them aside from #Livy placing them on the south #Apennines.
www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEur...
#history #historyfiles #rome #alps #alpinetribes #ancienteurope #ancientworld #hercates #tribes
Lophiolepis morisiana
Lophiolepis morisiana
Juniperus communis
Lophiolepis morisiana & Juniperus communis,#Apennines, #Abruzzo #ParcoSirenteVelino. 12th August 2025.
Colchicum alpinum
Colchicum alpinum
Colchicum lusitanum
Colchicum lusitanum
Lots of Colchicum alpinum & a the first few Colchicum lusitanum in flower in a fairly narrow belt around 1700-1800 m asl, same area & same day. Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo
Pinus nigra
Campo Felice down at the bottom
the top of the mountain is somewhere over there.
Walking along the ridge toward Monte Orsello, Sirente-Velino Regional Park, Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo, today.
lots of Asplenium trichomanes in the niche of the spring
the shrine above the spring
the shrine above the spring
the cross next to the spring
Acqua di San Franco, a spring associated with a local Middle Ages hermit high up in the Gran Sasso, Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo. August 2025.
Galeopsis angustifolia
Dipsacus fullonum
Epilobium hirsutum
the ridge leading to the top of Monte San Franco (2132 m asl)
More flowers from 1600 to 1800 mts asl in the Gran Sasso massif, Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo. 1st August 2025
Eryngium amethystinum
the Gran Sasso massif
The required high summer in the Central #Apennines toot with Eryngium amethystinum. #Abruzzo. 1st August 2025
Corno Grande (2 912 m asl)
The view from Monte San Franco to the highest peaks of the Gran Sasso massif, 1st August 2025. #Apennines #Abruzzo
Colchicum alpinum
Colchicum alpinum
the view toward the highest peaks of the massif
It's high summer but... "winter is coming" in the Central #Apennines, #Abruzzo. Many Colchicum alpinum in flower at >1800 m asl in the Gran Sasso massif, 1st August 2025.
Did you know that in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, we eat risotto with blueberries? 🫐
We use local wild ones, much smaller and tastier than supermarket varieties.
#Blueberries #Risotto #Apennines #NatureEcosystem #LocalFood #ClimateImpact #AutumnColors
Edraianthus graminifolius
Edraianthus graminifolius
habitat shot
habitat shot (again!)
As beautiful as #orchids are, in the Central #Apennines in mid Summer my favourite flower is probably Edraianthus graminifolius, an upside-down bellflower that grows in the Apennines & the Balkans.
Onopordum acanthium
Pinus nigra
Onopordum acanthium (Cotton Thistle), same area & same day. Central #Apennines #Abruzzo
Epipactis atrorubens in bud
Epipactis atrorubens in typical high altitude habitat
Epipactis atrorubens in flower
Anacamptis pyramidalis in flower
In the rockier bits of these high altitude grassland, at around 1800 m asl, many Epipactis atrorubens were still in bud (usually close to anthesis) while the (also very common) Anacamptis pyramidalis were in full flower. Central #Apennines #Abruzzo #orchids
