Zantadeschia (Calla Lily, Calla, Arum Lily)

Flowering plant in the family Araceae originating from southern Africa and named after the Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschia (1773-1846). The plant is despite its names neither a true lily, nor arum or calla. The flowers can be seen in many paintings.  The Zantadeschia species are poisonous.

Weeping Willow tree (Salix babylonica, Babylon Willow, Peking Willow) - Riehen, Switzerland

Salix babylonica is a popular ornamental tree, and it was described and named by the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1736. Linnaeus believed by mistake that the tree described in the Bible in the opening of Psalm 137 was a weeping willow and gave three the name babylonica, although the tree originates from northern China.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)


Common plant in Europe and western Asia along the banks of rivers and lakes and in damp meadows. The delicate, graceful, creamy-white flowers cluster close together in handsome irregularly-branched cymes, having a very strong. sweet smell. They flower from June to early September.

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)


Filipendula ulmaria has a long list of popular names including Meadowsweet, Mead Wort, Queen of the Meadow, Pride of the Meadow, Meadow-Wort, Meadow Queen, Lady of the Meadow, Dollof, Meadsweet, Bridewort.  

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) colony at a brook - photography by Alethe

Nepenthes maxima x ventricosa (pitcher plant, monkey cup)

Nepenthes are a family of carnivorous plants comprising roughly 140 species (including the cultivated hybrids). Most of the species use a pitfall trap with slippery inner walls and a fluid reservoir on the bottom containing viscoelastic biopolymers which prevent the captured prey to escape. The lid of the pitcher prevents the liquid to dilute with rain. The lower part of the trap contains glands which absorb nutrients from captured prey. Some other nepenthes species use equipment like flypaper traps to catch the prey. 

Female (the shorter ones on the left) and male alder catkins on the same plant - photography by nondesigner99

Alder trees lined up along a small brook - Riehen, Switzerland

Alder is the most common tree in riparian forests, and it improves soil fertility through the ability to fix nitrogen from the air due to a symbiotic friendship of alder with a nitrogen-fixing bacterium. This bacterium is found in root nodules, which may be as large as a human fist, with many lobes and light brown in appearance. The bacterium absorbs nitrogen from the air and makes it available for the tree. Alder, in turn, provides the bacterium with sugars. As a result of this mutually-beneficial friendship, alder improves the fertility of the soils where it grows.

Leaves and cones (female catkins) on the branch of an alder tree (Alnus)

Leaves and cones of the alder tree (Alnus)


With few exceptions, alders are deciduous (not evergreen), and their leaves are alternate, simple and serrated. The flowers are catkins with elongate male (not seen on this picture) on the same plant as shorter female catkins (cones).

Lacecap (Hydrangea aspera) cultivar 'Tokyo Delight - hydrangeashydrangeas.com

Gold Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) - Goldgarbe, gelbe Schafsgarbe

The genus Achillea - the common name yarrow is normally applied Achillea millefolium with white flowers, but may also be used for other species within the genus - has a long history as a powerful healing herb used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. The plant family is named for the Greek mythological character Achilles who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds. Navajo Indians considered it to be a 'life-medicine', chewed it for toothaches, and poured an infusion into ears for earaches.  Several cavity-nesting birds use yarrow to line their nests because adding yarrow to nests inhibits the growth of parasites. Yarrow is considered as an especially useful companion plant, not only repelling some bad insects while attracting good, but also improving soil quality. It is considered directly beneficial to other plants, improving the health of sick plants when grown near them.

Yarrow has also been used as food, and was very popular as a vegetable in the seventeenth century. The younger leaves are said to be a pleasant leaf vegetable when cooked as spinach, or in a soup. Yarrow is sweet with slight bitter taste. The leaves can also be dried and used as a herb in cooking.

Even the Neandertal people medicated themselves by eating yarrow, as has been found out these days.

 Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

The scientific name digitalis means 'finger-like' and refers to the ease with which a flower of the foxglove can be fitted over a human fingertip. The flowers vary with species from purple to pink, white and yellow, but the common foxglove is the best-known digitalis. The entire plant including the roots and seeds is toxic and this resulted in sinister names for the plant like Dead Man's Bells or Witches' Gloves. The extract of digitalis is used to treat heart conditions in the medicine.

Leaves and acorn of the Pin Oak tree (Quercus palustris)

Hazelnut (Corylus) shrub with fruits

Hazelnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fat and they contain significant amounts of thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6, as well as smaller amounts of vitamin E and other B vitamins.

Yellow Iris

Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria, Smoke bush, Perückenbaum) - Riehen, Switzerland

Hollyhock (Alcea)

Green almonds (Prunus dulcis)

The young, developing fruit of the almond tree can be eaten whole (green almonds) when they are still green and fleshy on the outside and the inner shell has not yet hardened. The fruit is somewhat sour, but it's a popular snack in the parts of Middle East, eaten dipped in salt to balance the sour taste. Available only from mid April to mid June (northern hemisphere) pickling or brining extends the fruit's shelf life.  

Horse-chestnut trees - Riehen, Switzerland

Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum, Conker tree) derives its name from the erroneous belief that the tree was a kind of chestnut, together with the observation that eating them cured horses of chest complaints despite this plant being poisonous to horses. The processed and refined extract of horse-chestnut is used to cure varicose veins in legs and hemorrhoids. 

Ripe cherries on tree

Cosmos bipinnatus (cosmea, garden cosmos, Mexican aster) - Baltic Sea coast in Germany 

Flowering chestnut tree (Castanea)

Catkins of the flowering chestnut tree

Yellow Daisy

Thatched house roof made of water reed - Baltic Sea coast, Germany

Thatching is the traditional craft of building a roof with dry vegetation where straw, water reed, sedge, rushes and heather are used. 

Purple Acacia (Acacia purpureapetala) - Cagliari, Sardinia


Purple acacia trees line several boulevards and squares in Cagliari.

Red Cynara - Copenhagen market

Cynara is a genus of about ten thistle-like plants, the edible green artichoke (cynara cardunculus) being its best-known member. These red cynara were sold as ornamental plants on the market and are assumably a hybrid cultivated for this purpose (comments are welcome).