The spring treasures of Gargano
A wealth of terrestrial orchids can be found growing wild around the Mediterranean. Paul Harcourt Davies samples the delights of just a small part of Italy's heel
Images: Paul Harcourt Davies
Spring display Anemone pavonina , violas and a single spike of
Dactylorhiza romana (Roman orchid) blend with buttercups and daisies on Monte Sacra
There is an infallible talisman for banishing remnants of winter blues. The sight of spring flowers colouring the natural rockeries of a limestone hillside works wonders for me, and, personally, the prime focus of more than three decades of attention has been European wild orchids, especially those in the Mediterranean.
April 2004 saw me yet again in the stone-strewn uplands of Italy’s Gargano peninsula - 24 years since the first visit I made in 1980 to secure material for a book Wild Orchids of Britain and Europe that I wrote with the late Anthony Huxley.
Many books and articles later, the delight in orchids has not dulled one jot. Sometimes it is their intriguing shape and form - where flowers viewed in close-up resemble insects, grinning monkeys, dancing figures or wriggling lizards - while insect-mimicking orchids (including Ophrys ) not only employ visual devices for deception but also utilise heady scents that copy pheromones to secure fertilisation by tiny male wasps trying to copulate with the flowers.
In fact every aspect of the life of Europe’s wild orchids is far from straightforward. Many are rare, requiring just the right conditions to thrive, and, like thousands of other orchid species, their tiny seeds, barely more than a cell nucleus and membrane, depend on invasion by a mycorrhizal fungus, and a battle then ensues where the developing embryo ‘digests’ the fungus, but not so fast that it secures its own demise.
I have been lucky enough to visit numerous wonderful sites for wild orchids in France, Greece, Cyprus and elsewhere, but Gargano, the natural rockery provided by a ‘lump’ of limestone that forms the ‘spur’ to Italy’s boot, is by far my favourite.
Gargano terrain
The Gargano peninsula is, to all intents and purposes, an island of limestone with affinities to the islands off the Dalmatian coast, and separated from the nearest upland regions in Italy by 40km or more across the plain of Foggia.
Because Gargano is isolated from other limestone regions in Italy, orchids have been able to evolve and produce endemic species - arguably four of them .
Butterfly orchids Many orchids from temperate to tropical regions are called butterfly orchids because of a resemblance, fanciful or otherwise, to butterflies.
Anacamptis papilionacea (formerly
Orchis ) flowers in vast numbers in Gargano and dense populations can give a reddish-brown tint to the landscape
Many orchids thrive on limestone soils, which are mineral rich and often thin, so there is little competition from other plants. In winter and early spring these soils are damp but well drained, but in summer - the period of dormancy for many tuberous orchids ( Ophrys , Orchis , Serapias ) - they bake dry, protecting the tubers.
Orchids begin to appear in early March in the lowlands, but are at their best from mid-April onwards in the uplands. In this thin soil, they can be so dense as to colour the ground - magenta with Anacamptis mori o (green-winged orchid) or brick red with A. papilionacea (butterfly orchid) (both formerly species of Orchis ).
Dwarf
Iris pseudopumila abounds in the Gargano uplands in spring with orchid companions such as
Anacamptis papilonacea .
By mid-May, most tuberous species have died down and are dormant, but one gem, Ophrys lacaitae , is in full flower in late May and early June - the reason so many have missed it elsewhere in Italy, and, like me, believed it to be incredibly rare. Woodland orchids such as Neottia nidus-avis (bird’s-nest orchid) and various helleborines flower in June. There are no permanent streams, so marsh species are absent.
Varied aspects
The richest orchid areas are often those upland stony fields and slopes that are wet enough in winter and early spring to encourage the growth of moss - by summer they are so dry it is hard to believe anything but thistles can grow there. Here the bulk of the tuberous orchids, such as Ophrys and Orchis , will be found, but nearer the coast there are sandy areas, lime rich from the crushed shells of snails, that are particularly good for Serapias (tongue orchids). In any visit to Gargano in spring there can be a difference of three weeks in flowering time from coast to uplands at 600m and above, so that a well-planned visit will reveal a clutch of both early and late species.
Most Ophrys dislike competition from other plants and will thrive in sparse grasslands with a host of vetches and small bulbs such as Muscari and Ornithogalum for companions. Some north-facing sites in Gargano are positively lush compared with those on the south-facing slopes, and here Serapias lingua (tongue orchid) grows with Ophrys parvimaculata and O. archipelagi on slopes with blue iris and pink Cyclamen hederifolium as well as the ubiquitous Asphodelus fistulosus .
Gargano has orchids growing in such numbers that you get a sense of proportion about the range of variation possible. I put the total at about 60 species, but taxonomic splitters would recognise more.
Anywhere with a rich orchid flora will be well endowed with other plants, too, and the Gargano has an extremely rich limestone flora. Noticeable in spring are yellow Tulipa australis in the cultivated fields of the montane valleys and these will persist as long as ploughing is traditional and not too deep. There are also huge areas of stony fields and limestone pavement that are ideal for dwarf Iris pseudopumila and the larger and more variously coloured I. lutescens (white, blue, yellow and brown).
A few plant species in abundance are enough to provide bright patches of colour: on rocks a red form of Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. praepropera (kidney vetch) contrasts with the bright blue of Alkanna tinctoria (dyer’s alkanet). In other places there are drifts of multicoloured wild pansy and magenta Anemone pavonina .
The woodlands have swathes of Narcissus poeticus alongside Anemone apennina , Euphorbia amygdaloide s and the occasional Paeonia mascula .
Careful management
The Gargano always fills me with optimism, for the physical nature of its terrain makes it impractical and costly to clear and cultivate intensely. The main ‘industry’ of tourism is localised - coastal for beach lovers and inland on the southern side for the faithful who trek to San Giovanni Rotondo to pay obeisance to the Padre Piu, now canonised and once bearer of the stigmata.
There is intensive cultivation near the coasts where the alluvial plains are used for the production of durum wheat for pasta. Inland, centuries of clearing have resulted in walled fields on the uplands. These may be lightly grazed or left as people move off the land to the towns. Crops include white lupins grown for their edible seeds.
Grazing is managed traditionally with cows that crop at a height that conveniently leaves orchids intact. However, grazing can and does badly affect orchid populations where, for example, a mild spring means animals are moved early to the uplands and hungrily crop the grass. Unusually, cows are grazed extensively in and around the woodlands and they crop higher, accidentally ensuring orchid survival.
The woodlands are often sparse (except in the depths of the Foresta Umbra) and light levels are high enough for a rich ground flora, orchids included, to survive.
These are carefully managed woods and have been for centuries for charcoal and timber production. Every few years, the Corpo Forestale moves in, coppicing and removing smaller trees to encourage growth of stately beeches, chestnut and oak.
The bird life is astonishing with numerous woodpeckers, goshawks, orioles and hoopoes, and in autumn the ground is covered with pink carpets of Cyclamen repandum (sowbread), and mushrooms abound.
Off the beaten track
Since that first encounter 24 years ago, I have almost spent as many weeks in this region, wandering off the beaten track experiencing both delights and disappointments with seasons good and bad. I have seen whole areas ravaged by fires only to explode with orchid spikes two years on, or times when poor winter weather has resulted in over-grazing in spring and few orchid flowers.
The past few years have seen the increase in gadgetry such as GPS devices among the orchid fraternity, and co-ordinates are eagerly exchanged by enthusiasts. I have always been cagey about revealing sites because there are unscrupulous collectors, and if you spend the time searching and are able to read the landscape then you can, given a locality, find them yourself.
Look for a north-facing hillside that is not too grazed on limestone, especially with the terra rossa soils derived from it, and off you go. You learn by experience where different species are likely to thrive.
One of the prizes of Gargano is a marvellous pink-tepalled orchid called Ophrys sipontensis - the Gulf of Siponto lies far below the hillsides where it grows. Many visit never to find it and in some years I have found ones and twos, but last year - the best in terms of orchid flowering - revealed several hundred when I literally turned right not left down a track. Find the right place and orchids abound for they are capricious plants.
Paradise beyond
The great camaraderie among orchid enthusiasts will produce an almost endless list of places to visit and revisit including wonderful sites in Greece, France, Crete, Cyprus (especially the north) and Italy.
Gargano epitomises what I love about the Mediterranean flora with displays that gladden the heart - acres of wild iris, drifts of anemones, white narcissus and many other plants in the brief explosion that constitutes spring.
Here orchids can be found in abundance, but if you visit do walk over that hill away from the roadside to the paradise beyond. Although you have to do a little work, you will certainly not be disappointed.
The four Gargano ‘endemics’
There are reports of two of these so-called endemic species from further afield, but Gargano in south-east Italy is where they are best known. They are thought to have originated in isolation through crossing of ‘good’ species and then subsequent back-crossing by their insect pollinators.
Ophrys sipontensis (
Siponto ophrys ) (top left)is highly localised and in some years few spikes appear. It is similar in appearance to the Greek
O. spruneri , and pollinators of both are small wasps barely recognisable as distinct species.
O. biscutella (spectacle ophrys) (top right): the name ‘scutellum’ refers to the small shield - the pair that make up the lip pattern or ‘spectacles’ - that gives this handsome species its common and Latin names.
O. promontori (promontory ophrys) (bottom left): the large coloured sepals, like two straps, and the reduced pattern on the lip make this handsome species easy to recognise.
O. archipelagi (archipelago ophrys) (bottom right): previously recognised under the all-embracing species
Ophrys arachnitiformis , which research has shown now consists of several taxa.
Ophrys archipelagi is one of these and also occurs on islands off the Dalmatian coast. The lip pattern is highly variable and often fragmented - something that often happens with those orchids in a state of evolutionary flux.
Other orchid species of the Gargano
O. parvimaculata (small-patterned ophrys) is local in Gargano on the northwest slopes and it is found again down near Bari and beyond. Like
O. lacaitae , it is related to
O. holosericea (late spider orchid). Southern Italy is especially rich in taxa in this group which all have large, almost square lips.
O. tenthredinifera (sawfly ophrys): this taxon is one of the most widespread in the Mediterranean, with handsome flowers often borne on plants just a few centimetres tall. It hybridises readily with
O. bertolonii ,
O. bombyliflora and
O. promotori and it is one of the easiest to grow in an alpine house.
Orchis purpurea (lady orchid): its robust stately spikes make the lady orchid one of the most handsome of all
Orchis . It is local in Gargano and not quite
as frequent as it once was when olive groves used to be left in spring rather than cleared.
Ophrys lacaitae (Lacaita’s ophrys): this orchid eluded discovery in Gargano for years since it flowers late. Once thought to be a great rarity, it is a local species found in parts of southern Italy from southern Lazio through Basilicata down to Sicily. The large yellow, triangular lip makes it very appealing and unusual.
Paul Harcourt Davies is a photographer and author of many standard reference works on orchids
Gargano anniversary tour
Paul Harcourt Davies and Lois Ferguson are planning a special anniversary tour of the Gargano region for orchid enthusiasts to celebrate their 25 years of discovering the area. The week-long trip in April (23-30) will include guided excursions to orchid-rich areas not usually covered on the tour programme, accommodation and excellent food and wine.
For more details contact Paul Harcourt Davies, Podere Montecucco, Località Canonica 7, 05010 Sugano, Orvieto, Italy.
Tel: 00 39 0763 217761.
mailto:hiddenworlds@libero.it
Website: www.hiddenworlds.co.uk