Trigono Lamda - Flowers in Winter

Compared with Northern European countries, winter is short on the Peloponnese and it hardly seems that leaves have turned red before spring its on its way. Flowers on this page, bloom from around December to early March and many are bulbs. This page will grow as we discover and photograph more, but here are some commonly seen.

Around Methoni and at Trigono Groves

yellow Oxalis pes-caprae

Oxalis pes-caprae

Common name: Bermuda Buttercup

Leaf type: Heart shaped - hence the name pes-caprae which means goat's hoof

Flower: bright yellow

Location: widespread, in fields and groves - Found at Trigono grove

Flowering period: December to February

yellow Lesser celandine

Ranunculus ficaria

Common name: Lesser celandine

Leaf type: Heart shaped - glossy dark green

Flower: bright glossy yellow

Location: Damp shady places - found at the base of the bank at Trigono and on the borders of Lamda olive grove.

Flowering period: February - April

Snakes head or widow iris

Hermodactylus tuberosus

(Family - Amaryllidaceae)

Common name: Snake's head or Widow iris

Leaf type: Linear

Flower: Greenish yellow, with 3 sections each with with dark, almost black, velvety tips (edge of the perianth)

Location: Found in groves and stony places - common at the lemon grove and petralofos above the lemon grove.

Flowering period: February to April

Narcissus tazetta

Narcissus tazetta

(Family - Iridaceae

Common name: Bunch-flowered narcissus (Greek name - manousaki)

Leaf type: long and ridged, dull green

Flower: White with yellow trumpet (corona)

Location: damp places, has been found on low lying land close to the Trigono.

Flowering period: February to April

Common asphodel

Asphodelus aestivus

(Family - Liliaceae

Common name: Common asphodel

Leaf type: Long and tapered, around the base of the stem

Flower: small, white, with red vein, in clusters on the stem

Location: Stony locations. Found close the the lemon grove and at Petralofos above the lemon grove.

Flowering period: February to May

Arisarum vulagre, Friar's cowl

Arisarum vulgare

(Family - Araceae

Common name: Friar's cowl

Leaf type: heart shaped

Flower: cylindrical, cream-green with red-brown stripes

Location: Stony, shady locations. Found at Trigono grove.

Flowering period: November- February

Other Winter plants

Depending on weather conditions, a number of plants can be found early in the year in sheltered places. These include members of the Iris and Orchid families. Following the mass of yellow oxalis at the groves, come white daisies and you may often see anemones in sheltered places.

Links to other sites

Trigono-Lamda cannot supply the detailed information that more specialist sites are able to; but take great pleasure in being able to direct you to some practical and some very beautiful sites:

www.mediterraneo.gr - Publishers of "Wild flowers in Greece": ISBN: 960-8227-74-7

www.theoi.com - Plants in Greek Mythology

www.theseedsite.co.uk - Taxonomy (and common names) of plant families