Spring flowers of Crimea names. Flora of Crimea: names, photos and characteristics. Dangerous plants of Crimea

Spring in the Crimean mountains. One of the most interesting and impressive periods of the year.
When you start climbing, you have absolutely no idea what awaits you at the top.
It may be as hot as at the foot. Or maybe a chilly wind and night frosts.
There may be a gray landscape and heavy gray clouds overhead. Or maybe an incredibly beautiful dawn.
But the most beautiful thing in the mountains in spring is the wild flowers.
Behind them you climb all these hundreds of meters and walk kilometers along ridges and slopes.
And then emotions. Here it is - the first bud of dream grass today. You drop to your knees and take the first photo.
You look up. And there are dozens and hundreds of them around.
And on the right the Adonis buds are turning yellow and in the ravine, among the bushes, you notice islands of primrose...
Spring in the mountains...

2. Wild adonis on the slopes of Mount Ai-Petri in the light of the April sun setting behind Mount Dome

3. Spring adonis or adonis is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Adonis is one of the best medicinal plants used for cardiac disorders, which led to a significant decrease in its population and almost extinction in Ukraine.
Minor populations of Adonis vernacular are found in the forest-steppe regions of Russia and Ukraine, some regions of Central Asia and the Crimea.

4. Other names for this plant: centaury, yellowflower, field dill, hare poppy, bathing grass, hair grass, consumable grass, starodubka, Montenegrin.

5. Adonis Bud

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8. Grassy slopes strewn with yellow Adonis buds

9. In ravines, hollows, shady areas and among bushes at this time you can find entire fields of primrose.

10. The second name for primrose is primrose. It is one of the first to bloom in spring. Often long before the snow has completely melted.

11. Here in the mountains, the stems of the primrose are quite low. Often the flowers lie almost on the ground.

12. By the way, it’s interesting that bees don’t really like primrose because of the long flower tube, so honey from primrose is extremely rare

13. Several times on the slopes I came across areas with bright blue small flowers of Denhardt’s violet. This is a fairly common plant for the mountainous Crimea

14. And, of course, dream grass. Nowhere in Crimea have I seen such a rich abundance of these flowers as in some areas of the Ai-Petrinskaya Yaila and the Yalta Yaila.
According to the rescuers with whom I spend the night when I go to Ai-Petri, this year the dream grass is literally being mowed down by some unknown people. Apparently, again, for use as a medicinal plant.
So far, the dream grass is not listed in the Red Book, but something tells me that with this approach, the fate of spring Adonis will soon await it.

15. It is for the above reasons that I will not indicate the exact coordinates of those clearings where dream grass grows in large quantities. It’s good that some of them are also quite difficult to access.

16. Hundreds of shaggy purple buds on the slopes of Ai-Petri.

17. Parents keep an eye on their children, standing back to back...

18. Fogs are very frequent visitors to Ai-Petri. By and large, these are not even fogs, but just clouds that sit on the tops of the mountains

19. Glades of dream grass on foggy slopes

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22. And there, below, the Black Sea

23. It would seem that all living things should have an instinct for self-preservation and the desire to live in the most favorable conditions. But for some reason the dream grass tries to find a place for itself on the slopes where strong winds blow

24. There is wind, fog, and constant showers of stones.

25. Like gladiators who defend themselves standing back to back

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29. Evening, sunset... The flower idyll ends... Or is it just beginning...

More than a hundred early flowering plants grow in Crimea. They belong to various families: primroses, ranunculaceae, violets, lilies, sedges, cereals and others. What unites them is their similar development in an ecological environment close to extreme conditions of existence: low temperatures of soil, air and water, frosts, sharp fluctuations temperatures day and night. Many of them even develop under the snow, hence the name “snowdrops”. True snowdrops with the generic name “Galanthus” in Crimea are represented by an endemic species - folded snowdrop.

A characteristic feature of all early flowering plants is their increased demands on light and moisture. Therefore, it is no coincidence that our primroses bloom in the forest when there are still no leaves on the trees, and light easily penetrates under their canopy. In addition, at this time the soil is still rich in moisture, which is very important for these fast-growing plants.

In Crimea, you can get acquainted with the world of primroses as early as February, and sometimes even earlier. Under the loose snow and withered leaves from last year, small plants with fully formed flowers and miniature leaves are hidden. They are ready to throw away their flower stalks at any moment and defiantly announce the arrival of spring. The limiting factor is the still low temperature. But as soon as the sun warms up, the “snowdrops” literally explode in their development. Among them are the well-known coltsfoot And snowdrop, Crimean crocus And crocus Susiana, spring primrose, two-leaved scilla, spring clearweed, colchicum ankara, early types of violets and others.

A characteristic feature of early flowering plants is a small number of flowers. U tulips, snowdrops- 1-2, y scillas- 2-3, less often there are several of them and they are collected in compact inflorescences - corydalis, goose bows. The number of flowers is limited by the small supply of nutrients in the underground organs, as well as by the timing of plant development. But ephemeroid flowers are almost always large, up to several centimeters in diameter, and bright: yellow, purple, pink. Such flowers are clearly visible from a great distance. This is a device for attracting pollinating insects. It is known that insects have a special color perception. They perceive color in the ultraviolet range of radiation. Yellow and purple flowers reflect up to 40 percent of ultraviolet rays and are clearly visible to insects, but the red color for them is almost black. Not very attractive and White color. The flowers of some ephemeroids have additional decorations in the form of stripes, patterns, and dashes. These are nothing more than original signs and landmarks for insects, indicating the way to nectaries.

What tricks do plants go to in order to “add brightness”! For example, at lungworts Dark pink and cornflower blue flowers are located on the same stem. Moreover, buds and younger flowers are pink, and older, fading flowers are blue. Each flower changes color throughout its life. And this is explained by the properties of anthocyanin contained in the petals of lungwort - a special coloring substance. It is this that causes the change in color of the petals, which is a biological necessity: due to its variegation, its crimson-blue inflorescences with flowers of different colors are especially noticeable to pollinating insects in a light spring forest.

Early flowering herbaceous plants have also “adapted” insects for seed dispersal, primarily ants. On the fruits or seeds of these plants, special, oil-rich, fleshy appendages are formed - elaiosomes, which attract ants, which become “gardeners” for primroses.

The Crimean spring is treacherous; sudden snowfalls and night frosts are not uncommon. Therefore, early flowering plants had to learn to deal with these troubles. For example, buds and stems sleep-herbs- one of the most beautiful plants our forests - covered with numerous long protruding hairs. This shaggy “coat” protects the buds from the spring cold.

The cell sap of primroses acts as a non-freezing antifreeze, well known to all car enthusiasts. If at the beginning of April frosts suddenly strike and snow falls, then, once in the forest, you can see that the young, just beginning to open leaves of hornbeam and aspen, caught by frost, have turned brown and shriveled. But fragile corydalis or amazing cyclamen Kos continue to bloom as if nothing had happened. It is impossible to notice the slightest trace of frost on these delicate plants!

After flowering, primroses experience a deep summer dormancy associated with the lack of sufficient lighting and moisture in the forest. In the second half of summer, the laying of vegetative and generative organs occurs. In autumn, a second deep dormancy sets in, restraining their development on favorable autumn days, when the forest is again light (the leaves have fallen) and humid (autumn rains are falling), and the temperatures of the soil, air and water are still relatively high. But winter is coming! Frosts can come suddenly. Natural selection secured the second warning dormancy in the “snowdrops”. In mid-December it ends and a forced rest sets in due to the absence necessary conditions development. If you place scillas, corydalis, and tulips indoors in December-January, they will bloom magnificently.

Among the early flowering plants, in addition to perennials, there are also annuals, the so-called ephemera . These are small (3-10 centimeters) plants, barely visible among the growing greenery. All life cycle(from seed to seed) passes in a few days, less often - 2-4 weeks. At the end of April, when the grass turfs grow, they dry out and cannot be found. Some ephemera, e.g. spring stonefly forms entire flowering aspects in early spring.

Talking about early flowering plants Crimea, one cannot help but remember the dogwood. Dogwood bushes bloom long before the leaves bloom, usually in February (and only in relatively cold winters does flowering occur in March). Bright yellow flowers look very elegant in the transparent forest in spring! Dogwood flowers are pollinated by both wind and insects. Such an unusually early flowering fruit tree gave rise to a Crimean legend about a greedy shaitan who chose a dogwood tree, hoping for a quick harvest. But I miscalculated: dogwood bears fruit later than everyone else, in October-November.

Many spring plants are destroyed en masse. Some are intensively collected as medicinal ones. Others have highly decorative properties and are used for bouquets. Organized for sale, snowdrops, dream grass, wild tulips, and crocuses are destroyed. Cyclamen Kos is on the verge of complete extinction.

According to environmentalists, every year during February-March about 15 million snowdrops were exported from Crimea to the Ukrainian capital alone! Of course, they are listed in the Red Books. But where are they, these Red Books? And here we are, ready even now - for nature. If a person, if you and I, do not regret, do not help, do not understand the troubles of our plants, no Red Books will help Crimea. With the loss of each species, we deprive not only ourselves, but also our children's children. In Japan, children are taught from an early age that only a bad, cruel person can pick, throw away or trample a flower. Every spring, during the cherry blossom season, Japanese families climb the mountains to admire the flowers. Let's admire Crimean flowers, because you can only touch beauty with your heart!

End of April/May - most best time to visit Crimea. It’s not very hot yet, the greenery has not faded, there are no crowds of people like in the summer.
But the main attraction of this time is the flowers.

Below are photographs and descriptions of Crimean flowers taken in 2003,2004,2005,2007 and 2008, during May holidays(end of April/beginning of May). Mainly represented are the Bakhchisarai, Yalta and Sudak regions of Crimea.

SLEEP-GRASS, CRIMEAN ARROW (Pulsatilla taurica)

He's a snow tulip, he's a little sunny, he's a grass-grass, he's a boar's lumbago, he's a shooter, he's a raspberry, he's a beaver.
Grows in mountains, oak forests, mountain meadows, steppe areas of foothills and rocky slopes.
The Crimean spring flower is the most beautiful - you can admire it and photograph it endlessly.
Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine

Dream-Grass. May 2005 Chatyr-Dag

Dream-Grass. May 2005 Chatyr-Dag

Dream-Grass. April 2004 Chatyr-Dag

Dream-Grass. 2.05.03 Yalta yayla

Dream-Grass. May 2005 Chatyr-Dag

Dream-Grass. 5.05.07 Hangar-Burun

FOLDED SNOWDROP (Galanthus plicatus M. Bieb.)

Folded snowdrop (Galanthus plicatus) is a species that differs from other species in folded leaves with a bluish bloom, with folds curved on the underside.
Previously considered as an endemic Crimean species, however, habitats of folded snowdrop have now been identified in the Caucasus, Turkey, Romania and Moldova.
Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine

4.05.07 Not far from the t/s "Boyko"

Snowdrop. May 2005 Chatyr-Dag

Snowdrop. 1.05.03 Grand Canyon

Scilla bifolia L.

Aka Crimean scilla (Scilla taurica (Regel) Fuss), aka snow scilla (Scilla nivalis Boiss.). Glades overgrown with blueberries mixed with snowdrops look very beautiful.

Scilla. 2.05.03 Climbing the Roman-Kosh mountain

CRIMEAN CROCUS (Crocus tauricus (Trautv.) Puring)

It is also Crimean saffron. Endemic Crimean-Caucasian species. It grows in the mountains on open rocky places and grassy slopes. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Crimean crocus.4.05.07 Not far from Ai-Petri

Crimean crocus.1.05.03 Yalta yayla

PRIMULA (Primula)Primula

It grows in the southern regions of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Crimea, Southern and Central Europe. The species is similar to spring primrose, but with an undeveloped flower arrow. Flowering from April. The plant is cold-resistant and blooms on the edge of the snow.
The ancient Greeks believed that the primrose could heal all ailments and called it “the flower of the twelve gods.”

In the old German sagas, primroses are the keys of the spring goddess Freya. With these keys, the beautiful goddess, adorned with a necklace of colorful rainbows, unlocks true warmth after a long winter. Wherever her rainbow hits, golden keys appear, and spring flowers - primroses - sprout from them.

The Danes are sure that the princess of the elves herself was turned into a primrose. One day the spirits released the girl to earth, and there she fell in love with the young man, forgetting about her relatives. For this, the spirits turned the princess into a primrose and her lover into an anemone.

In Rus', primroses were lovingly called lambs. There was even such a custom: to throw the plucked lambs under your feet and trample them - for longevity.

The British have the primrose as their favorite flower. It is grown in gardens and vegetable gardens, taken with them on trips, and given to loved ones. According to English fairy tales, gnomes hide in primroses, and if you go out into a clearing in the spring, you can hear a choir of gentle voices coming from the flowers.

Common primrose (Primula vulgaris) or stemless (Primula acaulis) April 2004. District of the Boyko t/s

Road overgrown with primroses. 04/26/03 from Eski-Kermen to Shuldan

Primula Sibthorpii (Primula sibthorpii)25.04.03 Near Eski-Kermen

Common primrose.04.25.03 near the Red Poppy

VIOLETS

There are many different ones in Crimea. Particularly beautiful and large ones are found on yailas. Yellow and blue look very nice.

Dog violet (Viola canina)25.04.03 near Eski-Kermen

Fragrant violet (Viola odorata)25.04.03 near Eski-Kermen

Mountain violet (Viola oreades Bieb.) April 2004 Ai-Petri yayla

Mountain violet (Viola oreades Bieb.) April 2004 Ai-Petri yayla

Glade of violets. April 2004 Eski-Kermen

KUPENA fragrant (Polygonatum odoratum)

It is also bought medicinal, bought pharmaceutical (Polygonatum officinale L.), it is also Solomon's seal. It grows on drying, slightly acidic, rich, humus-rich, loose, mostly shallow, sandy, rocky and clayey soils: in forests, bushes and slopes. Edge-forest view. The plant is poisonous.

Kupena is fragrant. April 2004 Eski-Kermen

POPPY (Papaver dubium L.)

Poppy doubtful - annual herbaceous plant 30-60 cm high. Blooms in April-June. Grows on dry rocky, gravelly, clayey slopes, among bushes, on sand, in forest-steppe and steppe, in fields, near roads, in mountains up to the mid-mountain zone. Poisonous.

Poppy is dubious. April 2004 p. Red poppy

IBERIAN, WALL (Iberis)

The name of the plant indicates the area of natural distribution: Iberia, as Spain was previously called. The genus contains about 40 species, distributed in the Mediterranean and Central Europe.

Iberian forms thick round cushions, which during the flowering period, in April-May, seem to be dusted with snow due to the lilac-white flowers. In Crimea they live in rocky places, in the mountains, on the South Coast.

There are rocky Iberian (Ib.saxatilis), Crimean Iberian (Ib. taurica), very rarely - bitter Iberian (Ib.amara) and pinnate Iberian (Ib.pinnata). These types differ mainly in leaf shape.

Candytuft. 1.05.03 Great Crimean Canyon

Ornithogalum fimbriatum Willd
He is also a fibrous poultry plant, he is also a ciliated poultry plant.
Grows in forests along the edges, in the steppes, on yayls. From the subgenus Ornithogalum. Plants no more than 12 cm tall. The arrow is covered with hairs. Blooms in mid-spring, up to 15 days.

Poultry farmer. April 2003 Vetrov Gazebo area

THIN-LEAF PEONY Paeonia tenuifolia L. (P. lithophila Kotov, P. biebersteiniana Rupr.)

It is also a narrow-leaved peony. Herbaceous perennial up to 50 cm in height. Grows on meadow steppes, leached black soils, and mountain slopes. Blooms in May. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Peony thin-leaved. April 2004 and 5.05.07 On the climb to Chatyr-Dag

Peony thin-leaved. April 2004 Chatyr-Dag

Thickets of thin-leaved peony 04/29/08 Slopes of Lyalel-Oba

CRIMEAN PEONY (Paeonia daurica)

Aka Tauride peony (Paeonia taurica auct.), aka three-triple peony (Paeonia triternata) Endemic to Crimea. It grows in light forests, typically in the undergrowth of oak forests. It occurs en masse at altitudes from 200 meters to the upper forest boundary. Blooms in May. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine

Crimean peony. April 2004 Eski-Kermen

MUSCARI (Muscari neglectum Guss)

He's the same viper bow unnoticed, aka mouse hyacinth.
Low, up to 15 cm tall, bulbous perennial of the lily family.
It grows in sunny rocky meadows and on the edges of forests. Often forms a continuous blue carpet. Blooms in April-May.

Muscari. End of April 2004 Chatyr-Dag

Muscari. 04/25/03 Eski-Kermen

Dwarf IRIS (Iris pumila) OR CRIMEAN IRIS (Iris taurica. Iridaceae)

Aka low iris, aka dwarf iris.
Herbaceous perennial 10-20 cm in height. It grows in the steppes, on grassy slopes, on rocky and thin soils, at altitudes from 300 to 700 m above sea level, less often it descends to 50 m and rises to 900-1000 m.

Purple and yellow irises 04/29/08 Slopes of Lalel-Oba

Dwarf iris. April 2004 Eski Kermen

Dwarf irises. 04/25/03 near the village. Red poppy

ORIENTAL AROUS (Arum orientale Bieb., A. maculatum auct.)

A relict species, it belongs to one of the oldest genera of tropical origin in Ukraine. Perennial herbaceous plant 20-30cm high. Grows in shady forests. Very specific smell. Blooms in May. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine

Eastern arum. April 2004 near the Shuldan monastery

SCHRENK'S TULIP(Tulipa schrenkii Regel)

Also known as Gesner's tulip (Tulipa gesneriana L.). Plants are 10-40 cm tall. Stem b. h. naked, sometimes pubescent. The leaves are reflexed, sickle-shaped, spaced, more or less curly, glabrous or pubescent, not exceeding the flower. One flower, red or yellow. The tepals are relatively short, wide, and blunt. The spot at their base is black, with a yellow border, yellow or absent. Blooms in April. It grows mainly in the steppe Crimea, as well as in the foothills and on the South Coast.

Schrenk's Tulip 04/29/08 Slopes of Lyalel-Oba (translated from Crimean Tatar as “top of tulips”)

LOW ALMOND (Amygdalus nana L.)

He is also a bean tree, he is also a dwarf almond, he is also a steppe almond.
It grows in the zone of forb-meadow steppes, in hollows, along ravines, and gullies.

Thickets of dwarf almonds. 04/29/08 not far from the t/s "Ai-Serez"

ADONIS SPRING (Adonis vernalis L.)

He is also the spring adonis, he is also the spring adonis. Blooms in May
in the steppes, along the edges of forests, in cleared forest glades, steppe slopes, meadows. A very bright and beautiful flower.

Adonis in spring. 04/29/08 Upper reaches of the Ai-Serez river

YELLOW ASPHODELINE Asphodeline Lutea (L.) Reichend

Rare endangered Eastern Mediterranean species. Herbaceous perennial with a thick, tall, up to 60 cm, stem. The stem from the base to the inflorescence is covered with dagger-shaped, triangular fleshy leaves. The flower raceme is thick, long and consists of large greenish-yellow flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter. The tepals have a characteristic green vein. After flowering, a fruit is formed - a large capsule. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine

Yellow asphodeline (Asphodeline lutea) 04/29/08 t/s Maski in Ukraine is found only in Crimea

ORCHIDS(Orchidaceae)

Wild orchids are the most wonderful flowers of the spring Crimea.
According to various sources, 20-39 species of orchids grow in Crimea. All are listed in the Red Book. The population of wild orchids is small and continues to decline, mainly due to deforestation and destruction of flowers for bouquets.
Mostly orchises (purple, monkey) are found; I was lucky to stumble upon the rare Crimean orchis, of which only a few specimens remain.

04/27/08 Fox Bay. Painted orchis (spotted) (Orchis picta Loisel.)

Crimean Ophrys taurica Nevski

Orchis simia Lam.

Orchis purpurea Huds.

Orchis punctulata

Wolf's orchis Orchis x wulffiana and Steveniella satyrioides Schlechter

Orchis April 2004

Wonderful resources were used in preparing the material:
1) http://www.plantarium.ru Plant identification guide on-line
An open illustrated atlas of vascular plants of Russia and neighboring countries.
2) http://family-travel.narod.ru/flora/flora.html Photoherbarium. Wild plants Crimea.
3) http://mail.menr.gov.ua/publ/redbook/redbook.php Chervona book of Ukraine.

The Crimean flora is characterized by enormous diversity. In a small area there are forest, steppe, semi-desert and desert natural areas. Their distribution is related to the climate and topography of the peninsula. There are about 250 endemic plants in Crimea, some representatives of the flora are relics of the Ice Age. Mediterranean species have taken root well on the South Coast.

Below are some representatives of the flora of Crimea with a brief description and photo.

Colchicum ankara

The corm perennial grows in the steppes and on mountain slopes. The height of the plant is only 5 cm. The lanceolate leaves have a bluish coating. Flowering depending on temperature regime starts in January-March. Colchicum flowers have a pink-purple hue similar to a crocus. However, unlike the crocus, the flowers and leaves of the plant appear simultaneously. Colchicum refers to poisonous plants, today it is listed in the Red Book.

Astragalus bristulosa

The perennial herbaceous plant is listed as an endangered species. Currently, it is preserved only in three regions of the southern coast of Crimea. The relic grows on rocks and slopes, its height is 15 cm. The shoots are covered with stiff hairs, the narrow foliage has soft pubescence. The plant has increased drought resistance. Flowers violet shade bloom in May.

Magnolia grandiflora

The evergreen tree grows up to 30 m. It has a thick trunk and a dense crown. The leathery leaves have a pointed shape. Large white flowers attract attention. Magnolia blooms all summer and bears fruit in mid-autumn. Flowers and fruits contain large amounts essential oil. Today they are widely used in perfumery.

Real lady's slipper

The Red Book perennial of the orchid family is found in the mountain belt, foothills and on the southern coast of Crimea. The length of the flowering stem is 60 cm, the green leaves have an oval-lanceolate shape. The flower is shaped like a shoe, hence the name orchid. During the flowering period, the plant emits a pleasant aroma, attracting insects. Prefers shaded mixed forests and edges, less common in open area. The main threat to the lady's slipper population is mass collection for bouquets and digging up roots for replanting in gardens.

Snowdrop folded

Perennial bulbous plant belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. It can be found on the edges of forests, among bushes, and in mountainous areas. The height of the snowdrop is 25 cm, the dark green leaves are covered with a bluish coating. The plant blooms in early spring, flowering lasts about a month. White single flowers exude a delicate aroma. At the end of spring, the foliage disappears until next year; the growing season continues in the underground part. The number of snowdrops has decreased significantly due to economic and commercial activities person.

Common barberry

The branched and thorny shrub grows up to 1.5 m. The shoots become yellowish with age. gray shade. The foliage is located in the axils of the spines. In autumn it becomes a rich red color, which gives the bush a decorative appearance. Barberry blooms in May, the flowers are collected in a raceme. Red elliptical berries ripen in September-October. Barberry is considered medicinal plant. Preparations based on it have choleretic, antispasmodic and diuretic effects. The wood is used to make crafts and souvenirs.

Yew berry

The coniferous tree is a relic of Crimea. It is found in forests and on mountain slopes, very rarely forming small groves. The yew grows very slowly, the annual growth is only 2 cm. The lifespan of the tree is amazing, the age of some individuals is 4000 years. Yew is the only representative of conifers that does not have resin. However, the bark, needles and wood are very poisonous. The tree can be recognized by the conical shape of the crown, red-brown bark and bright red shoots. Wood has been in demand since ancient times; it is heavy, elastic and resistant to rotting. Today, economic use is out of the question. All yew areas on Earth, including Crimea, are protected areas.

Pistachio obtufolia

The tree came to the island from. The lifespan can be 1000 years. The height of the pistachio reaches 8 m, it has a dense crown and ashy-colored bark. The oval leaves are collected in a bunch, the flowers are inconspicuous. The fruits, spherical drupes, ripen in late summer. The plant is drought-resistant, tolerates highly saline soils, but needs intense lighting. Pistachio does not form independent plantings. In many fruits, the seeds simply do not ripen, which is why the tree does not reproduce well. The wood is very dense and heavy. Pistachio is listed in the Red Book; the limiting factors are human activity, disasters, unregulated recreation and erosion.

Walnut

The tree came to Crimea from Greece and gradually spread throughout the peninsula. Adults reach a height of 30 m, the average life expectancy is up to 3-4 centuries. The walnut has a spreading crown with numerous branches. The trunk girth is 2 m. The walnut has a powerful root system that extends 20 m. different sides. The elongated leaves have a specific smell. The fruits are false drupes that contain a single seed. The nuts ripen by early September. Wood has a beautiful pattern, so it is highly valued in furniture production.

Cypress evergreen

The coniferous tree has a pyramidal shape. The height of the trunk is 30 m. The dark green needles have a pleasant aroma, small cones are covered with a pattern. Cypress is most common on the southern coast of Crimea. Here it forms groves and alleys and actively participates in the formation of a healing climate. Maximum height the tree reaches the age of 100 years. It tolerates droughts and significant temperature drops well.

Crimean primroses are special. Many of them appear already at the end of winter, and such as snowdrops bloom in Yalta courtyards even before the New Year. So call them spring after this!

Do we know them well - Crimean primroses - can we distinguish them and remember the names? Let's get acquainted with the main ones and slightly refresh our knowledge about these wonderful companions of spring.

Snowdrop

The scientific name of this, perhaps the most popular and widespread Crimean primrose - "galanthus" - involuntarily hints at its elegant shape. However, translated it literally means “milk”, which, you see, is also not far from the truth. You probably won’t find that in Crimea Who would not recognize this snow-white lampshade of three petals. If you look closely, three more are hidden under them. They are much smaller and form a kind of corolla with a soft green border.

Snowdrops can be found almost throughout Crimea, but if you want to admire this primrose to your heart’s content, your direct route is to the forest, under the tree crowns. Huge clearings of snowdrops can be found in the area of the Angara Pass and on the southern slopes of the main ridge, in the Belogorsky region and near Sudak, but anyone who climbed Mount Ayu-Dag in March knows that at the top it is almost entirely covered with a solid white carpet of huge snowdrops.

Snowdrop folded

Cyclamen

This flower is so small and fragile that the snowdrop next to it looks like a real giant! Cyclamen appears one of the first, sometimes long before the arrival of March. And neither wind, nor frost, nor even snowdrifts are afraid of him. In the forest, under the canopy of trees, its tiny inflorescences look like thousands of sparks, like winter fireflies awakening from hibernation.

This flower has character and prefers to grow in only one place on the peninsula - the Kubalach tract, declared a nature reserve. The full name of the flower is Kos cyclamen, although some experts call it Kuznetsov’s cyclamen and consider it a Crimean endemic.

Photographing cyclamen is not so easy. No matter how hard you try, sooner or later you have to lie down on the ground, wriggling like a snake, between the trees and the flowers themselves - God forbid you crush any of them! And in response, they kindly pose, turning either into soft pink moths, or into an elegant pale purple star, or even into the scarlet flames of a tiny fire. Huge drops of cold dew hanging on small silk petals further emphasize the fabulous beauty and tenderness of these inflorescences.

Cyclamen Kos

Lumbago or Dream-grass

From the first days of spring, the slopes of the mountains and foothills of Crimea are decorated with families of fluffy purple buds, reminiscent of small tulips. This dream grass or lumbago is one of the most beautiful and unusual primroses. At first, small furry lumps that do not look like flowers crawl out of the ground covered with last year’s grass, and soon thin blades of grass stretch upward. Following them, beautiful delicate buds open.

As the old legend says, the devil, expelled from Paradise, hid under the wide leaves of dream grass. In order to deprive the adversary of the opportunity to hide, Archangel Michael threw lightning at the flower, which cut the leaves of the flower into long panicles. This is how the second name appeared - lumbago. This flower, in contrast to the previous ones, loves the sun and open space.

Sometimes sleep grass confuses the seasons. In late autumn, a lonely blue bell will suddenly bloom somewhere in the steppe expanse of the Crimean foothills. To everyone's delight, of course.

Lumbago or Dream-grass

Crocus or Saffron

Among the very first, as well as the most graceful primroses, the crocus takes its rightful place. Like some of its other early neighbors, the crocus sometimes has to break through the snow. But how unusual, and at the same time elegant, its bright buds look against a white background.

Usually the crocus has two main colors with a variety of shades in each - from pale yellow to dark orange and from pale blue to dark purple, however, if you are lucky, you can also find a pure white flower. Moreover, no matter what color the flower is, its stamens will always be yellow.

It is thanks to the stamens, of which there are only three in each flower, that the crocus has become popular all over the world, and in some countries it is specially grown on an industrial scale. Saffron is not only its second name, but also the most expensive spice in the world, which is the same dried crocus stamens. Saffron is also called the “golden spice” due to its color and value.

Crocus or Saffron

Primrose or spring primrose

Primrose also sometimes appears from under the snow, but its flowering lasts longer; in the mountains these flowers can be found until the end of May, and purple and white ones are occasionally found among the traditionally yellow inflorescences. Primrose is found in different places on our peninsula, but prefers forested areas where there is no direct sunlight.

This plant was called as many names as possible in ancient times: lady's hands, ears, lambs, golden keys. According to an old legend, the Apostle Peter fell asleep one day and dropped the keys to Paradise from heaven to the sinful earth. Having fallen, they immediately sprouted bright golden flowers, and soon spread throughout the earth.

Unlike many other spring flowers, primrose is not only medicinal, but also edible. Wild rabbits, hares and smaller rodents happily eat the leaves of this flower, replenishing the vitamins lost during the winter.

Primrose

Scilla

In the spring Crimean forest, the dark blue inflorescences of scilla on red-brown stems are clearly visible from afar. Its flowers are unusually elegant, have a delicate aroma of honey, and unopened buds resemble precious sapphires, cut by a skilled jeweler.

Scilla gets along well with snowdrops and sometimes dilutes their snow-white fields with its bright blue islands. Real luck if you manage to come across a scilla with soft pink flowers.

Modern science classifies the scilla as a member of the asparagus family, but previously it was boldly classified either as one of the types of hyacinth or as a lily plant, and it really does look like both!

Scilla

Adonis or Spring Adonis

According to an old legend, the beautiful Adonis was the son of Cypress and Myrrh. Even the goddess of love Aphrodite lost her head when she saw the young man. Without hesitation, Aphrodite kidnapped Adonis, making him her lover. The jealous god of war, Ares, did not like this. Having desired Aphrodite, he turned into a huge ferocious boar and mortally wounded Adonis. Mourning her beloved, Aphrodite decided to preserve his memory by turning the young man’s body into beautiful spring flowers.

This flower loves the sun like no other, it itself is like a little sun - it burns with a bright golden-yellow inflorescence, decorating the open slopes of the Crimean foothills. It is not for nothing that people long ago received a second, more appropriate name - adonis.

Adonis or Spring Adonis

Violet

This one word immediately brings to mind a cute image of a miniature flower with a delicate aroma. The very scientific name of one of the types of violets - Viola odorata - translated from Latin means “fragrant viola”.

The traditional color of violets is purple, but different species have different colors. In Crimea there are also yellow and white ones, and high in the mountains there are even tricolor violet, no worse than the “pansies” that decorate city flower beds.

Violet is one of the most popular garden and indoor plants. You can see all sorts of shapes and colors in our front gardens and on window sills.

In total, there are more than five hundred species of this plant, the progenitor of which is a modest purple flower that meets us in the forest in the spring.

Violet

Iris dwarf

When you first see wild irises, it is difficult not to be surprised when comparing them with garden ones. And the leaves are similar, and the inflorescences are the same, only the size is several times smaller, as if in front of you is a miniature copy. That is why the name is appropriate - dwarf.

Images of iris flowers were found on a fresco that is 4,000 years old. The name we know today was given to it by Hippocrates in the 4th century BC. e., naming the iris in honor of the goddess Iris, who descended to earth along the rainbow. Translated from Greek, "iris" is a rainbow.

In Rus', iris was called iris. Iris blooms in early April, preferring high mountain plateaus and small plateaus illuminated by the sun. Their colors vary in shades, but do not go beyond yellow, blue and purple.

Iris

Peony

In April, when spring is in full swing in Crimea and sometimes it gets a little hot, peonies bloom brightly and abundantly, sometimes occupying an area of hundreds of square meters. There are especially large fields of peonies on the Karabi-yayla mountain plateau, at an altitude of about a kilometer above sea level, and the wide beam cutting the Ak-kaya rock in the Belogorsk region has been called Krasnaya since time immemorial, so many peonies bloom on its slopes.

The narrow-leaved peony - and we are talking about it exactly - grows exclusively under the sun, without fear of its scorching rays, but its brother - the Crimean peony - on the contrary, never leaves the shade of trees, and feels great in the thickets of the Crimean forest.

The Crimean peony is much larger than its narrow-leaved relative, but does not grow as abundantly as that one, preferring to be evenly dispersed throughout the forest. It sometimes happens that both species are adjacent to each other at a distance of several meters, separated only by the border between the forest and open space.

Peony thin-leaved

Schrenk's Tulip

At the end of March, tulips bloom on the southern coast of the Kerch Peninsula, and they don’t just bloom, but cover square kilometers of fields with a colorful carpet, striking in scale and color variety anyone who comes here for the first time. No one knows how long they grow here, but there is an assumption that the inhabitants of the ancient Greek city-states scattered along the Kerch coast traded flower bulbs with the Mediterranean countries. Perhaps it was from here that they first came to Turkey, and then to Holland.

Despite the fact that these tulips are considered wild, they are in no way inferior to garden tulips in beauty. Small in stature, more modest in shape and color, but just as graceful and proud. Red, yellow, white - millions of bright lights scattered across the expanses of the Kerch steppe. Nowhere else in Crimea are there so many wild tulips growing in one huge field.