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Since past times people have been exploiting our mountains
, reducing their activities only about thirty years ago.
Their work has with no doubt modified the original aspect
of the valley and particularly the vegetation. They pursued
an elevated deforestation to get lumber and ample surfaces
bound to pastures.
Also they turned vast wooded slopes into chestnut wood. Nevertheless
the constant work of man created new balances.
In the past years things have changed again and we are assisting
to an atypical and infestant vegetation of the lands that
once were overworked. Pastures are covered by high grass
that nobody chops off letting the decay get worse and worse.
The more time passes by, the more "fasce" (terracings)
are invaded by brambles, chestnut woods and oak woods are
dirty and less praticables. Nowadays we can admire
a luxuriant flora on this mountainous island, but it is evident
that this is a transition phase towards new balances, connected
to the inhabitants’ past activities.
The beech tree (Fagus silvatica) is the symbol of
the Trebbia Valley, which finds its natural habitat on steep
calcareous grounds, particularly on damp and fresh slopes
turned northwards. The beech trees take up a big part of
the ground between 800 mt and 1500 mt. above sea level
and their growth is favoured by heavy rainfalls in this area
along with damp winds coming from the sea.
The beech tree has always been one of the main sources of
maintenance for people in these valleys, due to its abundance
and its properties as a good fuel and a good coal supplier.
Also the beech tree was used for manufacturing domestic objects
and agricultural tools: spoons, bowls, rakes and broomsticks.
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Over
1500 mt. the beech tree is less frequent and gives
room to other species of plants that are normally found
in small groups like the rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia)
and the
mountain sorb (Sorbus air); the
first was used as a bird call because of its berries,
while the latter’s
name comes from the widespread white downy on the inferior
part of its leaves. At high altitude one can find the
laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides); in May clusters of
yellow flowers hang down from its branches.
The wonderful mountain maples (Acer pseudoplatanus) by
the distinctive five-pointed leaves, grows everywhere;
in autumn their colour turns into beautiful tones of
yellow, red and ochre. The deforestation process of our
mountains occurred in the past has probably caused the
total disappearance of conifers at high altitude; the
most widespread conifer was the white fir (Abies alba)
that used to grow up at 1600 mt. Some larches (Larix decidua) are still there.
On level clearings, where water tends to stagnate
easily, one can find the white alder (Alnus incana);
as well as the beech trees, the white alder prefers
calcareous grounds. |
In the same habitat the trembling poplar (Populus tremula)
grows, a tree by a tender and light wood.
Below 1000 mt. the beech gradually gives room to other arboreal
species. The most representative plants of the average mountain
and hills are the oak, in various species, and the chestnut
tree. Among the oaks, in the higher zones one can find the
Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) and the durmast (Quercus sessiflora).
In lower zones, particularly on sunny and arid slopes, the
small-sized durmast (Quercus pubescens) prevails.
Numerous trees join the oaks and usually grow in a
scattering way. Particularly frequent are the black hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) and the white hornbeam (Carpinus betulus),
two species which coal was obtained from. Among the hornbeams
one can frequently find the manna-ash ( Fraxinus ornus) that
in May, before chestnut trees, clothes itself with numerous
perfumed inflorescence.
The number of the species is enriched by maples (Acer
campester) and by imposing elms (Ulmus campestris) which
have been considerably reduced in recent times by an illness
that affected them. Near watercourses one can find poplars
(Populus alba and Populus canescens), different kinds of
willows (Salix sp.) and black alders (Alnus glutinosa).
Among fruit plants
the wild cherry (Prunus avium)wild cherry (Prunus avium), the wild pear tree (Pirus communis) and the wild apple tree (Malus communis) are particularly widespread.
The hazel (Corylus avellana) , quite widespread as
well, assumes the features of a tree or a bush according
to the altitude which it grows at. On the fresher slopes
neither too damp nor too sunny, the chestnut tree
(Castanea sativa) once replaced the plants of which
we have talked about, between 800 and 1000 mt.
The imposing height, the big trunk, the ample and stately
foliage , elegant leaves, makes an adult chestnut tree
one of the most beautiful trees. Its wood, resistant
to damp and bad weather, was used in many different
ways, while the chestnuts have been an important source
of maintenance for decades for the inhabitants of the
valley, as a matter of fact it was called "bread
of tree." The depopulation of our mountains has
caused a progressive abandonment of chestnut woods which
once were clean. Today they are often dirty and covered
by tangled vegetation. Chestnut tree woods, abandoned
by men, are about to disappear.
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Among the shrubbery, in the highest zones
one can find the juniper (Juniperus communis), the bramble
(Rubus fruticosus), the raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and the false box (Polygala chamaebuxus). Less frequent, but extremely interesting,
is the beautiful daphne (Daphne mezereum) that one can admire during
spring time when the small pink and perfumed flowers, sprout
from the exiles trunks still without leaves. In some zones
expanses of blueberries are found (Vaccinium myrtiluus). At
a lower height, in the shaded zones or close to wood
borders, one can find the cornel-tree (Cornus mas) with yellow
flowers and the edible fruits, the spindle-tree or “priest’s cap” (Evonymus europaea) so calleed because of the characteristic
shape of its violet and orange fruits , the citysus (Cytisus sessilifolius) with yellow flowers similar to the lotus flowers.
In stony places there are the heather (Erica arborea) in two
varieties with white or pink flowers, the butcher’s
broom (Ruscus aculeatus) whose fruits, small red berries, are
attached to the inferior page of the dark and pointed leaves.
The clematis (Clematis vitalba), that is spreading in worrisome way, invading the ground’s zones once cultivated
and suffocating the surrounding plants and the honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium) with its leaves settled around the bust,
forms hedges of remarkable size. Moreover there are the hawthorn
(Crataegus oxyacantha) and the dog-rose (Rosa canina).
In spring the most arid and landslipped slopes are revived
by the imposing flowering of the broom (Spartium juncum); this one is an extremely tenacious bush, cane shaped and with green
branches that have the same function of leaves, very small
and soon cadocous.
Ferns, that often one does not notice because lacking of flowers,
contribute to enrich brushwoods, stony slopes and walls.
Once the sweet fern (Polypodium volgare), also known as liquorice,
was more abundant, but frequent harvests have made it rather
rare. More numerous are the wall-rue
(Asplenium ruta-muraria)
from the delicate round leaflets and the big sized fern
male (Dryopteris filix-mas) . In the zones where the reforestation
has been effected, under damp and dark blanket of leaves, the aquiline fern is found (Pteridium aquilinum)
while on the sunny and stony slant, one can meet the notholaena (Notholaena marantae).
UpEvery year, when trees in woods are still
awaiting the first spring days to open their buds, the expanse
of leaves is revived from numerous primulas (Primula acaulis)
that brave the
rigid winter days. The hellebore (Helleborus viridis) is there
as well . The wood enriched by lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis)
with tomentous and punctate of white leaves and with
delicate anemones (Anemone trifolia). Rarer and solitary are
the teeth of dog (Erythronium dens-canis) that remind cyclamens,
and the little bellflowers (Leucojum vernum) whose sepals have
a greenish stain at the apex. Among leaves there is the liverwort (Hepatica triloba) and among bushes the scilla (Scilla bifolia).
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In the damp grassy
zones or where the snow mantle is already reduced in
terms of thickness, the crocuses (Crocus vernus) sprout.
In the month of May the gentian (Gentiana Kochiana),
the primrose (Primula veris), the ”sambucina” orchid (Dactyloriza sambucina) in the varieties red and yellow
and the ”nigritella” (Nigritella nigra) bloom as well Alsothe big gentian (Gentiana
lutea), the viola butterfly (Viola calcarata) and the globe-flower (Trollius europaeus)
do. In proximity
of Casa del Romano (Roman’s house), close to
Fontanarossa, above the inhabited area of Fascia and
on the whole ridge towards Mount Antola we assist to
imposing flowering of narcissuses (Narcissus poeticus). Before
the appearance of flowers the poisonous white hellebore (Veratrum album) is like the big gentian, rarely accompanied
by the black hellebore (Veratrum nigrum) with its flowers
gathered in reddish spikes. The gentian is distinguishable
because of its opposite leaves, while in the white
hellebore they are scattered. The fritillary (Fritillaria tenella) is very rare and retraceable only on
particular grounds, it have a beautiful and violaceous
corolla with check pattern, reclined towards the ground. |
At the beginning of
Summer the
pond lily (Lilium croceum) and the martagon (Lilium martagon) spring up. on the highest lawns, especially
on the Mount Antola area, one can find two flowers
that remind the alpine environment: the arnica (Arnica
montana) and the alpine aster (Aster alpinus).
In Summer brushwoods are rich of flowers that prefer
dampness and they grow away from sunshine. The most frequent
species are the columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) with the
corolla formed by five spurs, the digitalis (Digitalis
aurea) whose flowers are lined up on the long stems and
all turned towards the same direction and the wild geranium (Geranium selvaticum).
In places more exposed it is recovered the St. Bernardo lily (Anthericum liliago), the daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
while real pioneers of the rocks and heedless of the
sun and of the drought are the Venomous herb (Ecchium vulgare), the polygala (Polygala vulgaris) with the lilac
or purple flowers, the saxifrage (Saxifraga bulbosa),
some succulent plants of the family of the crassulacees
(Sedum album, Sedum acre, Sempervivum tectorum). The
beginning of autumn, both in the hilly zone and the mountainous
zone, is announced by the colchicum (Colchicum autumnale).
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(Text based on the book "An island among the mountains" by Fabrizio Capecchi, Croma Editions 1990)
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