Following on from our Guide to Hvar’s Wildflowers – Spring Edition, I’ve been out and about looking for what’s in bloom at the end of summer. These are mostly in the high country around the peak of Sv Nikola and on the Vorh plateau, although some are down around sea-level, even right on the beach in some cases.

Black pine and heather on Vorh

I have to say I was encouraged to find so many wildflowers in September, after what has been a scorching summer. My aim in writing the blog is to identify each one, and tag the photos with an official name in Latin, English and Croatian. With my previously somewhat inexpert pictures in mind, this time I was careful to include more of the plant (leaves, seedpods, etc) in my reference photos. And let’s hope the upcoming new series of that wonderful Croatian TV series  Lovac na bilje, (The Plant Hunter) includes  a trip to the Dalmatian coast and islands, as that could really help me identify the plants here!

Flowers on the beach, Sv Klement

Here’s the reference table of late-summer flowers. Usual disclaimer applies: while I have a reasonable confidence in most of the names, some are tentative especially when very similar suspects exist! I’d welcome any feedback from those with a rather better grounding in botany! Click on the images for a bigger picture, and links take you to wikipedia or plantea to find out more.

Antirrhinum majus Snapdragon Zijevalica

Calamintha napeta Lesser calamint Velecvjetna gorska metvica Mint family but could be wild basil?

Calluna vulgaris Heather Vrijesak

Campanula pyramidalis Chimney bellflower Piramidalni zvončić

Capparis spinosa Caper Kapar

Centaurea glaberrima Tausch or Centaurea jacea Bare knapweed Livadna zečina Not sure exactly which variant of Centaurea this is. Reference pictures differ!

Cephalaria leucantha Ivory scabious Bijela Glavatka Flower head is actually a round ball, hence the Croatian name of White head!

Cichorium intybus Chicory Cikorija

Cirsium vulgare Common thistle Obični osjak

Crithmum maritimum Samphire Motar This photo taken on a Sv Klement beach. A similar plant is Salicornia, which turns red as it ages. Both samphire and salicornia are used in cooking.

Daucus carota Wild carrot Divlja mrkva

Diplotaxis tenuifolia Perennial wall-rocket Uskolisni dvoredac

Dittrichia viscosa Woody or sticky fleabane Ljepljini oman / brušćinac / bušina

Ecballium Squirting cucumber Divlji krastavac

Echinops ritro Southern globethistle Globus čičak

Eryngium Amethystinum Amethyst sea-holly Plavi kotrljan

Foeniculum vulgare Fennel Komorač or koromač

Hedera helix poetarum Nyman European ivy Bršljan This version of ivy is native to southern Europe, and the flowers are high in nectar. Which is why this mound of ivy on Vorh was absolutely swarming with happy bees and butterflies! This one is a Cardinal.

Heliotropium europaeum European heliotrope Europska bradavka

Inula Crithmoides / Limbarda crithmoides Golden Samphire Primorski oman Compare to samphire/motar above

Knautia arvenensis Field scabious Poljska prženica

Limonium cancelatum Lattice sea-lavender Rešetkasta mrižica or Rešetkasta travulja This tiny variant of sea-lavender appears to be local to Croatia. Seen on Sv Klement beach.

Opuntia ficus-indica Opuntia / prickly pear Opuncija An exotic import from Mexico that grows well here!

Pistacia terebinthus Turpentine tree Smrdljika The berries on this bush are really pretty, but the Croatian name is “Smelly“

Plumbago europaea Common leadwort Vranjemil? Few references  even mention this European version of plumbago! Flower looks very similar to the Scilla (below), but this has 5 petals, not 6 and the clusters are different.

Scilla autumnalis or Prospero autumnale Autumn squill Jesenji procjepak In this case, the leaves are misleading as they belong to another plant!

Sonchus asper Perennial sow-thistle Modrozeleni ostak or Kostriš

Thymus vulgaris Thyme Timijan

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them”

~ A.A. Milne