The flora of Périgord in South-West France is abundant and diverse. In this blog you can find, in pictures, brief encounters with several hundreds of wild flowers and plants as they grow here in French Perigord. Following the seasons other species are added. An index of scientific and English names you find below on the right.

Corine Oosterlee is a botanist and photographer and she offers guided Botanical Walks and other activities around plants and vegetation in nature in Perigord. Do you want to know more? On www.baladebotanique.fr you can find more information. For Corine's photography see www.corineoosterlee.com. Both websites also in English.

Enjoy!




January 11, 2009

Common Dogwood


It’s the winter sun that gives the branches of the Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) their colour. A red pigment, anthocyanin, is formed under influence of light and cold. It protects the twigs against the harmful effects of sunlight.























Dogwood is very common among the scrubs in dry and calcareous areas. It makes patches of colour in a wintery landscape, as you see when you look with nearly closed eyes.