Vlora has a great climate and so the are many more than 10 Roadside Flowers in Vlora.
The following 10 Roadside Flowers in Vlora are some of the more commonly seen flowers.
Viper’s Bugloss- Echium vulgare L.
The Viper’s Bugloss is in the same family as Borage which is the family Boraginaceae.
Their signature trademark is the beautiful blue bell-shaped flowers.
The name Viper has derived from the thought that the spotted stem resembles a viper. Bugloss is Greek meaning Ox tongue, which the shape of the leaves resembles.
They are very widespread throughout Europe and introduced in other parts of the world.
They are great for beneficial insects such as bees.
Being cultivated as an ornamental it now has many different cultivars.
Wolf’s Milk- Euphorbia helioscopia L.
Wolf’s Milk is commonly referred to as Leafy Spurge.
The white milky sap that comes from the stem, when cut, is where the name comes from.
It is native to Europe and Asia and is an invasive plant in the USA.
I am personally familiar with this plant because when I herded sheep in Montana, they were there to graze the leafy spurge.
The sheep loved it and did an excellent job of clearing it out.
Syrian Thistle- Notobasis syriaca (L.) Cass.
This is a plant that I was particularly interested in because of the beautiful variegated leaves and large purple flowers.
It is native to the Mediterranean area and the Middle East.
On the island of Crete, in Greece, the locals peel its tender shoots and eat them raw.
Balloon Flower- Platycodon grandiflorus
The Balloon flower is the only member of the genus Platycodon.
It is in the family Campanulaceae, which is the Bellflower family.
It is native to East Asia and the Russian far east.
Its name came from the balloon-shaped flower buds.
In Korea, the root is used in cooking but only after it goes through a process to remove the bitterness.
Adriatic Soapwort- Saponaria calabrica Guss.
The Adriatic Soapwort occurs through southern Italy, the Balkan peninsula, and western Turkey.
The flowers are very distinct and pretty. They come in shades of pink and white.
It belongs to the Genus Saponaria. “Sapo” means soap hence, the name soapworts.
Its fellow plant the S. Officinalis provides soap from its leaves or roots.
Squirting Cucumber- Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich.
This is the sole species in the Genus Ecballium.
It is in the same family as cucumbers and the fruits look like small cucumbers.
It possibly acts as a poison when eaten so it is best avoided.
Its method of seed dispersion is where the name originated.
When the fruits are ripe, they squirt out a liquid that contains the seeds.
It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the temperate areas of Asia.
Wild Morning-Glory- Convolvulus arvensis L.
In the Morning Glory family and often called Field Bindweed.
This plant goes up anything upright and winds around the branches and stems of trees and plants.
It can get very heavy and choke out the light and air circulation from the tree or plant.
In central Europe, some uncommon bee species are dependent exclusively on this species of bindweed for pollen.
Poppy- Papaver humile Fedde
This is a very commonly seen poppy.
From Tirana to Vlora as well as in other places around Albania, you can find the poppy.
Usually, in fields with other flowers.
Native to the Eastern Mediterranean areas.
They sport a beautiful, deep red flower with a black center.
Borage- Borago officinalis
A native to the Mediterranean region and very prominent in Vlora.
It is also known as the Starflower due to its very distinct flower shape.
There are many medicinal and herbal uses for seeds and other plant parts.
Borage oil is made from seeds and is purported to be used to treat many different ailments.
There are also side effects to its use.
Used in cosmetics and soap making it is purported to have hydrating properties.
Milk Thistle- Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L.
The Milk Thistle is a member of the Dandelion tribe in the Daisy family.
They are native to Europe and Western Asia.
The young leaves and roots are edible and contain a long list of vitamins and minerals.
A coffee substitute is made from the young roots.
In conclusion, seeing these beautiful roadside flowers in Vlora is quite a sight! Hopefully, now you will be able to identify some of them.
If you are in the mood for more domestic flowers check out this link.
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