Flora

Oak-hornbeam woods in the plains

The oak-hornbeam woodsmake up the potential vegetation of part of the Friulian high and lowlands, except for the "Magredi", the sheltered and swampy areas. The woods include a combination of common oak, field elm and ash, and rare traces of aspen. The shrubs include Staphylea pinnata, Prunus padus and Salix cinerea in the wetter soils besides Prunus spinosa, Viburnum opulus, Corylus avellana, Crataegus levigata and Cornus mas.

Oak-hornbeam woods in the hills

Moving from the plains towards the hills, the other potential formation that can be well-noted in the less disturbed areas is
prevalently the common oak and hornbeam, whereas going up the slopes you can see the oak woods and still higher up the chestnut. Other species are the cherry, manna-ash, field maple, and sporadic traces of the hop-hornbeam. Among the
shrubs are Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum opulus, Ruscus aculeatus and Euonymus europaeus, and the grassy level includes early blooming of some geophytes (particularly Anemone nemorosa and
Crocus napolitanus).

English oak

An imposing majestic oak tree, the English oak has always been considered a symbol of strength, an object of veneration and worship by Greeks, Celts and northern peoples. The English oak used to be the most abundant component of the woodlands, which in the past covered the Friulan plains, remembered by Strabene (historian and geographer from the 1° century B.C.) in hisdescription of the Stiva lupanica (= forest den of wolves). This species, related to the European hornbeam, the narrow-leafed ash, the field elm, the field maple and to other minor species, used to make up extensive woodlands that, starting under Roman rule, were gradually cut down to make space for agriculture. In our region only isolated samples of oak trees can be found, on the edges of fields, along
hedges, in parks, as a reminder and proof of its presence in much larger quantities in the past. The English oak (Quercus robur) can reach a considerable size, up to 40 metres in height. Its trunk is robust and the branches form a very wide and abundant
crown. Its bark is a greyish-brown colour and ridged, which cracks with age. It can live up to several centuries. Its leaves are lobed and at the base, near the leaf-stalk, there are two "small ears". The male and female flowers, which are not particularly
eye-catching, appear in the spring on the same plant (monoecious). Its fruit is the well-known acorn, which grows in groups of two to five on long stalks of an elongated oval shape. The English oak prefers cool, deep and fertile land with an abundant water supply.
In the municipality of Pagnacco there is an impressive English oak specimen, catalogued as one of the great trees of Friuli Venezia Giulia; it is located in the castle villa of Fontanabona, an old medieval village. It is more than two hundred years old, 23 metres high and its circumference, measured at 1.30 m from the ground, is over 5 metres.

Elder

The elder is a shrub that can reach a height of about six metres. It is spontaneous and adapts easily to any climatic condition with a preference for damper areas. The leaves are odd-pinnate with 5-7 small elliptic toothed leaflets. It produces juicy black berries that are used to produce excellent syrups and jams with slight laxative properties. The berries attract endless birds, particularly the blackcap, which devours them and helps to disseminate the species. All the parts of the plant have officinal properties, particularly the flowers and leaves that are used as a diuretic and anti-catarrhal.

Birch

The tall slender trunk, with drooping branchlets and mainly white bark make this tree easily recognised, particularly in winter. In this area it grows spontaneously either singularly or in small groups, in sparse woods on the moraine hills and the piedmont area. The birch is a tree that grows well in poor soils, preferably acidy, provided that they are well aerated and wet. Although it looks delicate and gentle it is a tough tree and resists cold weather. It is very demanding in terms of light. The white colour of the bark is given by betulin, a substance that protects the plant from stripping by animals, making it impermeable and protecting it from rot. The thin rhomboid shaped leaves have an evident point, double toothing along the longest sides; they are arranged alternately on the branches and fall in autumn after turning a golden yellow colour. It is a monoicous plant, which means that it has unisexual flowers (male and female) on the same plant. The male inflorescences are gathered in groups of 3-6 cm long catkins, whereas the female inflorescences are located at the axil of the short branches and are erect at the time of blooming, which takes place between April and May. The fruit matures between July and October and derive from the female catkins; they consist of numerous tiny finned achenes covered in scale.

Common Ash

This tree belongs to the Oleaceae family, and is known as Common Ash; it can reach a considerable height (up to 40 m) and is found throughout the Italian peninsula. The trunk is straight and cylindrical with a smooth and olive-coloured bark at first, which then becomes a brownish-grey with longitudinal cracks. The buds are velvety and black in colour. The large deciduous leaves are made of 9-11 pairs of leaflets that are minutely toothed and are dark green on the top part gradually getting lighter towards the bottom. The hermaphrodite flowers, united in an axil panicle- shaped inflorescence of a greenish colour that bloom in March/April before the leaves are without a calyx and the corolla have a very short stamen. The fruit is samara with an elongated head containing the seed and a narrow lanceolate calice wing.

Chestnut

This tree thrives in acidic soils and mild climatic conditions. It can be found in the hills and sub-mountain areas and is one of the main components of the woods, whereas it is not present at all on the plains of the Po. The trunk is straight, ramified high up with a wide crown. The bark is brownish-grey and smooth when young; it gets thicker as it grows older. The chestnut tree can reach a
considerable age and size. In this region, particularly in eastern Friuli, there are imposing secular examples. The lanceolate, 10-20 cm leaves are alternated on the branch and have sharp toothed edges. The chestnut blooms in June; the male flowers are united in long 10-20 cm catkins with two or three female flowers rich with pollen and nectar at the base. The chestnuts vary from 1 to 3 in a spiky husk that opens in Autumn. Chestnuts are very nutrient as their composition is similar to wheat; they have energetic, remineralising, tonic, antianaemic, stomachich and antiseptic properties. Chestnuts can be roasted to give the famous and tasty "caldarroste", whereas the "ballotte" are boiled chestnuts that have been aromatised with laurel leaves. Over the past century, the chestnut has been struck by two serious diseases: the "ink disease" caused by a parasite fungus that attacks the tissues of the tree trunk to progressively dry it out and "bark cancer", which likewise is caused by a fungus that has decimated the chestnut groves. The flora in the underbrush of the chestnut woods consists of species that prefer siliceous soils. In fact, the bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) with large fronds is quite common, goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus) during the blossoming period (June), thanks to its evident white inflorescence and the male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) can be found in the denser woodlands.

Bird Cherry Tree

This tree is not very widespread in the northern regions of Italy, from the lowlands to the highlands, preferably in acid soils that are rich with humus. During the month of May the visible white bloom of the bird cherry stands out on the dark green leafy background, producing an intense almondy fragrance. It is a truly beautiful sight that makes it a shrub with appreciated ornamental properties.
The clusters of black berries attract many birds that feed on it, especially blackbirds, thrushes, magpies, blackcaps that in this way contribute to spreading the species. The wood, as soon as it is cut, has an unpleasant smell; it is used as fuel and for carving or lathing work. The "maraschiàt" (a Friulian term) has a shrub-like inclination even if it can grow to become a slender tree reaching a height of about 20 metres. Besides growing isolated with just a few other specimens along the Cormôr valley it generally forms hedgerows at the sides of the woodlands or roads.

Hazelnut

The most common shrub among them all. It prefers slightly shaded environments, but can take root in almost any type of soil, provided it is damp. The leaf is heart-shaped with toothed margins and measures about 8/10 cm. The fruit, which is much sought after by squirrels, jays, woodpeckers, muscardines are the nuts. The nuts mature in late summer and are used for nougats, ice-cream and sweets of various kind.

Hawthorne

This species is common in all hedgerows; it is particularly visible during the months of May-June, when it is full bloom with its characteristic white flowers that have a pink hue. In this case too, it is a species that adapts perfectly to almost any soil with a preference for sunny areas. At the beginning of autumn this shrub produces red berries that attract birds, hares and mice.

Hornbeam (Carpino betulus).

Also known as the common hornbeam, this tree does not have a very long life. It can reach a height of 20/25 m, and has a dense
broad rounded crown. The trunk is erect in irregular sections with a reddish grey bark and few transversal cracks. The shiny green oval leaves are pointed, serrated, with a well marked vein; they are dark green on the top and with slight hair (particularly in spring) on the underside. The unisex flowers are grouped in catkins and appear at the same time as the leaves or a little before. The male inflorescence hangs and is soft, whereas the female inflorescence is shorter. The hornbeam is a tree that prefers rich and very damp soils, while it refuses those that are too compact and peaty. The common hornbeam is planted coppice given its considerable pollinating properties and is used to line the sides of roads.

Norway Maple

This tree can be found in the central-northern regions of Italy. It is used to line roadsides, gardens, parks and is also used as wind breakers. The Norway maple, which is also called a platanoid, has tree-like behaviour with a straight trunk and globe-shaped crown: it can reach a height that varies from around 4 to 20 metres. The leaves are palmate with a pointed tip and a 10-15 cm long blade, if the petiole and leaf lobes are broken, a milky white liquid seeps out. The leaves are dark green and turn an intense yellow in autumn. The corymb inflorescence of the flowers are hermaphrodite and of a yellowish colour; blooming starts in April up to May. The fruit is double samara shaped with elongated wing. The platanoid maple is used for ornamental purposes given the decorative colour of the leaves. It grows well in all soil types, preferring the damper, deeper ones with a good clay content, regardless of exposure.

Mountain Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)

This tree is a variety that can reach a height of 30m. It has a rather thick dark green crown. The straight trunk has a thin greyish bark, which is smooth at first and then cracks with age. The deciduous leaves opposite each other have a 3-5 lobed palmate blade with pointed tips and toothed margins. The top part is dark green, opaque and marked with evident veins, whereas the underside is lighter. The unisex flowers (monoecious species), are gathered in dense and narrow hanging panicles; the male has a calice and a small greenish corolla. This maple, which is of European origin, stands out from the other species in our area due to its extremely evident veining in the leaf and serrated margins.

The Meadow

In the moraine hills the woodland formations are often alternated by glades, that is, clearings that are used for the production of forage originating from deforestation and particular soil conditions. The vegetation mainly consists of grass of various species that together form a particular environment, which is known as the meadow. We can tell if man has interfered in these areas, by mowing and fertilising, because some of the most significant plant growth is a graminacae, the tall meadow oat (Arrhenaiherum elatius) and several leguminous plants such as the white clover (Trìfolium repens), the meadow clover (Trìfolium pratense), bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and the black medick (Medicago lupulina). Among the graminacae is the orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) and timothy (Phleum pratense). The large quantity of coloured blooms also appear, such as the oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum
vulgare), lawndaisy (Bellis perennis), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and common yarrow (Achillea millefolium). In the glades, at the edges of the woodland there are numerous spring blooms such as the primrose (Primula vulgarìs), violets (hirta, reichenbachiana, riviniana, alba, odorata) and the yellow woodland anemone (Anemone ranunculoides).