Wild flora on Elba: report by botanical guide and MPG member Goffredo Filibeck
Friday 28 March to Saturday 5 April 2025
Members arrived on the Friday and made their way independently to hotels in central Pisa, a few minutes’ walk from the central station. The group had been asked to meet on the station at 8am to be issued with their train tickets by Cathy Rollinson. One or two laggards had to be prised from their hotels at the last minute but all safely boarded the train south to the Piombino ferry for the crossing to Elba. Goffredo, our invariably reliable and patient guide, was at the station to meet the group, with ferry tickets in hand. The garishly colourful vessel was waiting for the crossing to Portoferraio on Elba’s north coast and – after the complicated journey – everyone had checked in to the Belmare Hotel by lunchtime. Goffredo’s account of the week follows.
Saturday 29 March
A short and relaxed botanical walk after lunch, between the sea cliffs and the ramparts of Porto Azzurro’s fortress, for a first acquaintance with the island’s coastal flora. The rocks were carpeted with the yellow flowers of Lotus cytisoides. Hedges and fences featured glorious flowering of Vicia benghalensis (a Mediterranean large annual) and the lovely Allium triquetrum at more nutrient-rich sites. On shallow soils, there was the tiny but enchanting annual grass Lamarckia aurea, while on rocks Phagnalon saxatile and Matthiola incana. There were many more species in flower, so that we actually walked for only a few hundred metres!
Vicia benghalensis
Lamarckia aurea
Sunday 30 March
In the morning, we drove to Cavo, where we took a circular walk on the north-facing coastal slopes which were covered with thick maquis (scrubby underbrush) and holm-oak coppice wood and the interesting occurrence of Juniperus thurifera. We discussed the ecology of some typical components of the maquis, such as the perennial (and highly flammable) grass Brachypodium retusum and the thorny liana Smilax aspera. The trail was exceptionally muddy because of recent flooding, so we took a short cut down for lunch at the marina of Cavo. In the afternoon we drove back to the surroundings of Porto Azzurro, where we parked under a majestic century-old Pinus pinea (stone pine) for a short but steep walk to the spectacularly located monastery of Madonna di Monserrato, perched among steep reddish rocks covered with wild olives and the endemic thorny broom Genista desoleana. Along the trail we observed plenty of Selaginella denticulata (a Mediterranean dwarf fern resembling a moss), Hyoseris radiata, Allium triquetrum, many species of Erodium. A hidden, half-abandoned orange garden was an intriguing bonus.
Monserrato monastery
Monday 31 March
We drove to the Enfola promontory, where we took a walk on its south-facing slopes, with spectacular views over the coastline of Elba. The southern and sheltered aspect of the slope made the plants (in the garrigue and low maquis) flower earlier compared to most other sites on the island, so that we could see the first flowers of all the three species of Cistus (C. salvifolius, C. creticus and C. monspeliensis).
The tropical relict Anthyllis barba-jovis (an unusual woody example of the genus) was in full flower. Euphorbia dendroides (another relict of ancient tropical floras) was in sight on steep cliffs. Lavandula stoechas was widespread and in flower. The thorny broom Calicotome villosa – widespread on the whole island – was covered with yellow flowers.
Cistus salvifolius
Lavandula stoechas at Enfola Cape
We then drove to the old town in Portoferraio (the island’s capital) where we visited Napoleon’s villa and we walked along the old walls of the fortress, where we could admire the endemic Linaria capraria in flower, along with views of Capraia island and the snow-capped northern Apennines. Other interesting plants on the old walls included capers (Capparis spinosa) and tree mallow (Malva arborea).
Portoferraio old town
Linaria capraria in Portoferraio
Tuesday 1 April
We drove to the hilltop village of San Piero in Campo, from where we took a very long hike down to Seccheto. The shortcut envisaged in the original plan turned out to be overgrown, so the route was longer than expected. Strong northerly winds prompted us to find shelter for our picnic inside an ancient watermill – the large mill stone served as a chopping-board. Beautiful views of Montecristo and Pianosa islands – and of snow-capped Corsica. Most plants were – strangely enough – still in a winterish mood, with very few flowers except Cytisus villosus which was vigorously flowering in the maquis. However, we crossed some lovely creeks with patches of alders and a layer of Anemone apennina in flower.
Creek Crossing
Cytinus ruber above Seccheto
Here and there, there was Aristolochia rotunda. At lower elevation, we found large numbers of the extraordinary (and showy) parasitic plant Cytinus clusii, that lives only on Cistus roots and comes out (with its crimson mushroom-like inflorescences) for just a few weeks in a year.
Wednesday 2 April
Some of us felt a bit stiff after the long walk of the day before, so we decided to have a quieter day with very short walks at a number of different locations. In particular, we wanted to look for orchids, which meant exploring old fields and olive groves rather than stony maquis slopes. Thanks to a suggestion from our bus driver, we first went to Forte Focardo, a Spanish fort at the other end of Porto Azzurro bay. Here we found the orchid Anacamptis papilionacea, together with other geophytes such as Arisarum vulgare and more Cytinus clusii. On the beach were many Pancratium maritimum (not yet, of course, in flower). In a parking lot nearby, we could observe the interesting flowers of a banana tree and their development into fruits. We then stopped at some old olive groves near Capoliveri, thanks to some members who had spotted them from the bus window: here there were amazing carpets of the large and showy orchid Serapias neglecta, endemic to southern France, Corsica and north-west Italy; mixed with the smaller Serapias lingua, while on road verges there were two species of bee orchids, Ophrys sphegodes and Ophrys incubacea.
Serapias lingua
Serapias neglecta
Finally, we drove to Lacona, the only preserved system of beach dunes on the island, where we could admire a carpet of the rare annual Matthiola tricuspidata under Pinus pinea. In the parking areas behind the beach were further populations of Serapias neglecta. On the beach, we discussed the ecological role of the submerged plant (endemic to the Mediterranean) Posidonia oceanica and of the dune-building plants that used to live on the shore.
Matthiola tricuspidata on Lacona beach
Thursday 3 April
This morning, the local police had to close the only road into Porto Azzurro for many hours because of a serious accident so, while waiting for our bus to arrive, we walked directly from the hotel to explore the hills above the town. This proved to be very rewarding, as some fallow fields were carpeted with the orchid Serapias neglecta, along with other spectacular flowers such as Chrysanthemum segetum, C. coronarium, Urospermum dalechampii and Lupinus gussoneanus. Spanish broom (Spartium junceum) was coming into flower. We also met a lonely individual Gladiolus italicus. When the road finally opened and the bus reached us, we drove to Rio Elba, a hilltop town, for lunch and to visit its ancient wash house. We then took a short walk to Santa Caterina sanctuary – its garden was closed, but the views were lovely and the place was relaxing and conducive to a meditative mood. Finally, we drove to Barbarossa beach from where we could walk to Laghetto Terranera, a lake that formed because of the excavations of one of the old iron mines for which Elba is famous.
Lupinus gussoneanus
Friday 4 April
Long drive to Marciana Alta, an impressively located and fortified hilltop village at the western end of the island. From here we walked the north-facing slopes of Mount Capanne, the highest mountain on Elba, up to a granite outcrop with views of Corsica and Capraia. Apart from Erica arborea, most plants were not in flower yet, however there were pleasant creeks lined with alder trees and the vegetation was quite different compared to the rest of the island. On the granite outcrops, huge thorny bushes of Genista desoleana grew – this is a cushion-plant of harsh montane Mediterranean habitats, endemic to Sardinia, Corsica and Elba. We then explored the old walls of Marciana (with Matthiola incana) and later we moved to the springs where the mineral water “Napoleone” is bottled. In the surrounding moist woods, we could find Cyclamen repandum and Anemone apennina flowering, together with the catkins of Ostrya carpinifolia (hop hornbeam). Finally we drove to the harbour of Marciana Marina, for an ice cream and a look at Limonium ilvae.
Footnote from Heather Martin
The departure day, Saturday 5 April, was leisurely, with a relaxed morning in Porto Azzurro before going to the ferry. Farewells to Goffredo and to the more independent travellers preceded the onward bus journey to Pisa airport. Most of the group flew out that evening with just a few staying over to take an early flight on the Sunday. Goffredo’s kindness and caring guidance were praised as was Cathy’s efficiency in having been the management committee representative. Many thanks to Goffredo for this report including the images, and to Lesley Jones for her regular bulletins on social media.
Additional image credits go to Sara Robinson (image of the ferry) and Sona Harrap (image of the group).
