Zakázanka
Menu- Welcome to Zakázanka
- In search of bygone eons
- An example of a reverse fault and a crush zone
- Folds
- A fault separating two geological periods
- Iron ore
- Exposed boundary
- What is growing here (1)
- What is growing here (2)
- Little warm lovers
- Sun lovers
- Bedrock
- Fluvial sandy gravels of the vineyard terrace
- Local denizens of the air
- A window into Prague's geological past
- Iron ore on the zoo grounds
- The rock face bears silent witness
- Regeneration of the rocky steppe
What is growing here
The steep hillsides are suitable for a number of rare plants, which create patches of grass and other plants dotted by bushes and lined with open woodland. We call them xerophytes – plants adapted to the environment with hot summer, a lack of moisture and poor layer of soil.
Golden alyssum
Aurinia saxatilis
In April and May, the rocks are set aglow with luxuriant tufts of gold dust. Its elongated leaves form a low-lying rosette, while its stems, smothered with panicles of striking yellow flowers, extend along the ground to a distance of up to 30 cm.
Bellflower
Campanula gentilis
Native to Central Europe, this undemanding plant grows in all types of soil. Its azure flowers, blooming at the end of the stalks which grow up to 35 cm, bloom from July to September. Campanula gentilis is considered an endangered species.
Creeping thyme
Thymus praecox
This species of thyme forms low-lying clusters on rocks and arid slopes. Flowering from May to June, it has rather large, sparsely arranged, dainty blooms. It occurs in Central Europe, but only sporadically in this country.
Volga fescue
Festuca valesiaca
Its blue-gray leaves and distinctive dense tufts, which can reach 50 cm in height, imbue rocky steppes with a peculiar charm. Volga Fescue blooms in short spikelets on erect stems. In the Czech Republic, it is listed as a species in need of special attention.
