3/4 years old oaklings (Quercus pubescens) growing in natural guilds with wild asparagus, Inula viscosa.
regrò in Tuscany, 2019 vs 2022
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Pioneer plants such as Inula viscosa and Scottish broom help create favourable conditions for young oaks to establish, thus re-growing the native forest. These plants' life cycle allows beneficial legumes to find shade and moisture during dry months, enabling the whole ecosystem to regenerate.
Flowering Inula viscosa is an important resource for pollinators such as wild and domestic bees. Its leaves and flowers are rich in a ketone, the Inuline, proven to fight the Varroa destructor, a parasite responsible of enormous damage to colonies. Inula viscosa flowers from September to late October and, in this area, is among the few flowers bees can feed on before the cold season.