Het dorsproces van de Gewone brunel (Prunella vulgaris) in een heel kort filmpje. Van gedroogde plant naar zaadje in 36 seconden. #CruydtHoeck #Dorsen #InheemseBloemen #Bloemzaden #Bloemen #Natuur #Biodiversiteit #NativeSeeds #Biodiversity #Flowers #Seedhead #GewoneBrunel #PrunellaVulgaris

Flowers of the Kampina – Part 3

Summer in the Kampina is a feast for the senses, and nowhere is this more evident than in its wildflowers.

I began with Sagittaria graminea (smalbladig pijlkruid), its delicate white petals catching the morning light, while a honeybee worked busily at the top of the frame. Nearby, the toxic yet beautiful Cicuta virosa (waterscheerling) stood tall, its blossoms framed by a shimmering bokeh from the water behind.

The humble Prunella vulgaris (gewone brunel or bijenkorfje) was next—a true bee magnet. I captured it with my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E 65mm macro lens, a rare, specialized lens that magnifies from life-size to five times life-size without additional accessories. It’s a tool for those who want to dive into the smallest worlds nature hides.

At the northeast near Huisvennen, I wandered into a sea of blooming clover. My photo shows just one flower, but the meadow was alive with bees darting between blossoms.

The heath is also in bloom, painting the landscape in purples and pinks. In the early morning, unopened buds still held tiny dew droplets—each a perfect lens for the rising sun.

Finally, the Galeopsis tetrahit, here in a pale form with purple specks. While modest in appearance, it belongs to the vast orchid family—one of the oldest and most diverse plant families on Earth.

Next: Part 4 – Birds of the Kampina.

Hashtags:
#Wildflowers #Kampina #MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #SagittariaGraminea #CicutaVirosa #PrunellaVulgaris #CloverFlower #HeathInBloom #GaleopsisTetrahit #OrchidFamily #BeeFriendly #PollinatorLove #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MacroMagic #FloralPhotography #BotanyLovers #PlantScience #FlowerDetails #TinyWorld #FlowerMacro #InsectPollination #BeePhotography #NatureArt #BokehLovers #MorningDew #BloomSeason #SummerFlowers #WildFlora #NatureObservation #PhotographyForTheSoul #BotanicalBeauty #PlantDiversity #WildflowerSeason #HiddenNature

Several flowering spikes of Common Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris, Kleine Braunelle) grow among grasses and other meadow vegetation. In the left part of the image, a seed head of Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata, Spitzwegerich)

#flowers #meadow #selfheal #prunellavulgaris #kleinebraunelle #braunelle #ribwort #plantain #plantagolanceolata #spitzwegerich

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris, Kleine Braunelle) is a low-growing perennial herb with purple to violet flowers, commonly found in meadows, grasslands, and along roadsides across temperate regions. It thrives in well-drained soils and tolerates a range of conditions from sun to partial shade.
Self-heal plays an important role in supporting biodiversity. Its flowers provide nectar and pollen for many pollinators, including bees and butterflies. The plant also helps stabilize soil and can improve ground cover in disturbed areas. Additionally, it serves as a food source for some herbivorous insects and contributes to habitat complexity in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Traditionally, self-heal has been used in herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties. It is often applied to minor cuts, bruises, and sore throats, promoting faster recovery and soothing inflammation.
Often also called heart-of-the-earth has been selected as a "Wild Plant 2023" by the Loki Schmidt Foundation to draw attention to this decline and the loss of species-rich meadows. I realized that in our meadow plenty of this flowers grow after the first (hay) cut.

#flower #wildflowers #meadows #nativeplants #selfheal #prunella #prunellavulgaris #kleinebraunelle #braunelle #pollinators #biodiversity

Velvet grass, a highly invasive species, has killed dogs and cats, and contains enough cyanide that it has even killed goats who ate too much. A turf grass that not only chokes out other species, it is allopathic and poisons its neighbors, and can inhibit tree growth. Introduced to my watershed in the form of two grass hay bales, spread on a small landslide in the winter of 2017.
My watershed is a rarity having high densities of healthy intact CA native prairie. In a few short years this shit has moved throughout the watershed. I spent 80 hrs in 2018 pulling velvet grass from ground zero, but unfortunately it escaped off site, and is colonizing the watershed at an alarming pace, spread by heavy equipment, car tires and the wind.
I just pulled every velvet grass seedling, before it set seed, on both sides of a four mile stretch of road. Im tired, heartbroken, and very angry.
My advice from doing decades of watershed restoration .......never, ever, ever, use any bales except rice straw as mulch.
Photos, Before and after weeding velvet grass (holcus lantanus) out of the ditch.
A lovely green and purple, low growing bed of Self-Heal ( prunella vulgaris) emerges. Self-Heal is both edible and medicinal.
#PrunellaVulgaris
#SelfHeal
#InvasivePlants
#VelvetGrass
#HolcusLantanus