Want to learn more about plants and trees in Italy? Read on for facts and info on the diversity of plant Italian life …
The country of Italy has a diverse range of flora and fauna that attracts many people from all over the world. The large majority of its plant life consists of Mediterranean plants. Among the trees that are found in large quantities in Italy are pine, cork wood and ilex. The country allows for extensive cultivation of a diverse collection of herbs including lavender, thyme and rosemary.
When you observe the map of Italy you will find that it is surrounded by ocean waters on three of its four sides. The total coastline of Italy measures more than 8000 km. This provides for a very fertile land which is excellent for the growth of plants and trees. Italy is bordered by the countries of Austria, France, Switzerland and Slovenia. Another important thing to understand is that the islands of Sicily and Sardinia are also counted among the regions of Italy. Although Italy has a diverse topography and much of its land is covered in mountains which is the primary reason for the heavy population of Mediterranean plant life.
Evergreen trees that are found in various regions of Italy include the cork wood, pine and ilex. The holly tree, also known as the Holm oak is also found abundantly in Italy as well. This should not be confused with another oak tree that is known as the holly tree as well. The ilex tree happens to be found in the largest numbers of all of the evergreen trees of Italy. The pine tree is found in a number of different varieties.
Italy also has a number of ancient oak forests and virgin ilex forests in the Calabria region of Tuscany. Similar expanses of land heavily populated with these trees can be found in Umbria and Sardinia. The oldest of these trees have the potential to rise up to more than 15 meters. At full length the trees grow a massive canopy of greenery. With the passage of time these forests have greatly reduced in size because of human intervention. Although the forests still exist today, they are less dense than they used to be once upon a time.
The historical ilex tree is characterized by its leathery evergreen leaves which are contrasted by a black colored bark. In the spring season the ilex sprouts beautiful catkins of flowers. This tree belongs to the Fagaceae family of trees. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia feature virgin cork forests which are also accompanied by the ilex and other varieties of cork wood. This particular tree belongs to the Leitheriaceae family and is sometimes considered to be a shrub more than a tree. Its wood is popularly used for manufacturing many different products in the forestry industry.
