One of the protagonists of the Elban springtime is the sweet scent of the brooms.
Brooms are plants that are resistant and can easily grow in the arid climate of the Island of Elba.
The thorny broom, one of the two types that grow on Elba the other is the local “pruno caprino, adapts well to the land destroyed by forest fires, it likes rocky, sunny places and even the powerful salty winds don’t prevent it from exploding into very bright blooms.
They are all leguminous, therefore their fruit is a pod, but don’t eat the seeds because they are toxic!
In the months of April and May soon after the thorny broom flowers , it is followed by the common broom and with its deep roots it can adapt and thrive on every type of soil, provided it does not retain moisture.
Unlike the “pruno caprino” which is closely linked to the coastal area of the Mediterranean, the common broom reaches all the way to the Apennines, even at 1400 meters. On Mount Etna it is also can be found at a height of 2,000.
A broom common to a hilly and mountain environment grows spontaneously on Mount Capanne.
It is the broom of the charcoal burners, with typically furrowed and angular branches.
It is called charcoal because the low flammability of the plant means that it burns very slowly and allows it to become high quality coal.
Still on Mount Capanne another broom, with a very different appearance stands out amongst the gray granite of the mountain with spectacular yellow cushiony flowers, it is thorny and impenetrable, offering the shelter to small animals and plants that would otherwise be easy prey of wild boars and wild goat. In this short video you can see some glimpses from the insular spring!
Graziano Rinaldi
