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The Arctic hare is the smaller of Estonia’s two hare species, and its coat is white in winter, just like its name refers to, and greyish brown in the summer months. Although the rabbits are considered to be the embodiment of cowardice, a cornered female hare or a male hare holding a tournament can fight furiously, boxing with its forepaws and kicking with its hind legs if necessary. The hare mother hides her sons in separate hiding places or hollows under the forest and usually suckles them only once a day after sunset, so the little ones have to manage most of the day alone. Therefore, Arctic hare pups have a perfect coat and open eyes right after they are born. The Arctic hare feeds on herbs, bark, and shoots; in winter, it digs heather and blueberry, and rowan shoots out from under the snow.
The life of a predominantly nocturnal house mouse is inextricably linked to humans. This little rodent chooses people’s homes or other buildings with plenty of food for its place of residence. During the summer, it can also work temporarily in fields or gardens where it digs simple burrows. The house mouse is an omnivore that prefers a fat and protein-rich vegetable diet but does not refuse lard, cheese, or insects. Thanks to its excellent digestion, it can even temporarily feed on soap, glue, or candle grease! The house mouse is a real survivor with a very diverse lifestyle, whose biggest enemies are humans, their cats, and dogs, but also brown rats in case of overlapping habitats. For humans, the house mouse is not only a nuisance but also a blessing, as it is the most widely used test animal in medicine and pharmacy.
The striped field mouse lives in river valleys, moist forest edges, and bushes and spends a lot of time in burrows it dug itself. Since the striped field mouse does neither sleep nor nap in winter, it stores various foods in its burrow for the cold months: insects, worms, and snails, as well as plant seeds, shoots, buds, and fruits. During the cold months, it can often move temporarily into buildings. Like other mice, the striped field mouse reproduces rapidly and can have 3-4 litters in one summer, each with up to a dozen pups. At the same time, it has many natural enemies, from predators to wild boars, birds of prey, and snakes.
The brown rat is one of the most common alien species. The animal of Chinese origin has spread around the world as a result of human activities. In Estonia and elsewhere, the brown rat has displaced the smaller domestic rat with a gentler character from its habitats. While the domestic rat prefers vegetarian food, the brown rat prefers animal stuff, hunts all the animals it can overcome, and is happy to eat carcasses. It is a skilled climber and swimmer who is most active at dusk. As a highly social animal, the brown rat lives in colonies with a strict social order, mostly established by a leading rat couple. The brown rat is an animal closely related to humans and usually chooses its habitat in the immediate vicinity of human settlements.
The life of a beaver, Europe’s largest rodent, runs close to running water. A beaver is a great swimmer who can close its nose and ear canals while diving. The flattened tail of a beaver is very suitable for steering in water and speeding up swimming. Beavers live in family associations consisting of a few monogamous pairs and their offspring. To build a large common nest, they erect a pile of tree branches on the shore of the body of water, slightly above the water surface, into which they make a large nest chamber. The entrance to the nest is always underwater, and the beavers build a special system of channels and dams to keep the water level stable. The beaver feeds on many different herbs, as well as bark and smaller branches.
The wolf is the largest dog in the world, from which our domesticated dogs are also bred. It is a very social animal, usually living in a family group led by a father and mother, or alpha couple, and their offspring. The territory of the wolf in Estonia is up to 1000 km2, and it can cover very different landscapes, which necessarily include several water bodies. Wolves, birds, and rodents, for example, are hunted by the wolf alone, but larger prey animals such as red deer, elk, or wild boar are hunted by a herd, usually lead by an alpha couple. For whelping, the wolf couple digs a burrow in a thick bush or uses that of a badger or fox. After the puppies are born, the mother wolf stays with the children for a few weeks, and the father provides food for the family at that time.
Estonia’s largest predator, the brown bear, is a solitary animal that lives in large and old forests and feeds on both plant and animal stuff. The brown bear marks its territory by turning larger stones around, rubbing thick trees with its neck and back, and scraping the bark as high as possible. As a nocturnal animal, the brown bear usually spends its days dozing in some shady place. For the winter, it chooses a pit or cave in which to build a lined nest. Bears do not have real hibernation sleep, but rather a hibernation nap, during which their body heat drops, and the animal mostly sleeps. In winter, squirrel-sized cubs are born in the mother bear’s nest, who are breastfed for up to 1.5 years and can stay with their mother for up to 3 years.
Estonia’s most numerous deer, the roe deer, moves around mainly at dusk, but if there are no predators or people nearby, it can also be found during the day. The roe deer, which is quite picky about food, eats all kinds of herbs, tree shoots, and bark, as well as moss, berries, and mushrooms. The buck marks its possessions and tracks by its muzzle against bark and twigs. Between the toes of the hind legs, the roe deer have special glands with which the animals mark essentially every step they take. Sometimes a wild scream can be heard in the forest at night – it is a buck that informs females about its presence or a nearby danger during the heat period. At the end of May, the roe deer gives birth to 1-3 fawns, who spend the first week alone at the place of birth, but the mother goes to breastfeed them several times a day.
The squirrel makes a beautiful round nest in coniferous forests and parks at least six meters from the top of the tree, right next to the trunk. In deciduous forests, it prefers to nest in tree cavities. Each squirrel can also have several nests. It does not hibernate, but with very high frosts, squirrels living close to each other can temporarily share one nest to keep warm. The squirrel mainly eats acorns, nuts, and spruce seeds, but it willingly feasts also on birds’ eggs, mushrooms or insects. In early winter, the squirrel makes several storage places in different areas near the ground, which it fills with nuts and acorns. A squirrel is a territorial animal that marks its possessions by removing bark from trees and peeing there.
Unlike an insectivorous hedgehog, the mole is active throughout the year and does not hibernate. It has a complex, multi-chambered, and underground burrow with many tunnels, the vents of which, or the piles of soil remaining during the construction of the tunnel, which has certainly been seen by everyone in open spaces and lawns. The mole’s chambers have many different functions: some for sleeping, some for the litter, and some for food supplies, most of which are made up of hundreds of earthworms paralyzed and half-dead by the mole’s skillful bite. A mole is an animal with a rather lonely way of life, who usually treats its fellow conspecifics harshly and pushes them out of its possessions. The pups are also raised by a female mole alone.
The hedgehog has a fast metabolism and great appetite, but its movement is relatively slow. That is why this insect-eating small mammal that also hunts earthworms, snails, carcasses and mice, frogs and snakes, spends much of its life searching for food. Hedgehogs stay stationary only during hibernation, and females also in spring and summer, when they build a nest to give birth to pups. The hedgehog builds a round nest from fallen leaves and moss and lines it with soft hay. In the case of a long summer, a hedgehog can give birth to two consecutive litters, with spring pups becoming independent at about 40 days of age and a litter born in the autumn spending the whole winter with its mother.
The red fox is the most common and numerous predators in the world. In Estonia, the Reynard is very well adapted but competes strongly with the raccoon dog in terms of economic niche. Thus, it has been observed that the populations of the raccoon dog and the red fox have a significant effect on each other – if the red fox does well, the number of raccoon dogs decreases and vice versa. The red fox is active all year round. An adult animal eats up to half a kilo of food a day but hides the leftovers in several separate storage rooms. The fox’s pups are such active characters that the mother often leaves her burrow temporarily to get a breather from the brats. The father also takes care of the pups. In the Estonian wild, the average lifespan of a fox is two years, seven months. However, in artificial conditions, a fox can live for over 20 years!
In many ways peculiar, the small predator raccoon dog is an alien species in Estonia, who was first brought here as a fur farm animal at the beginning of the last century, but later was also released into the wild. As an alien species, this omnivorous forest dog has a detrimental effect on Estonian nature, especially endangering birds and amphibians nesting on the ground. It is the only dog to hibernate. This means, by the way, that the raccoon dog can carry the rabies virus for much longer than our other predators. Namely, hibernation makes the virus more passive in the raccoon dog’s body, so the animal spreads the dangerous disease much longer than other predators. Raccoon dogs are quite sociable animals, who, by the way, often use the same place in the forest as a shared toilet!
The only wild cat lynx in Estonia is a solitary predator, who is, however, tolerant of its conspecific. If, for example, a benevolent male animal comes to the mother who has pups, it may happen that the mother may leave the pups in the care of the guest and go hunting herself. Ilves live in a deep, mixed, or coniferous forest with a dense understory. It makes the nest in a hard-to-reach place near the ground. Contrary to the widespread myth that lynx jump from the top of a tree on top of their prey, it actually hunts only by lurking on the ground. In order to quickly render harmless, the prey and avoid any attention, the lynx always grabs the victim’s throat with its jaws. After killing the prey, it transports the carcass away and later comes to feed on it every now and then.
The badger is the only mustelid with a social lifestyle in Europe. Their burrows consist of several chambers connected to each other by underground tunnels, which several adult animals can share throughout their lives. The inhabitants of such a super nest are called clans. As a rule, a badger builds a burrow on an area with a diverse landscape, near which there is both forest and grassland. It diligently lines its nest chambers with all kinds of plant substance. In addition, the badger likes to carry all sorts of other objects, from pebbles and cones to golf balls, into its burrow! Badger’s versatile menu includes both invertebrates and vertebrates, as well as eggs, carcasses, and towards the autumn, more and more, vegetarian food.
The smallest mustelid, despite its small size, is a very fierce predator. It can also defeat much larger prey with a skillful bite on the back of its head. A weasel has a habit of constantly hunting and stockpiling food because without eating, the small animal can only survive for one day. Like the stoat, the weasel has a wide range of habitats and may have several burrows in its territory. It can have offspring all year round, even in winter! The gestation lasts 35 days, and there are 4-6 pups in one litter. Unlike the stoat, the weasel has no latent pregnancy, which means that the pups begin to develop in the womb immediately after fertilization.
The stoat is a small predator that has given a name to the whole family of mustelids. Out of mustelids, only a weasel is smaller than a stoat. The two species are very similar in appearance, except that the stoat always has a black tail end. When running, the stoat always places one foot slightly ahead of the other, and the weasel places them next to each other – this way, it is possible to differentiate the animals from each other by traces. The stoat can inhabit a wide variety of habitats; it can live on the coast as well as in the mountains, forests, and open spaces. It builds a nest in tree cavities or burrows and lines it with rodent hair. Female stoats become sexually mature at the age of five weeks when they are still feeding on breast milk. In most cases, weddings are held in the mother’s burrow, but fertilized eggs do not begin to develop into a fetus until about nine months after fertilization – this is called latent pregnancy.
The ringed seal is a rare marine animal in Estonian waters. It is a much smaller pinniped than its close relative gray seal, weighing up to 113 kilos and has a peculiar coat pattern. To give birth, a ringed seal needs sea ice, in which it builds a small trench. At the beginning of spring, the female gives birth to one, rarely two pups, which are breastfed for 5-7 weeks, as much as 2-3 times longer than gray seals. Compared to gray seals, ringed seals are quite vulnerable animals, whose pups can be hunted by brave foxes and birds of prey. In contrast, the lifespan of a ringed seal is much longer than a gray seal, a record being 43 years! Due to environmental changes and human activities, the ringed seal is considered to be a rather endangered species in the Baltic Sea.
The largest marine mammal in the Baltic Sea, the gray seal, whose males can weigh up to 300 kg, is a skilled fish-eating hunter. It can swim at speeds over 20 knots for hours. Gray seals eat 7-8 kg of fish a day. When hunting near the seabed, the gray seal usually focuses on old and slower fish, thus acting as a marine sanitary. During the day, gray seals rest on the seabed, from where they rise to the surface of the water every 5-6 minutes, as if by the way, without even opening their eyes. All pinnipeds need a flat surface for calving, in which the gray seal chooses an islet or a shoreline. Because there is a shortage of suitable rookeries by the sea, the animals form colonies, which is also safer for them. In the spring, males first come to the coast to choose a rookery. In a few weeks, the females join them, and then simultaneously, a wedding will be held, and birth will be given to a seal pup in a white fur coat conceived last spring. The mother breastfeeds the pup for 2-3 weeks, and then the cub becomes independent. For the first months of life, seal pups often congregate in groups with other peers.
The playful otter lives in a burrow near a body of water, the mouth of which always opens underwater. The otter mainly hunts aquatic animals such as fish, frogs, water rats, crayfish, or the younglings of waterfowl. The otter is mainly looking for food in the twilight, and in one day, one adult animal can travel 3-15 kilometers in the river and on the banks of the river! In search of food from the depths of the water, the otter easily dives for up to 40 seconds. Mother otters often live in groups together with all their children, whereas males are loners. Otters mark their territory by the fluid of the glands under their tails, the peculiar smell of which is much more pleasant than that of other mustelids. The otters also have a very peculiar whiny voice, with which they always invite each other to play and communicate.
has a bad reputation among humans as a nest parasite, but in the big game of nature, all species are needed in one way or another. The cuckoo’s way of producing offspring is unique. The female cuckoo first selects the host species and lays a single egg similar in appearance to that of the host species on the ground near its nest. She then waits for the hosts to fly in search of food or for the male bird, who looks a bit like a Eurasian sparrowhawk, to lure them away from the nest, and then delivers her egg to the foster parents’ nest. The hatched cuckoo chick tries to throw other eggs or already hatched chicks out of the nest in order to get all the food brought to the nest by the foster parents. This is what the cuckoos do up to twenty times during the summer because not all their attempts to occupy nests are successful. Early at the end of the summer, the cuckoo flies south in small flocks.
The golden eagle is the second largest bird of prey in Estonia after the white-tailed eagle. This bird, which is quite rare in our country, nests exclusively near bogs and builds a nest on top of a large and strong tree or on a rock. The nest made of strong branches is huge, reaching even more than 2 meters in diameter. The golden eagle hunts rodents, mustelids, and birds but also likes to feed on carcasses of large game. It can hunt both at low flight and when planing high in the sky and rushing towards the prey. The golden eagle is a strictly monogamous bird that chooses only one partner for life. In late autumn, a pair of eagles play flight games with finesse. First, the male bird makes a feinted attack at the mother bird, followed by air backflips and pirouettes performed together. The golden eagle is rare in Estonia and under strict nature protection.
The white-backed woodpecker is the largest species of the spotted woodpecker family. This bird, which is more timider than the great spotted woodpecker, lives only in old deciduous and mixed forests. For nesting and feeding, it needs decayed and fallen deciduous trees, preferably near water bodies. Today, as fallen trees tend to be removed from the forest floor in time, the number of white-backed woodpeckers has fallen sharply in Estonia and elsewhere, which is why the bird has also been taken under nature protection. The white-backed woodpecker feeds almost entirely on insects. It is quite a sedentary bird, but in winter, it roams more than the great spotted woodpecker due to its narrower diet. In Estonia, it is rarely seen and only in certain places.
The great spotted woodpecker is the most numerous species in the woodpecker family in Estonia. The bird is not very selective in its habitat and nests in various stands, gardens, and parks. The great spotted woodpecker is a fierce drummer that uses the branches of dead trees for this purpose, as well as other interesting-sounding surfaces such as telephone poles or metal pipes. It feeds mainly on insects and larvae that live on trees, including ladybirds wintering in tree cracks and cavities. The great spotted woodpecker often stays overwinter in Estonia. In the cold months, it also eats the seeds of conifers, attaching pinecones to the tree cracks and then breaking them with a beak.
The black woodpecker is the largest woodpecker with the most powerful drumming sound in Estonia. The drumming of woodpeckers echoing all over the forest sounds different during feeding, building a nest, and establishing its territory. To establish its dominion, the black woodpecker chooses a well-dried aspen or a particularly large pine tree because it is when drumming quickly against them that the sound echoes farthest. The nest is also built by a male blackbird into the trunk of aspen or pine. It cuts a very deep nest cavity quite high on the top of the tree, the unlined bottom of which the mother bird lays its eggs. The blackbird feeds on insects living in the wood and under the bark, pulling them out of the holes dug in the wood with a long tip of its tongue. It likes carpenter ants the most.
The black grouse is a hen that lives near forest edges, bushes, and bogs, but also near clearings and burns, which changes its habitat according to its life cycle. The mating game of the black grouse is a spectacular ceremony held in groups in the twilight in the open air, swamps, meadows, or lake ice. Unfortunately, due to the shy nature of the birds, this sight is rarely seen by the human eye. The bis lack grouse eats the shoots and buds of birch and other trees throughout the year, while the younglings eat insects. In autumn, the grouse’s menu is enriched by berries. The black grouse is a great flier that can dash up vertically both from the ground or from a branch. It takes off from the ground with a loud rattle and silently from the branch.
The mallard is the most common and numerous dabbling duck. It feeds in the water like all dabbling ducks, dipping the front of its body under the water so that the tip of the tail stays out of the water. The mallard is a bird with a varied menu, it eats seeds, fruits, plants, and various invertebrates both in the water and on land. The mallard nests along all kinds of water bodies, however, mainly avoiding seacoasts and islets. Male mallards are fierce courters who, during the spring estrous cycle, try to impress and breed with all possible females and even with other species of ducks. To seduce, the male mallard, among other expressive movements, raises itself suddenly straight out of the water and then sloshes against the water with its lower body.
The spotted nutcracker is a crow living in a dense forest, smaller than a jackdaw, who can perfectly climb branches and thickets. It prefers spruce forests but can also nest in other taiga forests. The spotted nutcracker likes a hazel thicket because it stores hazelnuts, seeds, and other delicious things in the hidden places made on the forest floor for the winter. In this way, the nutcracker helps the hazel seeds to spread. It even has a special pouch under its tongue to collect the nuts. In Estonia, the nutcracker nests mainly on islands and in western Estonia. In some years, however, nutcrackers can be seen in large numbers and everywhere; the slender-billed nutcracker birds from Siberia and dependent on cedar pine yields which are a subspecies very similar in appearance to our spotted nutcracker have come to Estonia in search of food.
The magpie likes to nest on the edges of different stands. It avoids large forest massifs. The large and deep nest of the magpie is a real masterpiece: smoothened up inside with clay and lined expertly, outside bushy from twigs, with a waterproof branch roof over the head. When the mother bird starts hatching the eggs in the nest at the beginning of May, the father always keeps close to the nest and warns the mother bird of impending danger. The omnivorous magpie, like many crows, can loot the nests of smaller birds. Magpie nests, on the other hand, are happily raided by owls. The magpie has a tendency to collect all kinds of small objects in the nest. Why it does this is still a mystery.
The most famous city bird, the hooded crow, may nest almost anywhere, except in a very dense and thick meso-eutrophic forest. It prefers to build a nest woven of branches on top of a tree, and in the spring, it can often prune up the nest it made last year. The crow is a very sociable bird, but it does not form permanent flocks. However, in autumn, spring, or cold winter, you can see gatherings of crows reaching up to hundreds of individuals, which will dissipate after a while. The crow is an extremely smart and enterprising bird that eats everything and uses all sorts of tactics to get food. Among other things, it likes to loot the nests of other birds, eat carcasses and cooperate with its conspecifics in hunting small mammals.
The jackdaw is the most monogamous species of our crows, forming a pair for life. The jackdaw also stands out in terms of sociability, building fairly permanent schools. It is a very skilled pilot who likes to watch what is happening on the ground when gliding in the air. The joint flights of the jackdaw schools are masterfully coordinated. The omnivorous jackdaw prefers food of animal origin. They feed mainly on fields and grasslands but do not scorn garbage truck gourmet either. As the jackdaw is much smaller and more careful than a crow, it avoids neighborhoods where there are many crows. Many Estonian jackdaws stay here over winter, but in late autumn, many jackdaws coming from the north and east and going to warmer areas will migrate through Estonia.
The small chaffinch, which is even smaller than a sparrow, holds the title of the most numerous songbird in Estonia. It arrives in Estonia early, in late March or early April, and can be found nesting almost everywhere. The surprisingly bold chaffinch is well adapted to human proximity and avoids only very dense bushes or overgrown places as a habitat. The chaffinch’s familiar song sounds like a fast-paced tweeting strophe. Its nest is a deep bowl-shaped work of art made of many different materials, built only by the female, although the father bird sometimes helps to collect the nest material. Chaffinches feed on seeds throughout the year, during nesting also on insects.
Unlike other thrushes, blackbirds prefer to operate more on the ground, hiding in the bushes from danger. The song of this beautiful black or dark brown passerine is melodic and multi-layered, often reminiscent of a flute. In cities, you can hear the song of a blackbird all year round because, in the warmer winters, many birds stay wintering here. The blackbird chooses a city park, wooded meadow, or mixed forest as its habitat, as long as the bush front is dense and serious. It eats mainly insects, worms, and snails, but also plant stuff in the form of berries and other fruits. To get the snails, the blackbird takes the shell into its beak and hits it against the rocks until it breaks to eat the hidden snail.
The mute swan is the largest goose in Estonia. A monogamous bird that spends its entire life with the same partner and usually makes a nest by the sea, less often by an inland body of water, in the rushes on the water’s edge. The nest is large, built of reeds, rushes, or tree branches and lined with hay, moss, and feathers. The division of labor is clear for the swan couple – while the mother bird hatches eggs in the nest, the father diligently patrols around the nest on a very large area of water. Swans arrive in Estonia early, in early April, and leave very late, only in late October or November. It is said that as long as the water body is ice-free, the swan will not starve. Due to the warming climate, swan pairs are therefore increasingly seen wintering here.
The common swift, which is often mistaken for a swallow due to its appearance and behavior, is, in fact, a bird belonging to the family of Apodiformes. The common swift is bulkier than swallows and has narrower, sickle-shaped wings. This masterful pilot and the absolute champion of fast dashes spends almost its entire life in the air and can even rest in the air. As a rule, the common swift lands only in a nest, which it almost always prefers to build near human settlements, for example, under the eaves of houses. Parents spend the entire light time of the day catching insects from the air for the younglings, which they wrap into a ball with saliva and then take to the nest. Their nests are also constructed of fuzzes and feathers caught from the air and bound together with saliva.
The lapwing can be easily recognized by its unique long thin panache at the neck of the bird. Its presence is also confirmed by the doleful frequent “ki-viit,” from which the Estonian name of the bird is inspired. If you happen to be near a nest of a lapwing on the edge of a field or meadow, the brave bird will not hesitate to inform you that you are in its territory. To this end, it undertakes gliding flights of a peculiar trajectory around the nest while at the same time dolefully “ki-viiting.” It can nest in colonies as well as in single pairs, but for most of the year, it prefers to operate in flocks. As a rule, the insectivorous lapwing does not stay here for the winter and starts to set itself on migration unnoticed in August-September.
The common wood pigeon is a common breeding bird in Estonia. The common wood pigeon, which nests in spruce and deciduous forests, as well as in parks and gardens, is easily recognizable by its characteristic cooing sound, which differs from that of the domestic pigeon in terms of loudness and rhythm, reminiscent of a mixture of owl and cuckoo sounds. The common wood pigeon, like all pigeons, is a pilot with brilliant maneuvering ability. Pigeons are the only birds that can look and fly directly into the sun. Therefore, it is almost impossible for birds of prey to catch a common wood pigeon on a clear day – only falcons with unsurpassed flying skills have a chance. The common wood pigeon chooses seeds, berries, and buds for food, and also acorns during autumn.
The Bohemian waxwing is sometimes called a cold bird in Estonia because it does not spend the summer here; however, it sometimes stays over winter. They can also be seen as flocks and schools during early spring and late autumn migration. The Bohemian waxwing has an easily distinguishable one-tone, as if whiney sound, which is why these birds have also been called whinnies n Estonia. The most important food base of the Bohemian waxwing is rowan, rosehip, hawthorn, and other berries that have turned red from cold weather, and it plays an important role in spreading their seeds. When nesting in the forest-tundra and taiga in their homeland in the far north, the Bohemian waxwing is a modest bird of a timid demeanor.
The fish-eating ocean bird cormorant is widespread throughout the Baltic Sea and the northeastern Atlantic. In recent decades, it has successfully and in large numbers established itself in Estonia as well. The favorite delicacy of this great diver in our waters is the viviparous eelpout. Among fishermen, cormorants have a bad reputation, although viviparous eelpout is not a very popular fishing target here. When a person approaches the nest of a cormorant with its younglings, its inhabitants defend themselves by vomiting towards the intruder. Maybe they mean: “Take my food, but leave me alone!” Cormorants usually fly very near to the sea surface, but swim all the way in the water, so only their necks are out of the water.
The starling is often confused with a male blackbird, which also has a golden beak. On closer inspection, however, it appears that the starling is slightly smaller than an all-black male blackbird, with a shorter tail and a fine, colorful glow on the plumage. The starling’s song is very complex, and every spring, the male bird creates a completely new musical composition consisting of imitation, screech, and chirping. In Western Estonia, where winters are often milder, the starling can also spend winters, but it is usually not found in Estonia from late autumn to March. During the breeding season, the starling is a voracious insect hunter; at other times, it also eats a lot of berries and seeds.
The native country of the prickly pear (Opuntia) is Mexico. The plant that in Estonia is known as “Mother-in-law’s tongue” is called “black sheep cacti” in Mexico, as winds can blow the plants’ insidious little barbed stings into the eyes of eating animals and cause blindness. The plantations of prickly pears have been kept for the cultivation of scale insects. Namely, the scale insects produce a precious red carmine, which is turned into the synthetic food color E120. The Mayans and Aztecs used carmine to dye fabrics. The fruit of the highly nutritious, large-fruited prickly pear which is a highly invasive species is used as food. According to the scientists, adding a cooked, large-fruited prickly pear slice to dirty water makes a cheap and easy way to purify water in places where using other methods is difficult.
San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi syn. Trichocereus pachanoi) grows naturally, mainly in Peru and Ecuador. Archaeological excavations have revealed that this cactus has been used as a medicine for millennia. The plant was used to treat joint and nerve diseases and fungi. The mythological cult plant hitherto respected by Indians contains psychoactive alkaloids, producing a hallucinogenic effect. The oldest descriptions of the plant date back to 1300 BC in Peru, where the plant was used for healing, religious services, and prophecy by shamans. The cactus stem extract has been used to make hair washing infusion. Wool garments can be washed with a mixture of stems and salt or alum. In addition, the plant is known as a love potion.
Golder barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) is a slow-growing cactus that can live up to 100 years old and grow up to 2 m in height. Much of the plant’s natural habitats in Mexico were submerged by hydroelectric dam construction, which is why the plant is almost extinct in nature. Mass predatory picking of cacti has also had a devastating impact. Like with all cacti, trading in Golder barrel cacti is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The plant only blooms when it is about twenty years of age, and it may take up to 100 years with dark winters in the Nordic countries. The plant’s popular names are the golden ball or mother-in-law’s cushion.
Jade plant (Crassula ovata), or vernacularly known as monkey-bread-tree, is from Mozambique, South Africa. But the real monkey-bread-trees, or Baobabs, are the gigantic sacred trees thickest in the world, with a circumference of about 30 meters, dating back 2000 years. But the jade plant grows in the wild to only 3-4 meters high. Jade plants have antibacterial properties. Sap squeezed from the leaf can relieve herpes, burns, and arthritis. In African folk medicine, the plant is used to cleanse the intestines.
Kalanchoes (Kalanchoe) are a large family of perennial plants of the Crassula genus, of which there are nearly 200 species. In Chinese, the name means drops and grows, indicating that the plant is very easy to reproduce. Its healing properties have been known since antiquity. In India, for example, Kalanchoe was used to treat the liver, in Madagascar, it was used for treating headaches and inflammation of the lymph nodes. The leaf sap contains flavonoids and vitamin C, which provides an anti-inflammatory effect, promoting rapid wound healing, helps with burns and gum disease. In case of a head cold, it is recommended to drip the leaf sap into the nostril. In cosmetics, the sap of the plant is used in creams and tonics, at home, it is used to moisturize and rejuvenate facial skin. Daigremont and air plant are grown as medicinal plants, the latter being considered a dangerous alien species in many parts of the world.
Agave (Agave) grows mainly in Mexico, but also in the southern and western parts of the United States and in the low precipitation areas of South America. The ancient agave has lived on Earth for about 60 million years. Agaves bloom only once in their lifetime, and their inflorescences up to 12 m in length, which can hold up to 17,000 flowers, are among the longest in the world. Flowers, stems, and leaves are edible. They are economically important plants in their home country: agave juice is used to make both syrup and alcoholic beverages, the most famous of which is Mexican national beverage tequila. In the old days, chewed agave rolls were used in firearms, leaf tips where used in place of a needle, and the sap was used to impregnate the poison arrows, blossom stalks were used as wall logs, leaves were used to build roofs, foaming sap was used as a soap substitute. Some agave leaves are made into strong fiber for ropes. Inferior fibers are suitable for the paper industry, and the higher quality plants are used for the production of yarn.
Aloe (Aloe) originated in Africa. Aloe has been used for healing for thousands of years on many continents and in many cultures. Aloe was an important ingredient in the famous recipe for life elixir. It is known even Cleopatra used the leaf sap for skin care. The plant has been used the most for wound healing and to stimulate digestive activity. Aloe is still an essential ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products. The roots of the plant have been used for washing laundry, the contents of the leaves have made into jam, the hollow stems have been used as a refrigerator, and the finer branches have been used as arrow sheaths. In nature, the plant’s nectar-rich blossoms are an important source of food for insects and birds. Elephants love to feast on aloe leaves.
The natural species distribution of Sansevieria (Sansevieria) is in the savannas of West Africa. In Estonia, the plant is called a pike’s tail because of its leaves resembling fish tail. In other countries, the plant is also called the mother-in-law’s tongue, the leopard lily, and the snake plant. Strong fiber retrieved from plant leaves is used to make rope, canvas, and paper. The sap of the plant is used as an antiseptic. Sanseverias are exceptionally good air purifiers, removing nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde from the air. It is recommended to grow the plants in the bedroom because they produce oxygen at night and thus humidify the air. However, for sensitive people, blooming plants can cause dizziness.
Elkhorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) comes from New Guinea and Australia. Plants that grow as epiphytes in high tree crowns in the rainforest resemble bird nests and have two types of leaves. Plant remains, and dead animals accumulate between the round leaves forming the ‘nest’, the decay of which gives the plant the necessary minerals. Old leaves that turn brown over time and look like paper provide the roots nutrients when they rot. Others – long, horn-shaped leaves carrying small brown velvety sporocarps are necessary for the plant to reproduce. The leaves are covered with a gray, felty coat that serves to collect moisture and nutrients. The plants grow very large over the years, and old plants can be the size of a passenger car and weigh over a ton.
Ferns (Dryopteris) can be found in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere and in the sub-tropics. The explosive proliferation of ferns on Earth began 335 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. For millennia, dead plants decayed into a carbon-rich layer. It formed today’s fossil fuels, or energy sources, that triggered the industrial revolution. The value of coal was discovered in the 18th century, and its trade became a gigantic business in the world – steam engines were invented, and coal heating spread. This led to the big cities falling into the thick cloud of smoke and reaching the edge of today’s climate disaster. In the mythology of many nations, finding fern blossoms bring luck, although ferns as cryptogams never bloom.
Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) is common in South America and Nepal. Throughout history, they have been considered the real sacred plants of gods with healing powers that can only be consumed by strong and blessed people. The highly toxic angel’s trumpets contain psychoactive alkaloids that make them some of the strongest hallucinogens in the world. The effect of the plant depends on the peculiarities of the human body, so its effect is unpredictable, ranging from speech disorders to seizures and even death. Ancient Peruvian healers used the plant’s narcotic properties in rituals and medical operations, such as opening the skull. The plant’s stem bark is used to make a ritual potion that enables us to see the future.
The story of the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) becoming a houseplant is famous and strange. The species was first described in 1906, but the plant was soon forgotten. In the 1970s, questions about unknown plants with shield-spaced leaves began to pour into botanical gardens in the UK. It was thought to be peperomia. In fact, the plant was not identified until 1978, when an unknown flowering plant was sent to the Kew Botanical Garden, which was eventually identified as the long-forgotten Chinese money plant. However, the scientists were wondering how come the unknown plant was widespread in homes, even in Scandinavia? It turned out that in 1946 a missionary, Agnar Espegren, brought the plants with him when returning from China to Norway and gave their cuttings to his acquaintances. The plant spread to Sweden and Great Britain and from there onto the wide world.
The pelargonium (Pelargonium) plant family is named after the Greek word pelargos, or stork, which refers to the peculiar shape of the stork’s beak. The first pelargoniums reached Europe in the late 16th century. In the 18th century, botanists were sent to South Africa to obtain plant seeds, and growing pelargoniums for commercial purposes started as early as the second half of the century. The 19th century saw the beginning of the triumph of the plants: thanks to the ability to produce hybrids, ground was laid to the ancestors of modern pelargoniums and new species. Pelargoniums were once planted around the house to deter evil spirits and serpents. Insects do not like the smell of the plants, so they could also be used to repel them. Pelagron, or geranium oil, is used in the cosmetics industry.
The common ivy (Hedera helix) originates from Europe, and it also grows on the islands of West Estonia, where it is under nature protection. The name of the plant is derived from the tradition of using it in treating bone diseases. The plant has also been used to treat corns and cough. Ivy is poisonous, but one better not try to make medicine of the plant at home. In ancient times, ivy was dedicated to the god of wine Dionysos, which is why in southern countries you can still see images of ivy carved on the doors of old taverns. The plant has been considered sacred, placed on the doors for protection against an evil eye, and in bridal bouquets to bring luck. The fruits of the plant are delicious food for birds.
Arabica coffee tree (Coffea arabica) comes from Northeast Africa, more specifically from Ethiopian mountain forests. Coffee, Ethiopian black gold, is the second most important commodity in the world. The world’s first coffee shop was opened in Turkey in 1475 and the first coffee shop in Italy in 1645. Historically, even anti-coffee laws have been considered, due to people becoming too agitated. When coffee became an upper-class beverage, the underclass was punished by beating and fines for drinking coffee. Coffee reached Europe in the 13th century. Researchers have found that older patients with higher levels of caffeine in their blood were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, and that caffeine also had a positive effect on type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Coffee contains caffeine, and it is claimed that most coffee drinkers are actually addicted to it.
The original home of the lemon tree (Citrus limon) is unknown, and it has been grown as cultivated and medicinal plants as well as a decorative tree for thousands of years. As a medicinal plant, lemon was already used in ancient Egypt to prevent fish and meat poisoning. In England, a law was once introduced to allocate a daily ration of an ounce of lemon or lemon juice for the crew to prevent scurvy from vitamin C deficiency. It was not until the 18th century that lemons were used as food and herbs. Lemon can rightly be considered a super fruit that helps to maintain good health and well-being. Lemon contains many different vitamins, especially vitamin C, which promotes the absorption of iron from food. Lemon oil strengthens the body’s defense system and stimulates blood circulation and is used in the cosmetics and alcohol industry. The world’s heaviest lemon was grown in Israel in 2003, and it weighed more than five kilograms.
The habitat of oleander (Nerium oleander) is southern Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the most toxic plants in the world that grows on the shores of water bodies in the wild. Contact with the plant and the eyes can cause blindness, and toxins can even be transmitted through honey. Accidents have happened to livestock and pets that have drunk from a body of water where plant flowers or leaves have fallen. The juice of the plant is used as a rat poison and for insect control. The smell of flowers can be intoxicating. Plants have been known to be grown to decorate sculptures already in the garden of wife of the ancient Roman emperor Nero and frescoes depicting oleanders have been found in Pompeii. The heyday of the plants as houseplants was in the 19th and early 20th centuries when the plants decorated the winter gardens of manors and the porches of rich people.
Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) comes from the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor. The plant is considered to be one of the most glorious and powerful magical plants. The bay laurel is associated with the word bachelor, or bay berry, which was introduced in ancient Rome to honor men for their academic achievements. The laurel wreath has been the greatest tribute to heroes since antique culture. The word ‘laureate’ also derives from the Latin name of the laurel. The laurel tree is the symbolic tree of both the Greek and the Olympic Games. The first reports of the use of laurel as an herb date back to the fifth century. In addition, vegetable fruits produce essential bay oils with antibiotic properties.
Most species of Dragon Tree (Dracaena) grow in Africa, some in South Asia, and one in Central America. It is difficult to determine the age of the tree because the dragon tree has no tree rings. The tree has not been given the name Dragon Tree for nothing. Namely, if the tip of the stem of the plant gets damaged, it produces several new stems instead, just like a dragon who grows new heads in place of the severed head. The plant contains a red resin called dragon blood. Dragon trees have been used to polish furniture, brush teeth, make lipsticks, healing and embalming the dead. In witchcraft, resin was added to the ink used to write magical messages to talismans. The resin lacquer has been used to lacquer the violins of the most famous violin master Stradivarius in Italy.
Rubber tree (Ficus elastica) or rubber fig tree originates from the jungles of the coastal areas of India and can grow up to 30 meters in nature. At home, the plant can grow from 60 centimeters to three meters. The plant is grown to obtain rubber from its milky sap. The fresh milky sap is poisonous, so care should be taken to prevent it coming into contact with the eyes. The Rubber tree is environmentally friendly, one of the most durable and non-deformable wood materials that today is used to make furniture. The plant extract has been used for the treatment of rheumatic diseases and infusion externally for bronchitis.
The fig tree (Ficus) probably originated from western Asia. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, grown for 7 thousand years. The fig tree plays an important role in the religions of the Orient. In Christian culture, this tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizes the shame as Adam and Eve covered their nudity with fig leaves. In the ancient world, the figs were eaten to invigorate oneself, the sap was used to remove warts, and the leaves were used to make compresses. Figs are nowadays used in the confectionery, canning and alcohol industries. Many fig tree species reach record size over their lifetime. Aerating roots descend from the branches of some species and, when rooted, form additional stems. The most famous of these is the Bengal fig, which can occupy 2 hectares of land. A fig tree can be pollinated by one wasp species, Blastophaga.
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) comes from the desert regions of North Africa and West Asia and has been cultivated for 6 to 8 thousand years. The capital city of the state of Arizona, Phoenix, is named after a date palm. In addition, the plant is a Saudi Arabian national tree. No other plant in history has been depicted as much as the date palm, which indicates its important status at that time. All the old religions have used the palm leaves as a symbol of peace, harmony, and resurrection, and holiness. In ancient times, dates were the main food for most of the year. In addition, dates can be used to produce honey, wine and seeds can be used to produce date coffee. According to an old Arab saying, there were as many ways of its use as there are days in a year. Israeli scientists have grown a date palm tree from a two thousand years old seed, which is the oldest seed in the world to begin to germinate. This provides an opportunity to study plant DNA thoroughly.
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea) is a symbolic plant of Guam, Grenada, Philippines, and many other places. The plant bears different names in different countries, such as Santa Rita, Primavera, and Napoleon. In nature, this climbing plant grows to 12 m in height when attached to trees. The bougainvillea is named after the French admiral Antoine de Bougainville, who discovered the plant in Brazil. Small unobtrusive tubular flowers are surrounded by three bracts resembling brightly colored silk paper to attract pollinator hummingbirds. Only towards the end of the 20th century, scientists succeeded in distinguishing and definitively identifying the various species of bougainvillea and finding that most home-grown specimens are hybrids.
Chilean Pine (Araucaria araucana) is a plant from central Chile and western Argentina that has lived on Earth for about 100 million years. These very longeval conifers can live up to 2000 years. Therefore, the Chilean Pine is the national tree of Chile. This plant is also known in the world as a monkey puzzle because its sharp needles make it difficult to climb on the tree. The tree became known to Europeans in the 18th century, as described by Captain James Cook. In the 19th century, the plant became a favorite of European gardeners and was planted in many gardens in England. The Chilean Pine cone seeds are known as pine nuts, which are naturally distributed by parrots. Fruit resin was used to treat wounds.
Diefenbachia (Dieffenbachia) originates from the tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America. This highly toxic plant acts at the cellular level, causing damage to various parts of the body. When eating the plant, the deadly amount is already 3-4 g of plant leaves. Symptoms of intoxication include burns, swelling in the mouth, vomiting, and palpitations. Contact with the eyes may cause corneal inflammation. Therefore, the plant stalk was used in South America to torture slaves, as chewing the plant causes loss of ability to eat and talk for days. In tropical and subtropical regions, it is a common plant in landscaping. In folk medicine, the plant was used to increase sexual pleasure or potency. Studies in the Philippines promise to rely on the plant for cancer treatment.
The large-flowered cactus (Selenicereus grandiflorus), or the Queen of the Night, comes from Central and South America. The cacti firmly holding to the bark cracks of the trees with aerating roots appear bland most of the year. Only one night a year does the plant open its large vanilla-scented flowers. White flowers up to 30 cm in diameter are needed to attract large moths and nectar-eating bats. Nocturnal flowering is beneficial for the plant as the temperature is cooler, which means less water evaporates from the flower. Because of its beautiful blooms, the plant was grown in the Royal Court Garden of Hampton Court in the UK in the 17th century.
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima ) or Christmas Flower grows in the deciduous forests of Central America. This plant can grow up to 4 m in height as a shrub or tree. The tips of the shoots have beautiful, mostly red-colored bracts, not flowers. The coloring of the bracts requires the alternation of light and darkness – just as it happens in their natural habitat. The flowers of the Christmas Flower are actually very tiny, yellow, and are placed in bulk in the middle of each red bunch of leaves. It is widely believed that the poinsettia is seriously toxic, like many other plants in the spurge family, but in fact, the plant contains very little toxic sap and latex. Several hundred leaves of plants should be eaten to get serious intoxication. Association of the Christmas Flower with Christmas began with a legend about a poor girl living in Mexico in the 16th century who, at the suggestion of an angel, picked weed from the roadside and brought it to the altar of the Church for Jesus as a birthday present. A beautiful Christmas Flower grew out of the weeds. The bracts of the plant resemble the Bethlehem star, and their red color is reminiscent of the bloody sacrifice of Jesus.
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) is a plant originating in South Africa and the national flower of Ethiopia and St. Helena. There, the plant is called the Nile Lily, a symbol of purity and virtue, which is why these flowers are used in bridal bouquets. The short tuberous rhizomes of Calla lily are the food for wild bores and are therefore also known in South Africa as the pig lily. Calla is accompanied by a legend of how a wealthy Cape Town businessman who arranged a gorgeous wedding for his daughter ordered the bridal bouquet from the best London florist. When the long-awaited precious bouquet was eventually taken off the plane, it turned out to be made from the same pig lillies that are abundant in Cape Town. Although the plant is highly toxic, folk medicine has used the poultice of calla leaves to treat headaches.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), or shoeblackplant, comes from tropical areas of East Asia. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national plant of Hawaii and Malaysia. Known as a source of vitamin C, it has been used in folk medicine for centuries as a fever suppressant and cleanser that promotes liver function and regulates blood pressure. Plant blossoms are used for eyebrow dyeing, hair care, shoe polishing, and for food. The tea made of its flowers is called by the Arabs a drink of vivacity and longevity. Tahitian and Hawaiian girls wear the flowers behind their ears, giving men hints – if the flower is behind the left ear, the girl is married or in a relationship, but if the flower is behind the right ear, the girl’s heart is free.
Umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius) is an aquatic plant that was used to make papyrus on the banks of the Nile 4000 as early as years ago. Papyrus became one of ancient Egypt’s most important export materials, but after the invention of paper, papyrus production stopped. Until recently, the Nile Delta was rich in Umbrella papyrus, but today the plant has become rare there. Papyrus was seen as a symbol of rebirth and was often used in ancient Egypt on capitals and columns as building motifs. Rare Cyperus fuscus also grows naturally in Estonia and is under nature protection.
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) grows in the swampy areas of North and South Carolina. The main prey animals of this carnivorous plant are insects and arachnids, less frequently frogs. To catch insects, the flytrap emits sweet-scented nectar and, at dusk, releases bluish light. The plant has active traps consisting of two hair-lined leaves. The leaves have three to six hypersensitive hairs on the inside, touching of which makes the leaves to close. When the trap closes, the plant digests the prey for 1-2 weeks, acquiring the necessary substances. The decomposing enzymes of the flytrap are so strong that they can even decompose human skin. One trap can only catch prey 2-3 times before it dies.
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) is one of the most popular houseplants originating from tropical America. The plant sap has an irritating effect on the skin, so the hanging Tradescantia zebrina causes a rash to domestic animals grazing in the open meadow and should be handled with care. In Tabasco, Mexico, the plant is used to make an herbal tea called Matali. In addition, Tradescantia zebrina is considered a good humidifier that swallows up disease-causing microorganisms.
Banana (Musa) is the largest herbaceous plant in the world, which comes from the tropics of Southeast Asia. The Banana is considered to be a fruit, but by its type, it is actually a berry. Bananas can be divided into two types according to their use: dessert bananas and plantains. The latter is one of the main food sources in many tropical countries that is cooked, baked and dried. Bananas are made into flour, vinegar, and even alcohol. Banana stems are used to make ceremonial pavilions, and fiber bananas are used to make almost rot free ropes. Banana reached Europe in the 19th century. Bananas are high in potassium and has to some extent also radioactive potassium, but the amount of the latter is so low that it does not pose a risk to humans. The informal term banana equivalent is used – radiation levels are compared to eating one banana.
The name of the Monstera deliciosa derives from the word monster, thanks to its giant leaves. Monstera lianas that grow up to 20 m in length are dangerous to humans because they contain large amounts of toxic substances which, when eaten, cause burns in the mouth, vomiting and, in severe cases, death. Continuous contact with the plant can cause inflammation of the skin. The plant is poisonous, but throughout the ripening period that lasts the entire year, the plant’s toxicity is reduced, and the ripe fruit is edible. The fruits of the Monstera deliciosa have some resemblance of a little pineapple and are well suited for fruit salads and purees.
Philodendron (Philodendron) translates to a tree lover, which refers to a plant’s way of climbing trees with its roots. The plant has a very peculiar adaptability to pollination – it is capable of accelerating the metabolism of fats in the opening inflorescence, which causes the internal temperature of the inflorescence to rise up to 17 degrees higher than the air temperature. It helps to attract the attention of pollinators like beetles in the dark jungle. The plants are used for fishing in Amazonia – the leaves and stalks are fermented, which causes them to be toxic to fish. The bundles of leaves and stalks are thrown into the water, and poisoned paralyzed fish remain floating on the water surface where they can be easily picked up. The ointment from the leaves has been used to treat skin diseases, the long air roots are used as a binder, and the plant is used to make furniture, bags, and baskets.
Fragrant Screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) is the national plant of American Samoa that grows mostly on mangrove fringes and coasts. Fruits and leaves of the fragrant screwpine are used in the preparation of dishes in Southeast Asia. In addition, plant leaves are used to make roofs, floor mats, baskets and skirts, and leaf infusion helps with fever, headaches, and stomach pain. The plants are grown for the protection of homes, also known as living protection fences, due to the sharp edges of its leaves. The fragrant screw pine still plays a very important role in Pacific culture, tradition, and local medicine.
Bearded Tillandsia (Tillandsia usneoides), or Spanish Beard, is an epiphyte that grows on trees and on electric wires – it doesn’t need soil because it has no roots. The silvery color of the plant’s gray leaves is given by the scales covering the leaves, through which the plant absorbs moisture from the air and protects itself from the scorching sun. The seeds of the plant are distributed mainly by birds, which build nests from them. Called the Spanish Beard, it has been used for a variety of purposes: as insulation and packaging material, for making cord and carpets, and for stuffing upholstered furniture. The leaves of the first Ford car were filled with leaves of this plant. US industry uses 5,000 tons of Bearded Tillandsia a year. The plant has health benefits such as lowering blood sugar. Native Americans have used the plant to relieve fever and rheumatic pain. The plant is home to many snakes and bats, and the jumping spider species has been found inside this plant.
The pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit was brought to Europe by Columbus as a gift to the Queen of Spain from his American expedition in 1494. Pineapple cultivation has long been a sign of high-class status in Europe. Because the plant resembles a cone in appearance, its name in English and Spanish is pineapple. Pineapple is a very delicious fruit thanks to the fruit sugars it contains. In addition to food, pineapple is also used to make alcoholic beverages and vinegar. In Madagascar, burns are also treated with ripe fruits. The leaves of the plant produce fiber, from which very fine silk-like fabric is woven.
Bromelians (Bromeliaceae) come from America. Many grow as epiphytes in tree crowns, receiving nutrients from the air and decaying plant parts. Their leaf rosette accumulates rainwater and leaf debris, which provides a comfortable place to live, feed, or breed for arthropods, small mammals, amphibians, and birds. The largest Bromelian is Puya Raimondii, known as the Queen of the Andes, who can live up to 100 years and grow up to 3 meters in height. This endangered plant is the slowest blossoming plant in the world – its giant blossom of tens of thousands of flowers only blossoms at age 80 and can grow to 10 meters, being the longest inflorescence in the plant kingdom.
Desert/Half-desert
The tropical climate zone includes the largest deserts in the world in North and South Africa, Central Australia, Southern North America, and Central South America. The climate is characterized by very high heat and low rainfall, which results in relatively few plants growing there. Temperatures vary from season to season. On a summer day, the temperature can rise to 50 °. Because the air is dry, it cools quickly at night, but not below 20 ° C. In winter, the daytime air temperature is 20 °C, and during the night it can drop below zero.
A humid subtropical forest
The humid subtropical climate occurs on the southeast coast of China, Australia, and the US, and in southern Japan. In the humid sub-tropics, there are hot summers with temperatures of 25 °C and 10-15°C in winter. The wind blowing from the ocean makes the summer particularly rainy and humid, so many evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs grow there.
Equatorial rainforest
The equatorial climate occurs in the equatorial region – the Amazon, South America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. The vegetation is dense, lush, and species-rich. The sun is high on the horizon throughout the year, so the air temperature is high, and rainfall is plentiful. On a day when the sun is intensively warming the earth, the air saturated with humidity rises upwards, and torrential rain begins in the afternoon, in the evening the weather is beautiful and clear again.
Orchids (Orchidaceae) are found on all continents except Antarctica. The smallest orchids are just centimeters tall, with the largest reaching up to 13.5 meters. Orchids look very different – there are climbing, chlorophyll-free, leafless, parasitic, and underground species. Orchids need certain fungi to germinate and animals to reproduce. They are pollinated by insects, birds, frogs, or bats, depending on their appearance and location. There are also self-pollinating species. More than half of the world’s orchids are in danger of extinction and taken under nature protection. The greatest threat to orchids is the loss of habitats due to human activities. It began as early as 1885 when botanist Frederik Sander established the world’s largest orchid business out of greed. Unfortunately, people sent by Sanders to collect orchids massively fell trees to retrieve the plants, causing enormous environmental damage. In Estonia, all 35 species of orchids that can be found here are under nature protection. From 2010 onwards, the annual orchid is selected to attract more attention to these rare plants. Economically the most important orchid is vanilla, which is the second most expensive herb in the world.
