Winter flower

The wild hellbore flowers in winter when most of the vegetation is asleep, therefore it is also called christmas rose in italian. On my usual walk by the river there are a few patches of spontaneous hellbore. Their green colour is a welcoming sight in the otherwise brown leave-bed of winter, not only for us humans, but also for the insects that awake early in the season.The down facing of the flowers is beneficial so that the pollen isn't washed away during rainshowers, even if this year rain has not been a "problem" for them. The plant is very sturdy, can survive freezing cold weather and it has a long history of human use despite of (or thanks to) it being poisonous. If you look up greek myths and hellbore it will open up to you a world of interesting stories, grim tales of its usage in war and of witches summoning demons or philosphers reaching a state of hypnosis!

My sister has gone skiing in the alps, and I have been trying to catch up with your journals and comments. Thanks for bearing up with my half-minded presence.