October flowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

October flowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

As autumn arrives lets have a look at October flowers in the Sierra de Grazalema. Berries and acorns are ripening, decorating the countryside and providing food for wildlife. Many plants will only just be emerging as the first autumn rain will usually have encouraged the germination of many seeds by now, giving a lushness to the pastures and roadsides that had been dry during the summer.

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September in the Sierra de Grazalema

September in the Sierra de Grazalema

September in the Sierra de Grazalema is a good time to watch Bee-eaters, Short-toed eagles and Booted eagles on their Southerly migration.

September in the Sierra de Grazalema

The temperature begins to cool from the searing August heat and, if there is rain, then the ground will soften, giving way from dried straw colours to a soft green as plants sprout anew after their summer dormancy. Some of the flowers we can see now are Round-leaved fluellin, Common ivy, Fennel, Rosemary, White asparagus, Apple mint and Maritime squill. A range of fruits and berries begin to ripen, which can add a surprising splash of colour; Sloe, Blackberry, Hawthorn, Laurustinus, Peony, Turpentine Tree and Strawberry tree.

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Summer heat in the Sierra de Grazalema

Pine cones in Grazalema. Summer heat in the Sierra de Grazalema

Someone has turned up the heating here in the Sierra de Grazalema and the little rain and cooler temperatures of the spring seems to be a long distant memory. We’ll soon be in the high thirties and the forecast is for more intense heat to come this year which will probably take us into the forties and the blazing summer heat in the Sierra de Grazalema

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Find a hotel in the Sierra de Grazalema

Sierra de Grazalema

If you’re planning to stay in the Sierra de Grazalema, choosing where to base yourself can make a big difference to your visit. The villages and countryside are spread across a large mountainous area, so the best place to stay depends on whether you want to be close to walking routes, village restaurants, scenic roads or simply somewhere peaceful with views.

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Early summer wildflowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

Early summer wildflowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

May is a fabulous time to walk, cycle or drive through the mountains to see the early summer wildflowers in the Sierra de Grazalema. Roadside verges, pastures and scrubland turn glorious colours with a varied selection of flowering plants. The springtime rains have ensured a vivid display and many plants compete for space in a hurry to flower and set their seeds before the ground dries out and bakes during the summer months. Hillsides can turn yellow with shrubby Retama, whereas the many meadows are a tapestry of pastel shades brimming with annuals. Many plants from the April wildflowers page still continue to bloom.

Early summer wildflowers in the Sierra de Grazalema
Crambe filiformis

Wild flowers adorn every corner with a riot of colour, there are far too many to mention and only being amongst them will you sense the variety. As for the impressive, then the giant fennel lives up to its name with a 2-3 metre stalk! Crambe filiformis has to be the opposite end of the scale with its minute wispy white flowers on delicate strands.

The unusual Blue aphyllanthes has starry flowers amongst a hedgehog dome of rush-like leaves, while the giant squill makes a pyramid of individual blooms which attract some lovely green beetles. The exotic looking Spanish nigella is lovely in bud, flower or seed, with each stage attractive on its own.

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