Streets of Lisbon, Portugal, Wed Feb 28 2024

The pavements in my neighbourhood are cleared of plants only occasionally. During lockdown they were left to themselves but in normal years the grass often slips through the gaps between the limestone sets - known locally as calçada.

Author's photos

Ruderal species

A plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance may be natural – for example, wildfires or avalanches – or the consequences of human activities.

Ruderal plants are quick to claim abandoned buildings and ruined walls, neither of which are uncommon.

Author's photos

Modern cranes and brick chimneys from the last century and before are temporary visitors and long-term inhabitants.

Author's photos

These plants are largely town dwellers or found on abandoned plots but fennel, sow thistles and the Bermuda buttercup are also a familiar sight in the countryside around Lisbon.

Fennel is native to the Mediterranean and is found on dry soil near riverbanks and by the sides of roads close to where water has collected.

Plants and lichen find refuge on high walls where they are less likely to be disturbed.

Author's photos

Both ivy-leaved toadflax and pellitory of the wall - or spreading pellitory - favour slightly damp and sheltered places. Both have a tendency to spread.

The flower stalk of ivy-leaved toadflax is unusual for seeking light until it is fertilised after which it grows away from the light.

Wall pennywort favours shady walls or damp crevices.

Author's photos

Lisbon is undergoing rapid change. Plants find space where and when there is an opportunity.

Field trip photos