Dry meadows flourish in the middle of summer

Summery dry meadows add some welcome variation to the forest-filled landscapes of Finland: open spaces, low vegetation and flowers! The plant species found dry meadows have adapted to living in an environment with few nutrients and ample light. In the middle of summer, in the scorching sunlight, they bloom most impressively. Dry meadow flowers depend on insects to pollinate them, which is why blooming dry meadows are full of butterflies, beetles, hymenopterans and other buzzing bugs. In late summer, the plants often wilt due to lack of rainfall, but by then their new seeds have already matured and fallen to the ground to await next year’s summer.

The dry and mesic meadows of Ruissalo
Field flowers and butterflies