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The Plant of the Year – the Northern Dragon Head – Is Now Blooming

The plant of the year 2020 – the northern dragon head (Dracocephalum ruyschiana) as nominated by the Latvian Botanical Society, is now blooming beautifully in the nature park “Numernes valnis” in Kārsava region. The plant is closely related to the specially protected habitat “Coniferous forests on eskers and esker-relief forms”, because it requires the gravelly soil and sparse pine forests characteristic of eskers.

The Numerne embankment area is among the richest dragon head deposits in the country, with as many as 1 200 to 1 500 specimens of this plant growing there.

“The northern dragon head is a light-demanding species – the most vital stands are formed in forest openings, meadows; they also grow in young pine stands,” tells Diāna Marga, LVM Northern Latgale Region Environmental Planning Specialist.

In the territory managed by LVM, northern dragon head is also to be found in the nature park “Driksnas sils”, in the nature reserve “Posolnīca”, in the nature park “Daugavas loki” and in the vicinity of Andrupene, where more than 600 specimens have been listed this year.

The northern dragon head is a specially protected plant species in Latvia.