Dry lawns with orchids
Endangered and sparse environment, dry lawns (north east of the Atlantic Pyrenees) are still considered like noteworthy environment. They represent a surface of 250 hectares on 54 parcels among 14 different towns. Stocktakings done up to now, showed that there are 23 species of orchids in the region with an average of 10 species by site. In addition to their ecologic importance, these lawns offer us a Mediterranean type of landscape, not very frequent in the south-west of France.
Intimately related to farming, these environment come from clearing and traditional pasture. These parcels have been exploited up till 1970 for wine and breeding. Phylloxera and decline in farming activity have given them back to nature…
There Orchids proliferated very quickly. Nature trails were created thanks to “Espaces Naturels d’Aquitaine”, within the framework of their missions, that is to say : study, protection, control and evaluation of the heritage of Aquitaine.
Geology :
Lembeye and Castetpugon hillsides, lengthened in the north and south direction, culminate about 300 metres and are delineated by valleys of streams : Lées, Larcis, Bergons. On about 100 metres of difference in height, from hillsides, we can see 3 main geological formation : molasse, gravel clay, and the table of Maucor.
Some species of wild orchids :
Frog orchid : scarce in plain, more frequent in mountain. This uniformly green flower easily camouflages itself in vegetation.
Pyramidal orchid and lady orchid are loud and more profuse.
“Fly orchid” and its false feelers, looks like the insect that you could easily mistake one for the other.
Some hikes you can do :
May is a period favourable to the blossoming of wild orchids on the hillsides of the region of Vic-Bilh.
Hiking :
- a 45 minutes lap by foot around the castle of Arricau-Bordes, within the reach of everyone, will enable you to admire about 10 species of wild orchids.
Departure in front of the wine warehouse of the castle, during all the month of May (during the week and also on Sunday, from the first blossoming).
- a 9 kilometre free lap from the place of the townhall of Castetpugon, farmhouse-hostelry Le Haut Fleury, tasting and farm products