There are more than 30 spontaneous species to which one can refer to predict the weather: the white shamrock (Calystegia sepium), the dandelion, the marguerite, Veronica chamaedrys, Silene dioica, the chicory, the wood sorrel, the chickweed and in general all the Stellaria, the wood anemone, Spergularia rubra.

In particular, chicory has very sensitive petals, which even begin to close 6 to 8 hours before the rain and reopen 6 or 8 hours after the storm.

However, don't trust the beard beard (Tragopogon pratensis): this yellow field sleepyhead dozes off whatever the color of the sky (hence its name in modern English Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, James goes to sleep at midday 😆).

Another element to predict the weather through our senses, therefore not through sight, is to use smell: there are numerous spontaneous species at the edges and in the center of fields, in the woods and along the coasts that help us in this sense. For several species the aroma is stronger when the air is more humid, just before rainfall... how can we forget the Rain in the Pineto 😍?

If, however, you prefer to look, you can still observe the flowers in your garden: tulips, purple convolvulus, Hemerocallis, lettuce flowers and marigold (of which there is even the Calendula pluvialis species which has much more evident reactions than officinalis and arvensis in the event of incoming clouds).

The "threat" of rain, via the wind, will delay the morning opening of the petals of numerous flowers, as well as accelerate the closing of the petals before the night's rest. So, if the marigold opens its petals after 8 am or closes them before 5 pm, you know that there is no need to hang out the laundry 😅

The Carlina acaulis is wonderful, as it closes in on itself when bad weather is on the horizon, and in fact in all areas of Germanic domination it is known as the "thistle of weather".

Even shrubs can have their say: rhododendrons possess a rare ability to indicate temperature variations: when the temperature rises, their leaves unfold, open. At 20° they are completely closed while at 60° they are completely open.

If you are in a forest, the wild weather is the pine cone: in dry weather the scales (actually pollen leaves) open and separate; as soon as the air is more humid they soften and tend to close until the strobilus reaches the shape we all know.

Near the sea it is useful to observe algae: the Norse taught us this by observing the laminariali: they shrivel in good weather, but become tumescent if it is about to rain. In reality this depends on the presence of brackish water, because salt is hygroscopic, which means that the salt on the surface of the algae absorbs moisture when the air is humid.

Ctedits

Eleonora Matarrese, The wild cook Facebook®