Andalucia, Spain, boasts a diverse range of wildflowers due to its varied landscapes, including mountains, plains, and coastal areas. The spring wildflower display has been poor in the past few years due to hot and dry conditions. However, the moon and stars must have aligned this year, and the spring wildflower display in Andalicia is stunning and prolific.
Some common wildflowers in Andalucia include Spanish lavender, broom, rockrose, oleander, marigold, iris, bluebell, field poppy, and hundreds, probably thousands more.
I like nothing more than wandering around and taking photos of these wonderful flowers. So, let’s cut to the chase and look at the photos. However, please be aware: I am not a botanist, and my flower identification skills are hopeless. I do not want to misinform by incorrectly identifying plants, so I posted most photos without identification.
One indisputable thing is that the flowers are beautiful. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 5.6
Wild garlic
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec,
f 5.6
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 5.6
These pretty blue flowers (featured in the article cover) are tine, just a few millimetres across. They also grow in the undergrowth amongst other flowers and are easy to miss.
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/60 sec,
f 8
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 8
This 'daisy' is much larger than the ones I am familiar with from the UK.
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/60 sec,
f 5.6
Wildflowers growing in an olive grove, backlit by the sun
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 8
Wildflowers growing in an olive grove, backlit by the sun (reminds me of meadow flowers)
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 8
Another small wildflower in Andalucia
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/60 sec,
f 5.6
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec,
f 5.6
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec,
f 5.6
I have heard this flower referred to as the 'yellow bee orchid'
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 5.6
Another view of the 'yellow bee orchid'
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 5.6
The ruins of an abandoned cortijo (farmhouse) in the olive groves. Just look how prolific those daisies are
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M 1:1.7 50 mm,
Exposure Time: 1/125 sec,
f 8
Poppies by the ruins of an abandoned cortijo
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M 1:1.7 50 mm,
Exposure Time: 1/1000 sec,
f 4
Although almond blossom is not technically a wildflower, it is beautiful and flowers in late January and February. The almond blossoms have long gone, but plentiful green almonds have replaced them. These will turn brown, and the outer hull (exocarp) will split, revealing the inner shell (endocarp) with the seed we are familiar with.
Here are a couple of bonus photos of green almonds:
Green almond
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M macro 1:4 100mm,
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec,
f 4
Green almonds
Camera: Pentax MX,
Lens: Asahi SMC Pentax M 1:1.7 50 mm,
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec,
f 4
I took all the photos on this page using a Pentax MX camera with Kodak Gold film. I home-developed the film using a Tetnal Colourtec C41 kit at 30C.
The photos were digitised using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless digital camera with a Tokina AT-X Pro Macro 100mm f2.8 D lens and processed using SmartConvert and Capture One software.
