As part of ongoing improvements to the Fiesa area, two new butterfly oases have come to life. These flower-filled plantings are designed to improve conditions for butterflies and other pollinators. Small but valuable, they also help visitors and residents understand the importance of protecting biodiversity. The oases provide butterflies and other insects with food, places to rest and safe shelter. At the same time, they invite visitors to pause, look more closely among the flowers and discover a vibrant world that often goes unnoticed.
Blooms from spring to autumn
The oases feature carefully selected nectar-rich perennials that flower at different times. The planting has been designed to bloom gradually from May to October: as one plant species finishes flowering, another takes its place. This gives butterflies and other pollinators access to a valuable food source over a longer period.
The selected plants include purple coneflower, gaura, purpletop vervain, Russian sage, showy stonecrop, yarrow, lavender, woodland sage and wild thyme.
These perennials are well suited to sunny locations, heat and dry conditions and require very little watering. This makes them particularly suitable for the coastal environment, where responsible water use is also important.
Small spaces with a big purpose
To survive, butterflies need nectar-rich flowers, sunny and undisturbed places and a variety of plants that bloom over an extended period. As natural meadows and flowering areas become increasingly scarce in urban environments, plantings like these help them find food and shelter.
Slovenia is home to approximately 180 butterfly species and more than 3,500 moth species. Their presence is also an indicator of a healthy environment: the greater the variety of butterfly species, the richer and better preserved the natural world tends to be.
The two oases in Fiesa are therefore much more than decorative plantings. They are small habitats that support pollinators and contribute to greater biodiversity in the urban environment.
An outdoor classroom
The plantings also have an important educational role. The accompanying information panels introduce visitors to the plants used and to some of the most common and recognisable butterfly species found in Slovenian Istria, including the small heath, meadow brown, common blue, scarce swallowtail and marbled white.
Visitors can also discover that butterflies are indicators of a healthy environment and that they “taste” with their feet. Special receptors on their feet allow them to identify suitable plants on which to lay their eggs.
The butterfly oases are an invitation to observe, explore and respect the life among the flowers. On your next visit to Fiesa, stop by and see how many different winged visitors you can spot.
