Croda da Lago and Rocchette

Flora and Vegetation

Cypredium calceolus

Without doubt the most beautiful and conspicuous orchid in the Alpine and European flora. Formerly endangered because of indiscriminate picking, this species has now a reasonably widespread population. The preferred habitat is the alluvial, torrential limestone near the valley floor. The banks of the Boite and Felizon, upstream of Fiames, and the surrounding plains are very rich in this orchid.

Campanula morettiana

Moretti's campanula is the endemic species par excellence; one of the most beautiful and symbolic flowers of the Dolomites, it grows on the south-facing overhanging cliffs, sheltered against heavy rainfalls, and forms spectacular purple flowering in August. It is present in the mid-southern Dolomites and its northern limit is on the southern slopes of Lagazuoi and Tofana.

Triglav hawk's head

Triglav hawk's head (Crepis terglouensis)

This species can hardly be distinguished from the several other yellow Compositae and is an authentic rarity in the Dolomites. It only grows on the high altitude calcareous plateaux with clayey substratum. It is endemic species to the Karstic areas of the eastern Alps and in Ampezzo it is only found on the high cols of Col dei Bòs, Nuvolau and Lastoi de Formìn.

Lesser Twayblade

Lesser Twayblade Listera cordata

This tiny orchid is hard to see as it is well camouflaged, but too beautiful to be overlooked. Listera is a symbol species of sub-Alpine spruce forests, characterized by some acidity, with woodfloor covered by carpets of moss and blueberries. This small jewel of the Ampezzo flora is likely to be found in the shady forests of the northern slopes.

Thread leaved water-crowfoot

Thread leaved water-crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus

The small crowfoot is a typically aquatic plant with white petals. In the waters of the Ampezzo lakes it is present as the “eradicatus” subspecies, i.e. floating plants without roots anchored to the bottom. It is sign of clear and clean waters and it can grow even in the small mountain lakes above 2000 meters, like Lago di Fedèra.

Red Helleborine

Red Helleborine Cephalanthera rubra

This medium-size, wonderful orchid grows in mixed forest of fir and beech trees. In Cortina this species is very rare and its distribution is limited to some sites of Val d'Ortie and the upper Boite valley. It is sometimes called “ghost orchid”, since it can remain dormant for decades in the terrain as bulb, to blossom suddenly when the soil where it lies receive a little more sun energy.

Flora and Vegetation

Fauna and Habitat

Itineraries