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8 plants worth knowing

Belgium

Belgium is a small, densely populated country with a temperate maritime climate, where farmed, heavily urbanised Flanders contrasts with the wooded hills of the Ardennes in the south. Dunes survive along the coast, the heathlands of the Campine (Kempen) lie in the north, and the raised bogs of the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) in the east. The country is also famed for horticulture – the area around Ghent has for centuries been one of Europe’s centres of ornamental plant breeding.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Common poppy 1

    flower · National flower of Belgium, a symbol of remembrance for those who fell in the First World War

    Common poppy

    Papaver rhoeas

    “In Flanders fields the poppies blow” – the poppies of the fields around Ypres became a worldwide symbol of remembrance for the victims of war.
  2. Common bluebell 2

    flower

    Common bluebell

    Hyacinthoides non-scripta

    Every spring the floor of the Hallerbos near Brussels turns into a violet-blue sea – one of Belgium’s most famous sights.
  3. Chicory 3

    crop

    Chicory

    Cichorium intybus

    The pale, slightly bitter shoots of witloof were developed in 19th-century Brussels – hence the English name “Belgian endive”.
  4. Tuberous begonia 4

    flower

    Tuberous begonia

    Begonia × tuberhybrida

    Begonias make up the famous Flower Carpet on Brussels’ Grand-Place – and the area around Ghent produces most of the world’s begonia tubers.
  5. European beech 5

    tree

    European beech

    Fagus sylvatica

    The Sonian Forest on the edge of Brussels is a “beech cathedral” – some of its reserves are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  6. Potato 6

    crop

    Potato

    Solanum tuberosum

    Belgians regard chips as their national dish – fried twice and sold in paper cones from stands called frietkot.
  7. Hop 7

    crop

    Hop

    Humulus lupulus

    Hops from Poperinge flavour Belgium’s famous beers, and in spring young hop shoots are served as one of the priciest delicacies around.
  8. Brussels sprout 8

    crop

    Brussels sprout

    Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera

    Brussels sprouts owe their name to the Belgian capital – they may have been grown around Brussels as early as the 13th century.