Snake's Head Lily - Croatia

Fritillaria meleagris - The snake’s head lily derives its name from the bobbing flower on the plant’s stem resembling a snake’s head when not fully open. The flowers are a dark purple chequered pattern; on rare occasions, the flowers are white. It is native to Europe, cultivated in gardens, and not easy to find growing in the wild. The bulbs are alkaloid and highly poisonous. Being a hermaphrodite plant, the snake’s head has the capability to self-pollinate, but is usually pollinated by bees.

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Evidence of pre-Neandertal remains have been found in several areas of Croatia. Flints made by palaeolithic humanoids were unearthed in Šandalja Cave, a site near the village of Punikve. Teeth and bone fragments of Neandertals have been recovered from the Hušnjakovo site located near Krapina. These discoveries were found in 1899 and have been dated to 130,000 years ago. The recovered remains are referred to as Homo krapiniensis. Findings also included tools and evidence of a hearth.

Wild Daffodil - Nordrhein-Westfalen

The Rhein River, at 1,230 kilometers, is the second longest river in Central Europe; the Donau is first. Starting in Switzerland, the Rhein flows through or serves as a natural border between several countries before emptying into the North Sea. Köln is the largest city on the  Rhein and also the largest city in Nordrhein-Westfalen.

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Narcissus pseudonarcissus - Wild daffodils are native to Western Europe and are cultivated for ornamental purposes. It is a perennial grown from bulbs, each one producing a single flower ranging in height from 22 to 37 centimeters. The flower is made up of 3 petals and 3 sepals surrounding a distinctive trumpet shaped crown; sepals provide protection for the flower as a bud and help support the petals when in bloom. Daffodils are hardy plants found in woodlands, grassy meadows, and rocky areas throughout March and April.