We have quite successfully planted some of the most difficult plants in tufa (travertine). Calcareous areas in the mountains are the most fertile areas with the largest selection of various plant species. Tufa is a porous limestone in which it is possible to drill holes so that the plants can grow directly in the stone. We drill holes with a diameter of 20 mm, fill up the holes with sand and plant the plants inside them. We place the tufa stones in sand which we keep constantly moist. The tufa will absorb the water from the sand, giving the plants the nutrition necessary. After a few years, the tufa will weather on the surface, making it possible for the plants to sow themselves directly on the stones.
Tufa bed June 2014
Jankaea heldreichii
Viola cazorlensis
Saxifraga sp SEP 45