Södra Greda (Southern Greda)
Lovely wooded meadow
A glimpse of paradise! The Södra Greda wooded meadow on an early summer day provides the very best a wooded meadow on Öland can offer!
Early summer excursion
Swallows and swifts dart around in the air and in the lush greenery of the trees the collared flycatcher sings its somewhat strident song along with willow warblers and tree pipits. If you follow the marked path out through the meadow you will be met by an almost overwhelming profusion of flowers. Ragged robin, heath spotted orchid and lesser butterfly-orchid fight for attention with oxeye daisies and common milkwort. It’s like heaven!
Orchids
In the western part of the meadow, orchids such as the western marsh-orchid and green-winged orchid thrive, as do cowslip, sheep’s fescue, common rock rose, breckland thyme, lady’s bedstraw and spiked speedwell. There are moister soils east of the embankment, which are home to bird’s-eye primrose, common selfheal, Irish fleabane, purple moor-grass and many other plants.
Rare fungi
Rare fungi such as the polypores Pachykytospora tuberculosa, ox tongue and Hapalopilus croceus grown on several of the oaks in the area. Other rare fungi in the meadow include eccentric pinkgill, Inocybe adaequata and Xerula pudens.
Cultural assets
In the northern part of the wooded meadow there is a small building called the sheep shed. The building was already in existence in the early 1800s and was used primarily as a storage space for tools and harnesses. It was probably also used as protection from the weather for workers in the fields and meadows. In Södra Greda’s shoreline wetlands there are the remains of an extensive Iron Age settlement. The wetlands have provided good grazing areas while fishing and hunting was also an important part of the food supply.
Facts:
Size: 3 ha (7,5 acres)
Year of creation: 1962
Purpose: To preserve a typical wooded meadow and its flora, as well as the ridge formations in the meadow. The area is part of Natura 2000, the EU’s ecological network of protected areas.
Directions/Location:
The Södra Greda wooded meadow is located on the east of Öland, about 20 km NE of Borgholm. From Södra Greda village, there are signs leading east to the nature reserve, where there is a car park and information.
GPS coordinates to the parking lot WGS 84 decimal (lat, long): 56.99429 , 16.87462
Map: Naturcentrum AB, Stenungsund.
Download: the County administrative boards brochure over (in Swedish only) (814 kB): Södra Greda
Download: the entire brochure (in Swedish only) (19 MB): Utflyktsguide Öland
© Lantmäteriverket, Ur Geografiska Sverigedata, översiktskartan Dnr. 106-2004/188”
Source: County Administrative Board, Kalmar
Translation: Visitoland.com
- Stormaren
- Södviks sjömarker (shoreline wetlands)