In early spring, from mid-April onwards, wood hyacinths cover the Hallerbos forest in Belgium as if by magic. This magical spectacle of nature is possible because this forest is very old, in the sense that it has never been deforested by man for at least 3 or 4 centuries, as has been the case for many forests in Europe. The intense blue-mauve color of this carpet of flowers blends wonderfully with the green of the trees' young foliage.