The name of “caper” is borrowed from Arabic al-kabara (Its Arabic name is Kaber or lussef), which is of course related to Latin capparis, what was borrowed from Greek kapparis whose origin (as that of the plant) is unknown but probably West or Central Asia. Another theory links kapparis to the name of the island […]
Cercis siliquastrum or “Judas Tree” is a type of redbud (fabaceae). In early spring it is covered with a profusion of magenta pink flowers, which appear before the leaves. The name “Judas Tree” came from the story of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. It is said when he hung himself on one of these […]
Acanthus (the Greek and Latin name for the plant is connected with “ake,” a sharp point), a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Acanthaceae. The species are natives of the southern parts of Europe and the warmer parts of Asia and Africa. The best-known is Acanthus mollis, a common species throughout the Mediterranean […]
The myrtle, Myrtus communis, is a shrub with evergreen leaves. The small white flowers are produced in the middle of the summer. The fruit is a small, black berry, resembling a blueberry and is edible but seldom eaten. The entire plant contains a fragrant oil. In Hebrew myrtle is called “hadas” and is one of […]
The winter solstice (from Latin sol (sun) + stet (standing) is the date of the shortest day, when the sun appears to be at its most southerly. Both hunter-gatherers and farming communities relied on stored food to see them through the long winters, for many cultures the return of the longer days meant that the […]
The flora of Israel is mentioned many times in the Bible. The Bible is full with illustrations, indicating examples from agriculture and natural vegetation. King Solomon in Eccelestiastes (2,5-6) described his wealth, he said: “I made me gardens and orchards, and planted trees in them of all kind of fruits. I made myself pools of […]
Job 30:4 – Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. Althea derives from the Greek word ‘altho’ to cure’ and the family name Malvaceae is one of the many species of flowering plants that contains the genus Malva, the mallow genus, and its relatives, including the […]
Some say it is the most erotic flower, look to the lower part: a red ring, a light tongue and red lips! Cyclamen, a genus of plants of the Primrose family, received its name kyklaminos meaning “circle” from its bulblike, underground stem. In most of the 20 known species, the flower scape coils downward after […]
Alkanna tinctoria is also known as orchanet, dyer’s bugloss, Spanish bugloss or bugloss of Languedoc. Its name comes from the Spanish word alcana, from Arabic al-hena, after Henna (Lawsonia inermis lythraceae) . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) Alkanna tuberculata naturally grows in maritime sands, on the shores of the the […]
Ammi visnaga is a member of the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae, a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, including parsley, carrot, and other relatives. Ammi visnaga is a bitter, aromatic plant that is native to the Mediterranean area of North Africa and the Middle East. The plant grows erect to a height of about […]
In Israel the Urginea maritime grows in the Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts, and Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon. They grow only in natural habitats. The Galilee have been devastated by fire and what was left were the charred trunks of pine trees and some remains of bushes. Amid […]
There are only three species of Cedars in the world: the Lebanon cedar, the Deodar of the Himalayas and theMount Atlas Cedar. The Lebanon cedar is originally native to Asia Minor. This tree does not grow wild in Israel and large forests of Lebanon cedars of ancient days no longer exist. But because of its […]
The myrtle, Myrtus communis, is a shrub with evergreen leaves. The small white flowers are produced in the middle of the summer. The fruit is a small, black berry, resembling a blueberry and is edible but seldom eaten. The entire plant contains a fragrant oil. In Hebrew myrtle is called “hadas” and is one of […]
according to “the Land of Israel”,chapter XXI, a journal of Travels in Palestine (1865) by Reverend Henry Baker Tristram * (1822 – 1906) … Read More The myrtle, Myrtus communis, is a shrub with evergreen leaves. The small white flowers are produced in the middle of the summer. The fruit is a small, black berry, […]
