Flowers in Israel – פרחים בארץ ישראל: Pancratium maritimum, Sea daffodil, Sea pancratium lily, Sand Lily, (Hebrew: חבצלת החוף; in Arabic: susan al bahr, 'lily of the seashore').

I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, he shall strike root as the poplar” Hosea 14: 5.

A member of the Amaryllidaceae family. There are about 15 species of the genus Pancratium. The botanical name of Pancratium means the ‘all-powerful,’ like Jesus as the Pankrator in Byzantine art (Greek pan, ‘all’, krotion, ‘power’ and ‘maritimum’ means ‘coastal’); Pantokrator was used to translate the Hebrew title El Shaddai.
Pancratium maritimum is a bulbous perennial, growing deeply buried in highly threatened Mediterranean habitats: the sand fields and dunes in the coastal area. The plant scapes to 40 cm height. The flowers are 3-15 in an umbel, have an exotic lily scent and are white. It is propagated by seed as well as bulbs. They are flowering in August to October with lots of sun. Leaves grow during winter and this species became rare because of destruction of the coast by urbanism.

The Pancratium species are toxic plants! The bulbs contain more than 20 alkaloids and some other substances (lectine…).There were ethnobotanical and/or medicinal uses with Pancatium: Pancratium maritimum has anti-fungal activity.

The flower has been identified in Minoan art, on a sacrificial knife and wall paintings and a golden ring, probably the emblem of a shamanic priestess, depicting women as ‘bee ladies’ experiencing a vision, and even a ceramic plate showing a Persephone snake goddess with her flower.

The Hebrew name for the flower is חבצלת החוף Chavazelet Hachof), and it is also generally accepted that the Rose of Sharon (Chavazelet Hasharon), mentioned in the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs 2:1-2), is identified with the Pancratium maritimum, but without justification.