On Shabbat HaGadol we spent a glorious three nights at a Moshav in the Golan called Keshet. The weather was spectacular and the walks just outside our door were wonderful and so very inspiring as this was an area of Israel with which we were not really acquainted, though it is just an hour's drive from our home further west. On Friday while some family members hung out and read, my daughter and I took a walk up to a lookout point with views of the Moshav and also a stunning peak at Mount Hermon with snow, the volcanic mountain of Mount Peres and so much more. It was so glorious I just had to go again, this time with husband and one of my sons (the other son found it himself on a shabbat walk) and I enjoyed it just as much the second time.
On our way down from the top, I suddenly spotted a large flower amidst the tall grasses and plants and gasp, it was an Iris! Of course I oohed and awed and only once at home did I discover that this particular orchid, the Golan iris (Iris hermona) is quite rare, so was indeed quite special, and so happy to share it with you. Want to learn more, keep on reading......
As it turns out, Israel is blessed with many types of native wild Irises, most of them very rare and many of them endemic, meaning they are found only is Israel, wow!
The most beautiful ones are also the rarest ones and are apparently limited to small areas, and additionally, their blossom period is quite short, sometimes only three weeks. All the irises blossom in the spring, between February and April, though each has its own time schedule.
Regarding this Iris, the Golan Iris, I discovered that it grows in Mt. Hermon and Golan Heights and nowhere else in the world! Its flowers are the largest among all the Irises growing in Israel, which is how I spotted it to begin with.
I came across this very interesting article, which might interest you:
https://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2018/3/13/an-endangered-iris-with-an-intriguing-pollination-syndrome
It is extremely sad to note that some of the largest remaining populations of Golan irises can be found growing in active mine fields found on the border of Israel and Syria, remnants of the 6 Day War. (These mine areas are clearly labeled with yellow signs, and this Iris that we spotted was just outside one such mine area. So apparently the only safe places for these endangered plants to grow are places that are extremely dangerous to humans. The good news? The Oncocyclus irises have caught the eye of bulb growers around the world. By sharing information on the needs of these plants in cultivation, growers can help expand on efforts to save species like the Golan iris.
What a story! Now I'd like to actively seek out other kinds of Irises growing in Israel, maybe next year?
