PlantsMap

EN PL

8 plants worth knowing

Israel

Within Israel’s small area three vegetation zones meet: the Mediterranean scrub and oak–pine woods of Galilee and Mount Carmel, transitional steppes, and the deserts of the Negev and the Arava with their acacias. Thanks to winter rains, from January to March the hills are carpeted with wild flowers – anemones, cyclamens and poppies.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Poppy anemone 1

    flower · National flower of Israel (chosen in a nationwide vote in 2013)

    Poppy anemone

    Anemone coronaria

    In winter red anemones turn the fields of the northern Negev into a scarlet carpet – Israelis celebrate it with the “Darom Adom” festival.
  2. Olive 2

    tree · Olive branches flank the menorah on the emblem of Israel

    Olive

    Olea europaea

    The olive branches on Israel’s emblem are a reminder that some trees in Galilee may date back to Roman times.
  3. Persian cyclamen 3

    flower

    Persian cyclamen

    Cyclamen persicum

    The wild ancestor of the potted cyclamen springs up in winter from rock crevices on the hills of Galilee and Mount Carmel.
  4. Prickly pear 4

    cactus · Symbol of the “sabra” – a native-born Israeli

    Prickly pear

    Opuntia ficus-indica

    Prickly outside, sweet inside – this cactus gave its name to native-born Israelis.
  5. Umbrella thorn 5

    tree

    Umbrella thorn

    Vachellia tortilis

    Umbrella-shaped acacias are the only trees able to survive in the dry wadi beds of the Arava and the Negev.
  6. Pomegranate 6

    crop

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum

    The pomegranate is one of the seven biblical species of the Land of Israel – at Rosh Hashanah it is eaten with wishes for as many merits as it has seeds.
  7. Sweet orange 7

    crop

    Sweet orange

    Citrus × sinensis

    The Jaffa (Shamouti) orange made Israel famous worldwide – for decades crates stamped “Jaffa” were the country’s calling card.
  8. Date palm 8

    palm

    Date palm

    Phoenix dactylifera

    In Israel the Methuselah palm was raised from a 2,000-year-old seed from Masada, and the palm frond (lulav) is one of the four species of Sukkot.