NAZARETH IRIS

Last week a friend and I traveled up to Nazareth Illit (Upper Nazareth) to see the rare and endangered Nazareth Iris growing there on Har Yona. After a longish period driving around in circles, we did eventually manage to locate the right area. This spectacular flower is found in only a few isolated places around Nazareth and it is thought there are only about 4,000 individuals surviving in the wild. It is a species that has proven almost impossible to breed artificially as it needs very specific conditions including a cold winter and a hot, dry summer. The Nazareth Iris is listed as an Endangered Species in the IUCN Red List. In an effort to save this species which is being threatened by the spreading development of new neighborhoods, bulbs were gathered and brought to Har Yona, a hilltop in the town of Nazareth Illit, where it can be protected. Now there are some tens of individuals growing there in a semi-managed environment. They have a short flowering season in March-April. The flowers are pollinated by the black native bumble bee and the lower petal of the flowers (the landing pad) has a black spot that looks like a bee, in order to attract other bees.

Here are some more photos of the area. Please note these photos are copyright. You can use them for personal or educational purposes but you need my permission for any commercial use.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in identifying Israeli flora and fauna, so please correct me if I have made errors.