Crocus and Bulbs in Israel, November 2010

[Janis Ruksans]

I just returned from Israel where together with my wife we visited great specialist of E Mediterranean flora and our forumist Oron. It was marvellous trip regardless of very unfavourable season. Although we planed trip during first decade of November when in Israel must be the peak of Crocus blooming - this year was the hottest and driest and all development delayed for month. I was extremely surprised that regardless of no drop of rain before our coming, there were few flowers in some spots foundable. Really I saw almost all species which I hoped to see although flowers were not of top quality and they were early runners which quickly wilted for extreme dryness. But meeting with so great man as Oron and hardening of friendship compensated loss of flowers. To make entry more interesting I decided to include few other flowers of bulbous plants seen, too.
On first picture you can see me and Oron disputing about... what you think?   Of course - about Crocuses. Behind us are holy Jerusalem. (My wife was very satisfied - so many historic monuments, swimming in Dead sea - oh, endless adventures).
The first flowers seen were of Prospero (Scilla) hanburyi, growing 190 m below see level - not below water of course but in desert. So not worse to show. The first real flower growable in Latvia under cover was Sternbergia clusiana with Crocus-like flowers (more Tulip like) - the best of Sternbergias.
Next 2 pictures are of Colchicum feinbruniae - very nicely checkered, large and very floriferous. Bulbs of it lies some 50 cm deep, where are protected from heat and receive minor moisture, so even after such drought can bloom.
And then first crocus flowers - Crocus pallasii and very few (2 specimens seen only) C. cancellatus - in place where fields must be covered with them.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus pallasii turned the species which we saw at almost every stop. Seems that it simply couldn't wait for the first rain. The weather was very hot but due very low air humidity we felt very comfortable during stay near and on Golan heights.
At some rubbish full meadow on forest side we met first flowers of Crocus ochroleucus, seen later on several occasions, too. Unfortunately locality where white throated specimens occurs still was empty from Crocus flowers, it was one of my dream plants which I didn't saw in wild during this trip.
Crocus pallasii is very uniform everywhere.
On way back to our hotel in Nazareth we turned in small side road (it seems that Oron know not only driving roads but even each small footpass in Israel) where we spotted the first flowers of Crocus aleppicus, but it was close to evening and so flowers were almost closed.
I think that Israel is country with best rules for nature protection with greatest number of protected areas and nature reserves - every where where rare plant is found are introduced protected regime and supreme court usually stays on side of nature against developers.
The best crocus fields are protected in something extreme way, as you can see on last picture. Although I have experience of bulb collecting on minefields (see Buried Treasures) I didn't risked here. The mines on Golan Heights are left by Syria and now there are discussion - may be Israel must to clean those territories as sometimes bad accidents happens. So just recently warning signs were renewed.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Following day we directed to highest altitudes of Golan heights - to Mt.. Hermon - hoping that there will be more flowers, as autumn blooming crocuses start blooming at higher altitudes and then goes down.
But at first small side turn to another Colchicum name of which is very difficult both - to pronounce and to spell -Colchicum hierosolymitanum. It grows in sparse forest just on roadside, on terra-rossa. Its corms lies very deep, not less than 50 cm and it is reported as species with the longest flower tube. Flowers itself are very large, too. Soil is deeply splitted from draught and seeds fell in those soil breaks, so they are large enough to push young shoot up to surface. Seed pods from last years flowers still had some seeds, so will try to grow it here although I'm afraid that may be our climate will be too wet.
By the way up we make another side turn - there no Crocuses still were found (hoped to see C. hyemalis) but instead those we saw beautiful Cyclamen persicum var. autumnale - beautiful autumn blooming form which flowers well before leaves appear.
Colchicum stevenii belongs to one of my favourites, although it isn't easy to grow it here. Its corms lay shallow. By flowers it is very variable in size. I mostly like minor forms. Side by side I collected some seeds of Ornithogalum narbonense subsp. brachystachis. But there were plenty of other bulbs, too (judging by dry stems of previous season).
And finally first Crocuses - we stopped shortly below ski resort - Yes, there can be skiing on Mt. Hermon. There were many different crocuses growing. In this entry - Crocus aleppicus.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Janis, I think this report is worth a topic of its own. 

[Janis Ruksans]

In some more open spots are Crocus cancellatus, but only few were seen. By flower it is quite similar to crocus named by this mount - Crocus hermoneus. Final decision can be maid only after checking of corm tunics which in Crocus cancellatus is distinctly strongly reticulated, but in hermoneus only fibrous. After some experience I finally learned how to seperate them without opening corm, but can't explain that in words. It is some feeling.
We drove higher on Mt. Hermon and last stop was at large parking place for winter sport lovers.
There again we met with Crocus pallasii (not pictured) and new colchicum - extremely variable by flower color and shape of segments - Colchicum antilibanoticum. Unfortunately my new battery for camera failed to work, so I was very limited in possibilities to make pictures, but some I pictured.
At bottom of wide valley which usually at that time is white from Crocus ochroleucus flowers resembling snow cover, due extreme draught we saw only very few buds. Again no one albino. So at this place we met with 5 crocus species - aleppicus, hermoneus, cancellatus, pallasii and ochroleucus. Didn't find any C.hyemalis.
Still no rain only new heat wave for weekend offered
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Next day was the last for visiting of mountains. Temperature according weather broadcast started to rise. I was afraid that no C. hyemalis we will see. We are going to Mt. Meron in Golan Heights, just on border with Syria. This part is much greener and it seem that may be some small cloud accidentally visited this mountain and left few drops of water on its slopes. And yes - here it is - my long time dream C. hyemalis  . Pity, only 5-7 plants on small stony spot just near road. So my hopes to document its variability failed, but those few flowers you can see on this entry. Long walking around showed only everywhere growing C. pallasii and greatest number of Crocus ochroleucus flowers seen during this trip. The large meadow ( - nude flat opening) where must be thousands of C. hyemalis greeted us only with marvellous Biarum bovei and just at parking spot with the best specimen of Crocus pallasii - by width of flower segments close to Crimean forms, but without dark throat, so characteristic to plants from opposite side of distribution area.
Evening we passed in small Oron's garden - plenty with pots to protect bulbs from bulb-eating moles. There mostly at that moment are blooming various cyclamens.
Next day we turn to seaside. The air becomes more moist and we are sweating, temperature is over +30. By the way another stop to make few pictures of Biarum pyrami and on narrow strip of sandstone openings just along seaside - some 100-200 m wide and 5-6 km long nature reserve we found single flower of Biarum angustatum - it is the earliest blooming species in Israel and we succeed to find the last flower. Many Biarums looks quite similar, but they are separable, when you dissect spatha and check position of male and female flowers etc.
Riga greats us with rain and +5 C . Would be happy to give some of our rain and cold to Israel in exchange to some warm days  
Janis

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

Thank you very much  Janis for beautiful pictures and nice explanation!
Hendrik

[Tony Willis]

Janis just great to see,thank you.It looked like a very good visit in spite of the heat delaying the onset of the flowering season and you managed to see some super plants

[arillady]

I will follow this thread with great interest Janis.

[ian mcenery]

Janis thank you for sharing your exploits. I look forward to the next chapter

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis thank you for sharing your exploits. I look forward to the next chapter

Sorry, nothing more can follow - I showed almost everything seen.
Janis

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely to see two eminent Forumists in ernest discussion and on such an important subject. I was trying to identify in the background, the house where fellow croconut Otto Fauser was born, but I can't be sure.

[Otto Fauser]

Janis , I followed with great interest your botanising journey through Israel and enjoyed your great photos of Crocus and other genera.I have never seen Colch. antilibanoticum before ,also the autumn flowering form of Cyc . persicum should do well here in my garden.
 
 I can understand the excitement and satisfaction your wife felt when she saw those famous historical sites and monuments.Wished I could have joined you and Oron sitting on the stonewall (in deep conversation/ discussion/ contemplation ) gazing down to Jerusalem, where I was born in 1938. but have not been back since my early childhood.  Oron knows my parents house .

[BULBISSIME]

Thank's Janis for this very well illustrated post .
I can imagine your trip with better weather conditions... but such is the nature  One day lucky, the other one bad conditions.

[Maggi Young]

I am concerned for the Israeli Forumists who might be affected by these terrible forest fires near Haifa.... so frightening.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11907871