TIME OUT - Part 4 - THE NEGEV DESERT IRISES

Near the small desert town of Jerucham there is a sign along the road (zoom in) promising a special kind of iris which grows only there. We knew from visits in earlier years that the promise will be kept (if there was at least a bit of rain that is), but considering the seemingly desolate and sterile region it is hard to believe for someone who does not have this knowledge.

Israel hosts several species of Iris which are endemic to the land and to certain areas of it. The Jerucham Iris, iris hieruchamensis, also called Iris Petrana is one of them. A sandy path through dry low shrubs leads to the location. 

You feel you are getting nowhere and are tempted to turn around - when suddenly you will be beguiled by their beautiful apparition.

They are stunning! One big flower stretches to the light on a tall slender stem. Each unique bloom has several hues of color. And the colors of the whole blossoms differ on the various stems from brown, purple black, purple rust, to yellowish purplish - they are so amazing!

And then there have been more irises on our third day, another sub species, a kind which is purple-brown-burgundy and often almost black. It is Iris atrofusca, Iris shachum, which means black-brown, איריס שחום in Hebrew. This kind grows mostly in black, on Tel Arad, a historical ancient place, (worth visiting the interesting excavations!), which is located halfway from Beersheva to the Dead Sea. Most of the year nothing green and fresh sprouts there on the hill under the scorching sun, only thorns and spines peak through the cracked stony dusty and drained earth. But almost each spring the miracle happens again - spear like leaves appear and the longingly awaited blooms develop on thick short stems.

When they open their petals the ground gets transformed into a black-dotted field.

We enjoyed many other desert flowers, much more in the Northern Negev, further south it got very sparse in this year of almost no rain. But you see, those little princes made it! 

I wrote in a post two years ago about the Yachnuk יחנוק המדבר (cistanche tubulosa), the Broomrape, see here:

http://www.pazzapazza2.blogspot.com/2010/03/apple-of-sodom-yellow-broomrape-two.html

The bright yellow parasite often loves to emerge near the road and we knew exactly where to find it.

On this trip we found also its pink purplish princess sisters יחנוק המלחות (cistanche salsa) - as pretty and attractive as well, no leaves, just growing out of the stony or sandy soil, clinging to roots of other plants far away underground and nourishing on them! Very clever!

Now I am saying good by and lehitra'ot (See you - Auf Wiedersehen) from the desert for this time - I will invite you to come with us again, I promise!

All the wonderful photographs were taken by my husband Uri Eshkar.