Travel In The Spring - Discovering Crete's Endangered Plant Life

The beautiful Cretan Iris (Iris cretensis), is a flower that usually blossoms in various areas across Crete in the months of March and April. If you are planning to visit Greece this spring and specifically the area of Crete then keep in mind that this island has more than 2000 species of plants, some of which are endangered. One of the reasons for this is because of Crete's relative isolation as it broke away from mainland Greece over 5 million years ago and its mountainous nature which creates many isolated habitats untouched by modern life and development.

A large percentage of these are endemic, with 10% growing only on Crete and nowhere else in the world. Approximately 100 species of Crete's endemic plants grow only in a specific area, or the Lefka Ori mountain range in Chania. A further 38 species are confined to only 2 places in the world - Crete and the Karpathos.

The Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece includes 67 plants which grow on Crete, of these, 30 grow in the Lefka Ori. In fact some plants in Chania are endangered, two of which are recorded in the catalogue of 50 most threatened Mediterranean island plants.

In February and in March, Crown or Poppy Anemones decorate the hillsides, olive groves and roads with their brilliant colors of red, pink, white, lilac and purple. Almond trees begin to blossom with their white-pink flowers and Cherry trees with their white blossom come into bloom.

During the month of March and a little into April, Lupins with their large purple flower heads, are seen in olive groves, stony fields and roadside ditches, bringing an intense display of colour. The Yellow Horned Poppy begins to flower in April and continues throughout the summer with its orange/yellow flowers.

But the real magic begins in April and a little into May when an abundance of wild flowers including fragrant herbs such as Sage, Thyme, Rosemary begin to blossom and grow. A walk or drive through the countryside is filled with the scent of these aromatic plants and it is a must for anyone who wants a real Greek experience.

Interestingly the flowers of the Thyme plants are particularly important for the bees who produce excellent tasting honey and it is almost more than certain that you will see Thymian Honey for sale all over the island as well.

Also this is the time of the year when fresh greens are gathered for boiling and serving with olive oil and lemon.

Finally, it is interesting to note that the island also has many plants and herbs which have been used for centuries for their medicinal and therapeutic properties. Even though some of these are not used so much today for medicinal purpose, the elderly on Crete still pass on these ancient remedies to the younger generations so that they in return can employ them in their day to day lives.