This time of year is holy to many religions, celebrating the equinox and the turning of the world from short dark days to longer ones filled with light.  Around Spring Equinox, many of us turn our thoughts to events that occurred long ago and half a world away.  With this in mind, I decided to write on a topic that has long fascinated me – plants of the Holy Land that can be grown here in the Southwest.

Holy Land

The Holy Land, as I am using it here, includes Israel and parts of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.    Basically it is those lands at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, a special place with a specific type of climate. Biogeographers, a group of people that study how life lives on the earth, have specific terms for different life zones. They officially term this region an “Eastern Mediterranean Climate.”    This climate type is divided into two seasons. The rainy season, from November to March, and the dry season, from May to September, with two transition months.   This is climate is similar to the climate of southern California and much of the Southwest.

Holy Land Plants

I blame my grandfather.  He got me started on this topic many moons ago, here in Tucson. I was a plant nerd even at age seven. He paused under an olive tree he had planted on his property across from St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson. The dappled shade and spots of sunlight shone down on his face as he patted the smooth silvery trunk. He smiled down at me and said, “Did you know that olive trees grow in the Israel? They are even mentioned in the Bible.” That was enough for me. When I got home I got out my bible and started reading it again. By golly! Right there, close to the beginning, Noah’s dove brought an olive branch. I read on, looking for more plants.

Not just olive trees, but many fruits mentioned in the bible.  The list includes pomegranate, mulberry, almond, apricot, grapes, and citrus. Then there are the not fruits, like wheat, barley, and millet for bread, and trees like the cedars of Lebanon, and pine trees, and frankincense. And herbs! Winter savory is one that is mentioned just once, but then there are rosemary, mint, mustard, and oregano. The myrtle that I discussed in my last post is mentioned several times in the Bible.  It is used to symbolize peace, divine blessing, and restoration.  If you want to have a theme garden, you could certainly focus on some holy land plants.

Want More on this Topic?

If you need a speaker for your club, service organization, or religious group, I do have a Powerpoint presentation on this topic.  It comes with a plant guide handout featuring over 30 plants. Indeed, I have Powerpoint Presentations on over 30 topics each with accompanying guides. Leave me a note in the comment section (way far) below.

Holy Land Plants for the Southwest

Many of the Holy Land plants mentioned in the Bible do well in our region. Also many plants not mentioned in ancient writings but found growing on the slopes of the Judean Mountains and around the Sea of Galilee. Some of these plants grow all around the Eastern Mediterranean and were mentioned last week in my article on Greek Plants for our region.   

Pine 

Next December, consider a living Jerusalem pine (Pinus halepensis) for your holiday tree.  In the United States it is commonly called Aleppo pine, and often sold as a living Christmas tree.   Aleppo was the site of some heavy duty Crusader battles, and the species grows throughout the region.  The wood was used in the floors of Solomon’s palace and is found in the flooring and cross beams of ancient Mediterranean ship decks.   

This pine grows to around 40 feet tall, with a loose open top.  The Jerusalem or Aleppo pine is found throughout the Judean Mountains, including around and in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They can take the cold down to 26F if mature, but young ones may be killed if they get too cold, so a Low and Middle Desert tree.

Carob

If you don’t appreciate pines, perhaps you could plant another common Holy Land evergreen tree, the carob, also called St. John’s Bread (Cerotonia siliqua). 

Carob is in the same family as the mesquite tree, only it never sheds its leaves, and it provides a deep dense shade, plus deliciously chocolate-like edible fruit.    With a mature size of 30 feet tall by 30 feet wide, carob is not the tree for a narrow patio.  It is also not happy below 26F when young so it’s a plant for Low and Middle Desert planting.

The green flowers occur in fall but the fruit takes almost a full year to ripen. The long black pods fall as the plant starts to bloom again, and the seeds hit the ground in time for the winter rains.

Palms

Date palms are one Holy Land plant for the Low and Middle Desert of the Southwest.    They have been economically important in their native lands for over 10 millennia.    Dates are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and a trace of protein.    They can be mashed into fruit leather for travel.    They can be fermented into date wine for celebrations.    And the plants need very little care.   

There are two drawbacks to date palms.    First, you must have ample space for them.    Second, trees are male or female, you must have at one of each to ensure fruit production, although you can also purchase pollen and fertilize by hand.  This is generally not an major issue in most Southwestern cities because there are many palms along the streets.  

Palm Species

There are many species of date palms, but for the really tasty fruit you need the true date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).  The true date palm comes in a number of varieties.    Dates may be classified as soft, semi-dry, or dry (bread) dates.  Most Americans only ever have eaten the soft dates.

Date palms can be one of the larger palms.    Plan on 25 to 35 feet around under their sweeping shady fronds.    They grow rather slowly to their mature height of 30 to 40 feet.    A slender, graceful tree, they make a very dramatic specimen tree, or look great in rows lining a long driveway.   

Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) is a thicker, trees with more rigid leaves. The fruit is smaller and somewhat bitter fruit – but it can still be made into date wine.   

Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata) is a large, multi-trunked palm and can easily overwhelm a smaller space.    The pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelinii) is indeed a pygmy and looks best in containers or small side yards. It is a good tree for poolscaping, or planting around pools.

Palm Care

Please take care of your palm correctly. (Palm Care) Prune palms badly, or at the wrong time of year, and you will kill them. You may not kill them right off. They will die a slow agonizing death. It may take them a full 10 years to show you your mistake.

Fig

Fig trees are a great Holy Land fruit tree for all but the Cold Mountain regions of the Southwest.  These trees have been cherished for many millennia, and are featured in psalms and other biblical passages.   

Fig trees tend to grow rapidly to 6 to 60 feet depending on variety and pruning.  Plants have been cultivated for so long, thus they are very tolerant of human intervention, including poor pruning and even a bit of neglect. All varieties of fig can be kept dwarf in patio containers, pruned into an espalier along a wall or trellis, or allowed to grow into large climbing and shade trees.

Fig trees are very lush and tropical in appearance, but tolerate our alkaline soils well. They are deciduous and thus make great shade trees for the south or west side of the home.  Their leaves provide cooling shade in summer, but drop off in fall, letting winter light in to warm the home.    Because of the falling leaves, you might not want them in your pool landscaping.

Cyclamen

The beautiful cyclamen are often sold as a winter holiday flower in the United States, right alongside poinsettias. Occasionally you can find them offered in spring as well. In the wild corners of the Holy Land, cyclamen bloom in March and April. The flowers are stunning and the heart-shaped leaves are so very delightful.

Cyclamen plants are in reality bulbs that spend most of their life underground, hiding from the dry season.    In their native lands cyclamen grow on rocky hillsides and in crags.  They emerge for a few glorious weeks in March and April after the winter rains.  I have tried growing them in Tucson but I believe the soil gets too hot for them, plus they can easily rot if they get wet when dormant, like from the irrigation system. Please let me know if you try any and you get them to survive.

Enjoy

I hope I did give you some ideas of some Holy Land plants to include in your garden. I always advocate that you plant what brings you joy.

Here in the Southwest we are blessed with the ability to grow a vast array of plants from all corners of the globe. Note that I only advocate for species that are long proven to NOT be invasive. It’s why sometimes I do not write about the “latest and greatest that nurseries push out to the public. More on Holy Land plants in future articles.

I will close with best wishes – to you and yours during these holy days of spring.

 

Cover Image: Olive tree growing along the street in the Christian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, near Church Hill.

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