A rare find: the Jerusalem herb was discovered during a botanical survey in Beit El

Blooming of the Jerusalem cactus was discovered during a survey by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Beit El.

"This plant is rare and grows mainly in the high central mountains, but is in danger of extinction due to extensive agricultural use," explains the surveyor who found it

Ziv Reinstein

10/30/2022

Sunday, October 30, 2022, 09:09 Updated: 09:46

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All about the daffodils blooming (Photo: Avi Ben David, Gila Jacobi Gurvitz)

A cluster of blooms of the Jerusalem autumn flower, a rare flower in Israel and one of the largest flowers in our country, characterized by a large pink flower, was discovered this week during a survey conducted by the Society for the Protection of Nature in the Beit El local council.

Yitzhak Cohen, a senior surveyor in the Urban Nature Surveys Unit of the Society for the Protection of Nature, which coordinated the survey and documented the rare bloom, notes that the Jerusalem sedum begins to bloom in early October regardless of the rains, in contrast to its relative, the yura sedum, which only blooms after the first significant rain.

"This plant is rare and grows mainly in the high central mountains, but its habitats - deep soils - are in danger of extinction due to extensive agricultural use. As a result, we see that the autumn has adapted to a habitat that is often plowed and its tuber is only up to 40 cm deep .

I am happy that we have found a local population in Beit El and hope that with the help of the residents, we will be able to preserve it."

"A rare plant that grows mainly in the high central mountains".

The Jerusalem garden that was discovered in Beit El (photo: Society for the Protection of Nature, Yitzhak Cohen)

One of the biggest flowers in our country.

The Jerusalem garden in Beit El (photo: Society for the Protection of Nature, Yitzhak Cohen)

The Jerusalem perennial begins to bloom at the beginning of October, regardless of the rains (photo: Society for the Protection of Nature, Yitzhak Cohen)

"The nature in Beit El is full of a variety of flora"

The Society for the Protection of Nature points out that the most prominent flowering sites of the Jerusalem satvanit are in the Golani Interchange area and, of course, in Jerusalem, in Emek Matzalaba, Emek Zurim National Park, etc.

"Even in Jerusalem itself, the population of Jerusalem's residents has decreased greatly, mainly as a result of extensive construction," adds Cohen.

Miri Factor, director of the Beit El tourism department, said: "The nature in Beit El is full of a variety of flora, animals and birds, each season and its uniqueness. This is an area that has not been explored in depth enough and any opportunity to get to know more about the wonders of nature in this unique area is a blessing."

During the last decade, the surveyors of the Society for the Protection of Nature conducted about 60 urban nature surveys as part of calls from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and promoted specific initiatives for the planning and management of nature areas in the city.

These surveys provide a comprehensive and up-to-date information base about biodiversity and its location in the urban space and are the beginning of a process that in many cities has already led to the integration of natural infrastructures in promoting sustainable urban management and planning.

"The population of the flower has dwindled as a result of extensive construction."

Setwanit Jerusalem in Emek Matzalaba (photo: Society for the Protection of Nature, Yitzhak Cohen)

The Jerusalem settlement in the Mtzalaba Valley (photo: Society for the Protection of Nature, Avner Rinot)

"It is important to preserve the ecosystems"

Tamar Raviv, Head of the Biodiversity and Open Spaces Division at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said: "The project will allow the council to plan and manage its natural areas in a more correct way, in order to maintain the functioning of the ecosystems and the continuation of ecological continuity. In an era of climate crisis and ecological crisis, the importance of maintaining Ecosystems are intensifying, and preparation is also required at the local government level, which will work to preserve biodiversity in its area. The trend today in the world is to find nature-based solutions in order to increase urban resilience and deal with phenomena that will increase as a result of climate change. The Ministry of Environmental Protection congratulates the Council for its efforts and its joining to the process of assimilating the importance of urban nature, a process promoted by more than a hundred local authorities supported by the ministry."

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