In and around Jerusalem

One does not think about this too much when hiking through a forest in the US or Europe. But it comes to the fore when hiking through the desert. How do the trees and plants survive in the desert in such extreme temperatures, with a minumum of rainfall, and then only during the winter months?  For some of the plants below I can attempt an answer to this question. For many I cannot. It is also the case that much of the little vegetation in the desert provides an eco-system for the animals, birds and insects that live here. Where I can find information about this, I provide it. For most of the plants, there is no information available.

Another interesting question came up during one of my tiyulim. Why is there such a plethora of different flowers in the desert, especially in the winter months?  Our tour guide suggested that God wished to provide variety for us, even in the desert. Perhaps. I suspect, however, that many if not most of these plants here have a distinct niche in the biosystem. Sorry, I cann't elaborate more!

Even a small amount of winter rain is enough for a blanket of early spring flowers in the Machtesh Ramon. 

COMMON PLANTS IN THE DESERT 

WHITE BROOM

The White Broom or in Hebrew "Rotem hamidbar" (רותם המדבר) is a very common 1.5-3.0 meter bush seen in the Negev and Judean Desert, and also in coastal sands. One way it is able to survive the dry conditions of the desert is by its lack of leaves. It has greyish-green flexible and often hanging branches. In late-January and February it flowers with clusters along the branches of fragrant white flowers. These develop into single-seed pods that are eaten by hares when they fall to the ground and are excreted intact in their stool. The prophet Elijah sat under this bush when he fled into the desert in despair from Jezebel (I King 19:4). He was rescued by an angel of God and went to the Mountain of God in Horeb.

ACACIA TREE 

The Acacia tree. Three types of acacia trees grow in Israel. They are the most common tree found in the desert and may sometimes be the only tree growing in an area. The picture below is the Umbrella Thorn Acacia, Acacia tortillis, or in Hebrew שיטה סוככנית. The tree is full of thorns, has a number of trunks and the branches spread out like a flat canopy. It has bunches of yellow flowers, which at first glance can appear like a single flower. How does this tree manage to not only survive but to actually thrive and grow in the extreme heat of the desert? The answer is that it has an extremely long root system that burrows into underground aquifers that may be present in the desert wadis. These roots may be several times the height of the tree. The acacia tree is responsible for a very active ecosystem. Ibex and gazelle feed on its leaves and rodents feed on its coiled or ring shaped pods. The acacia tree has much mention in the Torah as it was used in the construction of the Tabernacle and its utensils, such as the ark and the altar. Why this particular tree? It would have been the only large tree around in the Sinai desert.

BEAN BUSH CAPER

This is the Bush Bean Caper, called a zugan hasiach (זוגן השיח ) in Hebrew. It is the most common large bush in the Negev and Midbar Yehuda. It can be readily recognized by its fleshy compound leaves, composed of a pair of cylindrical leaflets. It flowers are large and white and bloom in January, February and March, or even earlier if there is rain. The plant has the ability to survive for many years, up to 100 years and perhaps more! It does this by shedding leaves during drought. Each branch is part of a single root unit, so that if it dies, the others will survive. The remaining leaflets are able to store water and have reduced sunken stomata. There is more about these mechanisms in this interesting but rather complicated article. 

SHRUBBY SALTBUSH

The Shrubby Saltbush is a 1 to 2-meter evergreen shrub know in Hebrew as מלוח קיפח (maluach ki'peach). It almost certainly got this name because its leaves are salty. In fact, flocks and their shepherds find its large, semi-succulent leaves quite tasty. In times of famine they have been gathered as a source of food (Job 30:4). The young leaves can also be used in salads. The leaves have fine hairs on them. The plant is found throughout deserts and in sandy conditions. It is able to survive through its deep root systems in a variety of soil conditions, especially salty soil as is found together with chalk and clay rocks. Its root system provides stability to the soil and helps prevent erosion. The plant is eaten by mammals and insects. Fat sand rats eat its leaves and their burrows are often close to the shrub.

TAMARISK TREE

There are 7 varities of Tamarisk tree in Israel. The most common is the evergreen Tamarix aphylla (אשל הפרקים or eshel haprakim in Hebrew). The trunk is smooth and reddish brown. Most of the tamarisk trees you will see in Israel have been planted, but they do occur naturally, particularly in saline soil such as in the Arava and around the Dead Sea. How does this tree manage to survive and even thrive so successfully in extreme desert conditions? It has a very extensive root system both in width and in depth that reaches down to water. It has tiny leaves that encircle the top of each node. Unusually, the stems carry out photosynthesis. The stomata are sunken along the internodes thereby limiting water loss. There are also sweat glands on the branches that secret salt. The salt evaporates onto the leaves and is carried into the soil. This means that the soil around the tree is quite salty, and this inhibits the growth of other plants. An exception is the Shrubby Saltbush described above. The eshel tree is mentioned a few times in the Bible. In Genesis "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree In Beersheba, and called there are on the name of God, the everlasting God." (Genesis 21:33). Saul also "sat under the Tamaraix at Ramah." (I Samuel 22:6). The tree is commonly planted for the same reason as in Biblical times - because it provides shade. Its wood can also be used in construction. It grows very easily. Branches can be put in damp soil and they will soon develop roots. This is why these trees are commonly see in Beduin villages around Beersheba.

 JOINTED ANABASIS

The Jointed Anabasis is a common desert bush (called  יפרוק המדבר, yafruk hamidbar). It has a height of about 20-35 cm. It has no leaves. Its stems are jointed (hence its name), cylindrical and succulent. They contain quite a lot salt. The plant is able to tolerate salty soil. And that's all I could find out about it!