Gilboa iris

Gilboa iris

A rare purple iris

אירוס הגלבועIris haynei

The Gilboa iris is a large, deep purple flower that grows wild on Mount Gilboa, in the north of the country, and almost nowhere else. It blooms for only a few weeks, in February and March, and hundreds of visitors travel to the ridge each spring to see it. The mountain is also named in the Bible, in David's lament for Saul and Jonathan. The iris is protected, and the Nature and Parks Authority has marked paths so that visitors do not trample the plants.

Glossary: Gilboa iris