Cretan-homes, Crete property estate agents

Flowers of Crete

This year the autumn rains have arrived early, bringing out the flowers a little sooner – much to my pleasure. A lot is happening with Flowers of Crete.  The paperwork for forming the Syllogos is now ready for signing and several sponsors have already come forward with pledges of donations to help towards the legal costs.  The Articles of Association will soon be available on our website – in Greek and English – for anyone interested in joining the Association or helping in any way.

We have also entered into a partnership with a botanic garden in Northern England, who has offered to supply us with specimens of the endangered P. theophrastii – The Cretan Palm; the first of these will be sent to Crete in the next few months.  We are hoping to establish two new colonies of this rare palm on the north coast.  The plants have been grown from seed obtained from the wild some years ago and we believe that this is the first time such an initiative has been undertaken.

So now to the flowers to enjoy in autumn. 

Spiranthes spiralis

Autumn Ladies Tresses

This rare little orchid eluded me until last year, when a member of Flowers in Crete found it close to Neapoli.  This year I have been regularly to the site and was surprised to find the first blooms in early, making it easier to photograph in the late afternoon sunshine.  It is a tiny flower, which could easily be overlooked.  S. spiralis can also be found in Europe and in the UK it is now very rare.  Its English name of Autumn Ladies Tresses refers to the manner in which the flower stem curls around, making it seem like a lock of long hair.

Biarum davisii ssp davisii

I make no secret of my attachment to this tiny little flower – a strange member of the lily family.  Looking like an alien from outer space, with a personality of its own, the leafless flower spathe sits on the ground.  We have discovered a large colony of this rare endemic just above Plaka and we are, at the moment, in talks to protect its environment from building and tourism.  Please help by adding your name to our growing list of supporters.

Prospero autumnalis

Autumn squill

There are, I believe, several types of P.autumnalis on the island, but so far there has not been scientific research on the variations.  When photographing it is plain that the form of the flowers can vary considerably from site to site, but whether this is simply a slight variation or separate subspecies needs to be checked out by botanists.  However, I have noticed that where the Autumn Squill is found, it is likely that orchids will appear later in the season.

Crocus tournefortii

One of the most beautiful of Crete’s crocuses.  This large crocus was found for the first time by me on a hill near Elounda.  It can be recognised by its ragged and long stamens and the sheer perfection of its blooms.  It is always exciting to find a flower in a new and unexpected place and this find was no exception. Sheltering at the base of a rugged cliff, it was not easy to photograph as the light was very dim, but it was the glow of its white petals in the gloom that made me notice it as I was driving past.

Crocus oreocreticus

And, of course, I cannot let the month go by without a mention of this superb endemic crocus, which was taken as a symbol of Flowers of Crete.  This rare autumn crocus can be found in diminishing numbers on the Katharo Plateau and elsewhere in eastern Crete.  It grows at high altitude and is a superb example of a saffron crocus, although its stamens are not used in cooking.  It is very sad that each year more of its habitat is under threat from agriculture and building and steps must be taken to preserve at least some of the land on which it grows.

Flowers of Crete is organising two flower finding trips across the island for 2009.  Details of these can be found on our website.  If you would like more information please e-mail our new secretary – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

With the forming of the Syllogos, we will need to find funds for the printing of new leaflets, a promotional calendar for 2010 and for a much needed fax machine and desk top computer.  If anyone has a no longer needed computer or fax please contact us – we really need your help to make a difference.

Julia Jones

President

Flowers of Crete

www.flowersofcrete.info

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