Spring is in the foothills
Spring has most definitely sprung, a statement to which the flowers of Troodos are testament
OH! TO be in England now that April’s there, penned homesick British bard Robert Browning from his 19th century Italian home. Oh, to be in Cyprus now that it is here, types a less distinguished scribe from his Nicosia home.
The opportunity to roam the fields of Cyprus, less foreign by day, is glorious. Outside our towns and cities, a cyclical explosion of colour now peppers the island inviting the senses to savour the present joys of spring.
Cyprus rejoices in an extraordinary variety of habitat and wildlife, blessed with an extensive range of endemic species and an extended season through which their radiant blooming may be enjoyed. That flowering graduates to the higher grounds as the year progresses.
The season’s launch was delayed by a persistent winter, yet is no less glorious nor resplendent for that.
Particularly striking under the generous rays of recent days have been the undulating lower areas of the Troodos. There, the annual ‘miracle’ of wildlife sprouting from sheer rock is suitably characterised by the timely appearance of a plant whose translation from Greek is given as Tears of the Virgin Mary. Its timeliness relates to its coincidence with the start of the 50-day countdown to Easter here – thus its historic link to lentern observance.
Endemic to Cyprus, the shrub Arabis Purpurea will grow to around 30cm from what may look to be sheer rock, but in fact contains the wherewithal for growth with calcareous soil. It is to be found only in the Troodos mountain range, and then only at an altitude of between 400 and 1,800 metres. Its flowers, of a purple-pink colour, bloom in March and April, while its fruit appears in May to June.
Also endemic is Alyssum Akamasicum, a protected species found in the Akamas peninsula. Not far away, one of many types of orchid will be in evidence. Although widely considered ‘rare,’ science tells a different tale. There are between 25,000 and 35,000 species of orchid on the planet, and Cyprus boasts its own substantial collection.
As a child born and raised amid the plentiful offerings of nature in North Yorkshire, I was unwittingly fortunate to grow up in the kind of natural environment that automatically imbues an enduring appreciation of nature, its beauty and enduring calm. Intervening urban life experience, while agreeable and varied, has not dented that. Now, rediscovering such joys of spring is made all the richer by witnessing it within a different environment – yet one that may let any child of the British Isles feel he’s encountering long-lost cousins in his dotage.
Take the primrose and primrose – to name but a couple!
Other familiar flowers include Cyclamen persicum, a fine embodiment in the plant world of the latent contradictions within ourselves; the leaves of this plant are heart-shaped, it has a long stalk, bearing fruit and containing chemical elements used since antiquity for producing both poisons and medicines.
Ranunculus asiaticus – a member of the buttercup family – owes its title to its aquatic orientation: rana meaning frog. Again, used through the ages for its pharmaceutical properties, specifically for the treatment of rheumatism and dermatitis.
And from the English mint family, French lavender.
Photos: Charalambous Christodolou
