In this column we will present the Carmel flowers at the same time as they appear in the field.

Ben-Hatzev Sithovni

Ben-Hatzev Sithovni It is a wild plant from the Asparagus family, and is one of the first flowers that herald the beginning of autumn in Israel.

It is an annual flower, with an impressive pinkish-white bloom, whose flowers bloom twice: the first time after the end of the hot summer season (then it blooms without leaves), and the second time immediately after the first rains (then it blooms and produces leaves). It is common in natural habitats such as rocks, and open areas.

ID

• Family: roses (asparagus).
• root: This is a small onion, 15-25 mm in size, covered with dry skins.
• height: The plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm.
• stalk: Before the rains begin in the winter season, the plant develops a leafless inflorescence stem, on which there are 10-20 small flowers, in a pale purple shade, which are between 5-7 mm in size. After about two months, the plant produces another flowering column with 3-8 narrow and long leaves , which are about 6 cm long and up to 0.5 cm wide.
• Flowering: The plant blooms twice a year, in October and November.
• flowers: Inflorescence borne on a stem that can contain 10-20 small, pale purple flowers, 5-7 mm in size.
• The structure of the flower: The flower head is round and open, with 6 narrow sepals (3-4 mm). Inside the head there are 6 prominent purple stamens and one leaf column with a single scar.
• the fruit: The plant forms a cluster with small black seeds.
• nectar: The plant contains nectar, and is combated by insects.
• Distribution in the country: The plant is widespread in the mountainous Mediterranean region, from the Galilee to Samaria and Judea, including in Carmel.

In conclusion, it is a bi-seasonal flowering plant that is famous for its small purple flowers, and is found mainly in the mountainous regions of the country.

A place to meet this week

Goat Hill in the continuation of Soroka St. in Ramat Begin.

• Continue on Soroka Street until the bend to Bnei Brit Street.
• Go out through the gate in the pig fence, continue on the path.
• Continue for another 300 mi after the transformation station.
• The trail ends in a large open area. Look for the little flower there among the multitude of variegations in the field.
• You will have to look for the individual details of the ben hatzev, a few centimeters high, in the open surface where many cycads also bloom.

If you go to visit the flower in the company of children, you can tell them the legend about the autumnal stoner son.

The legend of Ben Hashav Hasitavini

In the olden days, in a far away land where the mountains rise to the clouds and the valleys are filled with layers of blossom, there was a special flower called "Ben Hatzav Satwani". The flower was special in its delicate and impressive appearance and its mysterious blooming times.

The people of the villages believed that Ben Hatsev was gifted with special magical powers. They thought he could feel the heartbeat of the earth. And indeed, every autumn Ben Hatsav would listen very attentively to the earth. It would bloom at the beginning of every autumn, then wait for the moment when the earth would wake up and start breathing. Then, after the first rainstorm, it would bloom again and celebrate the coming of the rainy season. The people knew that when the stonecrop blossomed for the second time, the blessing rains would come with it and bring with them a rich and abundant harvest.

This is how Ben Hatsev became a symbol of hope and a new era. Once a year, when the full white rose over the mountains, the people of the villages used to gather around the flower. They would sing and dance in his honor, hoping that his second flowering would bring them a blessed rainy season. Over the years, the villagers learned to trust the rain, and to work their land less hard. They knew that they could always count on the rain to make their crops bloom, and there was no need to try too hard. Because of the neglect, the harvest decreased a little, but it was still enough for them.

Then, one autumn, a strange thing happened. The rains were delayed for a long time and the crops of the villagers began to wither. All their eyes were on the stoner's son. It bloomed for the first time, and since then it has been waiting vigilantly, but it has not started to bloom.

Time passed, and the villagers began to worry. Some of them said that the gods were angry with them, and others thought that the earth had lost its power. One night, the old man of the village came to the stonemason. He knelt before the small bald stem and asked: "Please, dear son of Hetzev, tell us why you are not blooming? What must we do to return the blessing?"

The stonemason, who had never spoken before, opened his mouth and began to speak in a soft, deep voice.

"Go to the humans," he said. "Tell them that the rain is not just drops of water. It is a part of you, of your spirit and of your heart. If you want to see me bloom again and the rains return, you must restore respect and love to the earth and the world around you. You must swear to protect it, take good care of it and love it as you love my son your home."

The village elder gathered all the residents in the village square and told them what he heard from Ben Hatsav. The villagers bowed their heads, ashamed of having abandoned their land, and neglected their connection to it. They vowed to give her the respect she deserves, thus returning the blessing to their lives.

It didn't take long, and the rains began to fall and wash away the thirsty land. The carpenter's son began to bloom, and his bloom was more magnificent than ever. A short time later, the crops returned to the pancreas, and the fields were filled with life. Since then, every fall, the villagers remember the oath they gave to the land and the quarry.