Carmel presents us with flowers in all seasons.
In this column we will always present one of the Carmel flowers, at the same time as it appears in the field, and you will be invited to visit it in one of the places where it blooms.
medical uncle
Medical duda is a perennial herb, close to the ground. From a thick root in the ground, a rosette of large, wrinkled, flat leaves spreads out. The leaves bloom after rain and rise from one center like a funnel. As they grow, they spread out on the ground, forming a rounded surface around the center.
The root of the duda is thickened and twisted. The ancients saw it in the shape of a man and attributed to it fertility properties. The medicinal duda is the "dudaim" mentioned in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 30.
The duda is a winter plant that grows in open areas in the Mediterranean region. Its fruits are yellow, fragrant, and contain many seeds. The fruit ripens towards the month of May. The fruit and seeds are poisonous, and most parts of the plant contain hallucinogenic and narcotic substances. For this reason, sheep and cattle avoid touching it.

ID
The plant belongs to the Solanaceae family and reaches thick, winding roots, which penetrate to a depth of up to 2 meters. The plant is low in height, only about 3 cm, and the leaves are large, reticulate, simple and wrinkled, arranged in a rosette of leaves with a diameter of between 40 and 60 cm. The plant lacks a stem.
Flowering occurs mainly in winter, between December and February, with purple flowers located in the center of the leaf rosette. The flowers have a pentagonal structure, resembling a bowl open upwards.
The fruit is a spherical, poisonous grape that changes color from yellow to green when ripe. The fruits contain many seeds and emit a pleasant odor, and are mainly emitted by turtles and pigs. The nectar, which is emitted from the plant, is poisonous and contains hallucinogenic narcotic substances.
In the past, the plant was used for pain relief, anesthesia, and stress reduction, but due to its toxicity, its use was discontinued. The plant is common in animal houses, open areas, and open groves throughout the Mediterranean region, including the northern Negev region.
A place to meet in Duda Medical this week
A secondary entrance to the Forty Grove is about 600 meters southwest on Highway 672 from the main entrance to Carmel Park.
- Drive on road 672 from the university towards Usafia.
- Exit left (towards northeast) onto Kurkar Road from Route 672, about 600 meters southwest of the main entrance to Carmel Park.
- Continue on the Kurkar path for about 50 meters until the path is blocked by huge sacks.
- Get out of the vehicle and continue on foot for about 400 meters until the path is blocked.
- Go down to the right from the kurkar path to a footpath leading to the Forty Grove. On the right side of the grove before a path that descends towards the well in the center of an exposed area, you will see a flowering dogwood.
If you go to visit the flower in the company of children, you can tell them the legend of the medical duda.
The Legend of Duda Medical
On the slopes of a mountain, where colorful flowers and flowing streams grew, a special plant called medicinal duda. Duda is not just an ornamental plant, but a plant with miraculous healing powers. Its leaves were green and thick, and its purple flowers were like little stars at night.
In a nearby village, there lived a girl named Lia. She was a happy and energetic girl, but one day she got sick and had to stay home. Lia’s heart was broken because she was bedridden and couldn’t play with her friends. When Lia’s friends heard about her illness, they decided to look for a creative solution. They went to the village elder, who was wise and had a lot of knowledge about the properties of plants. “Elder, what can we do to help our friend Lia?” they asked.
The old man smiled and said: "There is a magical plant called medicinal duda. It grows on the slopes of the mountain. If you make a decoction from its leaves and flowers, it will make Lia recover."
The children wasted no time and set off towards the mountain. After hours of searching, they found a field with a medicinal duda blossom. They picked a few leaves and flowers of the duda and returned to the village. They made a decoction of the medicinal duda and brought it to Lia. She drank the decoction, and in a short time she felt her strength returning. A big smile came over her face, and she jumped out of bed happily.
“It works! It works!” Lia shouted, running outside to her friends. All the children celebrated together, happy that Lia had recovered.
Since then, the village children have understood that medicinal duda is not just a beautiful ornamental plant, but a plant with unique medicinal properties, and have learned to use it when someone is sick and needs medical help from nature.

The most delicious fruits in the world. Whoever doesn't taste it loses. Passion fruit combined with loquat! Legend has it that whoever picks the plant dies and hears the cry of pain from the human-like root. The main thing is that it tastes good!
The myth that the flower has properties to increase male potency originates, in my understanding, from the great strength required to pull it from its deep roots. Like the sword that only Arthur could pull from the rock and was therefore crowned King of England.
Can the plant be grown at home in a pot in a bright place?
Excellent, Danny Katz. Have a good and blessed week everyone.
Excellent article
I couldn't find it. Is the flower protected?