September 2019 Elul תשע"ט
What’s in bloom
in Israel this month?
Sea
Squill or Medicinal Squill, חצב מצוי, Chatzav
Matzui
Each stage of Aliyah
brings its new challenges. I remember when the children started
kindergarten it involved a whole new vocabulary. They would come home
from nursery in mid September talking about the signs that Autumn is a coming
- the Nachlieli (wagtail) bird that is making Aliyah for the winter and the Chatzav
(white squill) that is growing out of the dry soil. It took me many years to
realize that the squill doesn't appear in time for Kindergarten starting but
is already in full bloom by mid August in some places.
The squill appears without any prior warning. One day there's no sign of it, no x
marks the spot, no giant bush about to bloom, and the next it's waving its
white head merrily in the air. It is an incredible sight especially as
one’s eyes are weary of the endless sea of dry shrub, thorns and dusty brown
that typify the end of the Israeli summer.
Even if you don’t go
into nature, a short trip on Road 6 is enough to catch a glimpse of the squills waving at you from the sides of the road.
Many people think it is accidental that so many of them happen to be
growing along the way. However this is
actually the result of intense planning.
Dafna Helvitz, the agronomist in charge of planting at Park Ariel Sharon where I also guide, and the ecologist Aviva Rabinowitz z"l were responsible for the gardening along Route 6 and together with Zionseeds
they collected bulbs that would have been destroyed and replanted them there.
Worth making a road trip!
The squill flowers through
August and September and it has up to 250 small blossoms which gradually open in
groups of 30 from the bottom up. Because
it flowers when most others don’t it doesn’t have much competition from
pollinators! As we know monopolies have an advantage. It can grow as tall as 2
meters and its height is its most significant feature.
Why would the squill grow so tall? What is its benefit? I
recommend you step outside and feel the change in the air. By the beginning of September the unbearable heat I experience while guiding becomes tolerable due to a gentle breeze and even an occasional strong wind. The
squill uses this breeze to wave back and forth and thereby spread its seed as
far as possible, the taller it is the further its seed will fall. Each plant employs its own method for spreading its seeds.
Once the flower dies
there is no more sign of it, however it hasn’t really disappeared without a
trace. The squill has actually sprouted out of a
bulb hidden underground. This bulb is
the biggest bulb in Israel and can grow up to 25 cm in diameter. One mustn’t
touch it though as it is very poisonous and you need to wear gloves in order to dig them up or plant them. I
remember the funny sight of Elizabeth, my children’s school nature teacher,
lugging these giant bulbs to the school garden with her gloves on. When I mentioned the chatzav to my daughter her first reaction was "Elizabeth says they are poisonous". That was ten years after learning that! It is actually one of the rare poisonous plants in Israel.
Our sages mention that the squill is what Joshua used
as a way to mark boundaries between neighbouring farmers and tribes in the land
of Israel. Its timing is perfect as its
flowers and then leaves poke out just in time for ploughing the fields for the
wheat and barley season. Also its
toxicity can cause blistering of the skin which might deter people from
sabotaging the natural fencing. It can be used in small amounts to produce a medicine for
certain heart conditions and also as a poison for getting rid of rodents!
Winter Tourists at Neot Kedumim will always enquire about the impressive looking squill leaves. However I have to tell them that in order to
see the flower they need to return in September, which is a long wait. Nature requires a lot of patience. These leaves will gather the nutrition
required from the sun and rain to fill the bulb until they wilt at the end of
spring. They will then disappear without
a trace until the flower peeps out anew in August. Those of us lucky to live here can get to see
both phenomena.
For nature watchers the squill is definitely the sign
for the new year, changing of the seasons, new start, new school year, Rosh
Hashana and many other beginnings. I
came across this poem in Hebrew and with these words I wish everyone a happy and healthy new
year.
White squill is
flowering - it’s whole being is flowers
“What hint does the
squill give me? Each one of your lovely flowers”
“I’ll hint at a year
of plenty – a year of consolation
l”ll hint at a year of
satiety – peace between the nations”
Author Unknown
Photos by Yasmin Maissel
