Identify and learn the flora as you walk in the mountain.
Hymettos is a mountain of considerable botanic interest. It is the home of somewhere between 600 and 700 different species and sub-species of plants yet although it is right next to the metropolis of Athens its flora has not been definitively studied. We cannot hope to fill that gap, but on these pages you will find images of much of the flora of Hymettos as photographed by Stavros Apostolou, George Sfikas and others. Only experts like our two chief photographers can aspire to knowing all the plants by name, but even the ordinary hiker will find her enjoyment enhanced by ‘tuning in’ to the flora – noticing the flowers, even the tiny ones, blooming on the paths and bushes and having some idea of what they are. Then on the next visit recognizing the same plants and noticing the seed heads the flowers have turned into.
By using the albums we have assembled, we hope to help you to identify and learn the plants you find on our mountain and indeed elsewhere in Greece. To aid in your search for a specific specimen we have devised albums categorizing the flora in three steps: first by type of plant, e.g. tree, annual, bulb, etc; then by season of flowering; and finally for some sets by similarity of appearance. Certain plants will also be accompanied by texts describing other features which cannot be illustrated, most particularly scent and feel, and possibly taste!
More Information
A Brief Note on Plant Names: Scientific Names or Common Names?
The Flora of Hymettos – worthy of our protection by George Sfikas. Lecture delivered at the 2-Day Conference: Koropi and Hymettos, Companions Through Time, September 2012.