Orchids and tulips of Chios

Its flora Chios is different in the North from the South. The northern part is dominated by mountains and rocky soils where among it there are forests of pines, cypresses and plane trees but also pastures with oregano, thyme, sage. THE south Chios is characterized by the cultivation of spruce - evergreen shrubs that reach 2-3 meters and thrive only in the South - from where the resin mastic is obtained (gum), while in the center of the island, next to the city of Chios, is the Plain an area rich in water and fertile soil, where citrus fruits are grown.

Chios is internationally famous for its flora and wealth of wild flowers of, as it has a wide variety of orchids (92 species) found scattered on the island, but also wild tulips (in Chios they are called carols) that every year, around the end of March, flood an area of ​​central Chios, near the village Tholopotami.

The truth is that one can hardly meet tulips and orchids alone. I had the good fortune to be accompanied by Giorgos Misetzis, an old friend, who, starting from Spitakia, a beautiful hostel he maintains in Avgonyma, organizes excursions and hikes.

The tulips of Chios are part of the genus Tulip, which extends from Central Asia to the south-central and eastern regions of Europe (the genus numbers more than 100 species, 14 of which grow in Greece).

The name of "carols»Comes from lale which is the Persian name of tulip, which passed through the Turkish in the Chian dialect. The tulip that reddens the meadows of Chios is the Tulipa agenensis, while in Chios we find three other species of tulip, in fact one has "striped" white-red flowers, while of the four species, only the T. undulatifolia is indigenous to Chios.

Of the 250 species of orchids that exist in Europe, 92 are found in the spring in Chios.

One of the most famous Chian researchers of the flora of the island is Pantelis Ad. Saliaris, who recorded the rich world of orchids in his book "The orchids of Chios».