Humans share the Earth with many other life forms, and a great variety of them exist on Crete. As you rendezvous with various plants and animals during your stay in Gavalochori, you will find some to be familiar and some not. This section is designed to introduce you to the varieties of life in the Gavalochori area.
There are almost 2,000 species of plants on Crete, with almost 200 of them native and exclusive to Crete. The variety of plants on Crete is due to a number of factors, one of which is its geographic position, which permitted the island to receive plant contributions from both central Europe and what is now Turkey.
Plants on Crete are hardy because they have to be. Only those adapted to harsh and taxing conditions survive the summer. They must be able to withstand searing temperatures, drying winds, and bright light.
This section is not designed to provide a complete taxonomy of plants on Crete. Instead it makes note of a few of the trees, flowers, and herbs that you are likely to encounter in and near Gavalochori. The plants you will see, of course, depend on when you come to Crete. Those on the list were chosen because they are spectacular or unusual in some way, are commonly seen, or because visitors often wonder what they are.
The almond tree (Prunus amygdalus) is a small, spreading deciduous tree that originated in Asia. It is usually the first tree to blossom after the winter, often at the beginning of January, so its pale pink or white blossoms serve as a harbinger of spring. Sugar almonds feature in Greek wedding traditions: Five almonds are wrapped together and given to the bridal couple to insure long life, happiness, prosperity, well-being, and fertility.
Known as either the bay or laurel (Laurus nobilis), this shrubby evergreen tree has glossy, aromatic leaves and is a native of the Mediterranean region. Its Greek name, daphne (δάφνη) originated in mythology with the mountain nymph Daphne, who was pursued by Apollo. Distressed by his persistent and unwanted advances, Daphne beseeched Gaia for help, and the Earth goddess transformed her into a tree. Broken hearted, Apollo adorned his brow with its leaves to help him remember his lost love. Wreaths of many types of leaves, including ivy, olive, and oak, were awarded to victorious athletes, generals, poets, and musicians in ancient Greece. The laurel was particularly popular, though, and the term poet laureate derives from the custom of awarding those of high achievement with a crown of laurel leaves. Bay or laurel leaves, of course, are also an essential ingredient in the flavoring of soups, sauces, and marinades.
Citrus trees (Citrus x sinensis) have a long tradition in Greece, both mythologically and historically. Citrus fruits were the gift that Gaia, the Earth goddess, offered at the wedding of Zeus and Hera, and Alexander the Great probably introduced the citrus species, which originated in Asia, to Greece. Citrus are the main winter fruit on Crete, and you can see orange, Seville orange (a more bitter variety), lemon trees, and some grapefruit trees heavy with fruit everywhere around Gavalochori and in Western Crete, where the trees have access to abundant water from the White Mountains. If you drive up to Omalos and the start of the Samaria Gorge, before the road climbs into the mountains, you will drive through extensive fields of orange trees. A striking scene when it happens to snow on Crete is to see trees that are loaded with oranges dusted with snow.
The cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is a drought-tolerant evergreen tree native to Southern Africa that can reach heights of up to 40 meters (130 feet). Two types of cypress trees grow on Crete. One is a narrow tree that is tall and slim, while the other is wider and broader. The branches, leaves, and needles are the same on both types. The cypress is known for its durable wood, and the pillars in the palace of Knossos were made from the wood of the cypress tree. The cypress tree was a symbol of mourning in classical antiquity. In Greek mythology, Cyparissus, the grandson of Hercules, accidentally killed his pet stag, which had been given to him by Apollo. In deep despair, he asked the gods to let his tears flow eternally, so the gods transformed him into a cypress tree. The tree is still associated with death and is often seen at the edges of cemeteries on Crete, where it is believed to protect the dead from evil. The ancient Greeks also used the wood to make coffins.
You will see fig trees (Ficus carica) sprouting from inhospitable crevices such as rocks and walls in and around Gavalochori. The fig was said to be the creation of Demeter, the goddess of harvest and agriculture, who guaranteed the fertility of the earth. It was probably introduced into Greece from Egypt around the 9th century BC. Greece is still a major producer of figs, and although Gavalochori was once famous for its figs, the cultivation of figs is no longer a commercial activity in the village.
Greek spiny spurge (Euphorbia acanthothamnos) consists of dense, cushion-shaped mounds that thrive on low-level ledges, hillsides, and cliffs. Its characteristic lime-green leaves and gold bracts make it a striking feature on hillsides around Gavalochori from March to May. Native to Greece and Turkey, it is known as the chicken wire plant because its wood spines, which look like chicken wire, persist for over a year after the plant has died back.
Mulberry trees (Morus alba) are native to China, but now numerous varieties grow in temperate climates across the world. Mulberry trees were crucial to Gavalochori’s silk-making industry because their leaves are the primary food of silkworms, and you can still see many mulberry trees in the area. In fact, some new ones were recently planted among the pine trees next to the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the village. These trees are very popular on Crete because they provide natural shade in the summer, and in the winter, they shed their leaves and allow the winter sun to shine through. You can tell mulberry trees because of their short trunks, broad crowns, the bright yellowish-green color of their large leaves, the white paint on their trunks, and (in late winter or early spring) the flat tops that look as if the tree has been shorn straight across (which it has). The white paint is designed to protect the trunk from the burning sun, and the trees have indeed been sheared because mulberry leaves make excellent fodder for animals, including goats, sheep, and rabbits. They are also often sheared if they are growing in residential areas because the shearing stops the production of mulberries and keeps the roads clean from the sugary fruit.
An evergreen plant that is the mainstay of dry-climate gardening, oleanders (Nerium oleander) can grow up to 6 meters (20 feet) tall. You will recognize these natives to the Mediterranean region by their clumps of pink or white blossoms and thin, spiky, dull-green leaves. Blossoms emerge in terminal clusters from April to October, with the heaviest blooms in May and June. Oleander can tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains, making it perfect for the climate on Crete, and you can see these plants lining the National Road around Gavalochori. One theory says that oleander was the substance used by the oracle of Delphi to produce her trances—she might have chewed small amounts of the leaves.
The olive tree (Olea europaea) is a grayish evergreen tree that is short and squat (it rarely exceeds 7-15 meters (25-50 feet) in height that is native to the Mediterranean region. Most of the trees you see in the fields around Gavalochori are olive trees. Olive trees were grown as far back as 3000 BC on Crete, and olives and olive oil may have been the source of the wealth of the Minoan civilization. One of the oldest olive trees in the world and the Olive Tree Museum are not too far from Gavalochori in the village of Vouves (Βούβες), located west of Chania going toward Kissamos (Κίσσαμος). The tree is between 3,000 and 5,000 years old and still produces olives. Olive leaves were used to make wreaths for winners of games in ancient Greece, and wreaths made from the tree in Vouves crowned the marathon winners in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
Seven types of pine trees (Pinus brutia) grow naturally in Greece although they are not native to the Mediterranean but to a variety of northern temperate regions. Nevertheless, they are often regarded as a quintessential Mediterranean tree, with their smell alone evoking images of hot summer days. In Greek mythology, the pine was the favorite tree of Rhea, the mother of Zeus, in part because its tall height symbolized the connection between the earth and the sky. An important source of timber and fuel, Aleppo Pine has also long been tapped for its resin, which many liken to the smell of turpentine and that flavors and preserves white retsina wines. Although retsina is often the cheapest wine available and definitely constitutes an acquired taste, some wine makers in Greece have begun growing grapes to make high-quality retsina, wanting to turn it into a cultural tradition of which Greeks can be proud. You can see a small grove of pine trees next to the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus not far from the Folklore Museum in Gavalochori.
Plane trees (Platanus orientalis) are frequently planted in Greece for shade because their wide-spreading branches can grow up to 50 meters (164 feet). In fact, the tree’s name comes from the Greek platys (πλατύς), meaning “wide” or “broad.” Many Greek villages have one or more ancient plane trees in their squares that provide shade in the summer and often serve as the focal point of and a major meeting place in a village. Plane trees originated in North America, eastern Europe, and Asia, but they have roots in mythology as well: Legend claims that Hercules planted a grove of plane trees at Olympia for his father Zeus. Plane trees also sheltered the paths surrounding Plato’s Academy in Athens. A plane tree planted in 2019 to replace an ancient plane tree that had died is beginning to provide shade for the Arismari taverna in Platanaki Square in Gavalochori.
Although an Asian native, the pomegranate tree (Punica granatum) has long been naturalized in Greece and the Mediterranean. Its bell-shaped, intense red-orange flowers appear in early summer and last into the early fall, and fruit appears on the trees between August and October. The leaves of the tree turn golden before dropping to reveal any fruit remaining. If not picked, pomegranates don’t fall, creating a subtle decorative feature for the winter garden. The pomegranate is associated with two figures from Greek mythology—it is said to have been planted by the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and Persephone, the queen of the underworld, was strongly identified with the fruit because her rebirth each year coincided with spring. For this reason, the fruit symbolizes fertility. The pomegranate is also said to deliver good luck for the new year, so it is used as a decoration at Christmas and for the New Year.
Also called spiny broom (Calicotome villosa), thorny broom is a densely branched shrub usually under 3 meters (10 feet) high that you will find blooming on hills and among rocks in March and April outside of Gavalochori. Its flowers are a bright yellow and grow interspersed with sharp spikes on rigid stems. This plant is native to the Eastern Mediterranean region.
