Another belated post. How can you post a post about flowers show when there are ongoing genocides whether in Gaza or Sudan, especially Gaza.
Again, I was waiting for a truce, so I can’t post this, but it seems there is no hope.
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| A truck full of flowers and plants of every type you can imagine |
Also, I went to the Autumn Flowers Show 2024. “Yeah, it turned out that Egypt got one,” and I must share the Spring flowers before I go for the Autumn flowers.
The Spring Flowers Show 2024 was delayed nearly four times as I have read.
It was not inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture as the custom for unknown reasons.
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| Into one of the partitions in the show |
It was not held at its original time on 21 March because it was during Ramadan at that time.
I can’t find a reason why because actually it was used to be held in Ramadan and even with activities after the Iftar.
The show kicked off on 19 May till the last day of Eid Al-Adha which was on 19 June.
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| The government had some partitions offering food supplies with discounts for the show's visitors |
The Ministry of Agriculture announced that the exhibition features more than 1,000 types of plants, including ornamental plants, flowers, trees, and all supplies for garden production, landscaping, and cacti.
It noted that the exhibition includes participation from several ministries, government institutions, and civil society organizations.
200 exhibitors participated from the private sector and public sector.
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| At one of the major partitions in the show |
The entry ticket is priced at 10 Egyptian pounds, with plant prices starting from 20 pounds, and the working hours are from 9 AM to 9 PM.
This is the second year in a row the show was held at the Agricultural Museum Complex in Giza instead of its old home at Al-Orman Botanical Garden.
Al-Orman Garden and the Giza Zoo are both currently undergoing a huge renovation process so they are both closed to the public.
To be honest, the development plans for Al-Orman Garden and Giza Zoo scare the life out of me,
Interestingly Al-Orman Garden had a partition in the show which is operated by the new company “Gardens”.
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| A screen capture from a video filmed there shows the Al-Orman partition |
“Gardens” is one of the three companies making the consortium responsible for managing both gardens.
The other two companies are the National Organization for Military and Sons of Sinai Construction Company. “Gardens” is already following the Military production company.
It was the start of the extremely hot heatwave and thus it was not so hopeful for the the flowers and the visitors.
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| Inside a landscaping company partition |
There were fewer visitors than any other time I had visited the show whether last year at the Agricultural Museum or the years before at Al-Orman Botanical Garden.
The fact that the show was adjourned about four times made many believe it was cancelled.
The Ministry said that 200 exhibitors participated but I feel there were also fewer exhibitors than any other time. The impact of the economic crisis especially on the import sector was obvious.
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| A little visitor at a landscaping company partition |
To what I have seen from beautiful plants, trees and flowers at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show.
This year I have seen Colored bougainvillea more than ever. Bougainvillea is a popular tree in Egypt’s streets.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
Unfortunately, many bougainvillaea trees did not survive the trees mass massacres in the past few years for the sake of highways.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
But last couple of months with the non-stop heat wave in Egypt especially in Cairo, Bougainvillea returned to online discussions.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
Many people want to plant back again in front of their buildings or in their gardens if they are rich and live in a villa in a fancy compound.
The price of bougainvillea starts from LE 100 up to 700.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
Ironically in 2019, it was prices started at LE 40.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
Bougainvillea is native to Brazil, Peru and Argentina.
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| Coloured bougainvillaea at Egypt's Spring Show 2024 |
It is unclear when it found its way to Egypt or how it spread in the Egyptian streets. Interestingly, its name in Arabic means "hellish".
From the street popular bougainvillaea to the exotic dragon tree aka Drago. The dragon tree is one of the sources of reddish resin commonly known as dragon’s blood. This resin was historically believed to be the blood of dragons for centuries, with its origins traced back to ancient cultures.
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| Dragon Tree aka Drago at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The term "dragon's blood" was used by various civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, who valued the resin for its medicinal properties, dye, and incense.
You may think it is native to Macaronesia and southwest Morocco and then it was cultivated and naturalized in Egypt successfully, but it turns out that it is also a native plant in Egypt.
Meet Dracaena ombet or Gabal Elba dragon tree. This dragon tree species was first found at Egypt’s Gabal Elba aka Elba Mount in the Halayeb triangle.
It is unclear when it was discovered but the locals from the Beja people have known it for a long time and call it the “Kamar” tree or “moon tree”. The Beja people say that the ancient Egyptians used the tree’s resin in mummification.
The price of this tree is over LE 1,000 but other plants from the same family yet smaller in size have a price range.
Dragon trees do not have a high price tag range for being exotic looking but it is actually endangered. It was another 2024 discovery for me to know that there are plants endangered species list.
I was introduced this year to the Mediterranean cypress or Cupressus sempervirens.
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| Mediterranean cypress at Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
It is not a native plant in Egypt, but it has been cultivated and naturalized for too long. This is an expensive tree with a price tag between LE 900-1,380.
There was also zamia sold in the show, specifically Zamia dion as it is called in Arabic
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| Zamia at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
An ancient family plant originally native to the Americas, most Zamia species are found in warm, humid, tropical rainforest habitats. It was successfully cultivated and naturalized in Egypt with its warm and humid nature.
One of its species, Zamioculcas, or Zanzibar Gem, is very popular in Egypt because it can be cultivated indoors and is affordably priced, starting at LE 150.
I saw for the first time Ilex Crenata or Japanese Holly.
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| Japanese Holly at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show |
The East Asian plant is not native to Egypt and I think it was more expensive than other plants.
There was also Codiaeum variegatum or Garden Croton.
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| Garden Croton at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The croton is native to tropical Asia and the western Pacific islands and is commonly grown as a houseplant or in gardens in warm climates due to its striking foliage as you can tell.
Its price can go from LE 100 to 2000.
From flowers, I saw South Africa’s Pelargonium Zonale. Its price started at LE 65.
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| Pelargonium zonale at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
That type is not native to Egypt, but it is cultivated and naturalized.
Nevertheless, Pelargonium is related to wild geranium which has been long cultivated in Egypt since ancient times. Both flowers are from the same family, the Geraniaceae family.
Among the major noticeable differences between them is the stem; the Pelargonium has a thicker stem.
From ancient Egypt to modern Egypt, fragrant wild geranium has been used in medicine and the fragrance industry.
It is one of Egypt’s most famous exported oils. Currently, Egyptian Geranium Oil is regaining its status in the skincare world as an extremely nourishing oil for all skin types, with strong antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
There were different types of Plumeria flowers in the show this year.
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| Plumeria alba or Indian Jasmine at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The most popular one is the "Plumeria alba," commonly known in Arabic in Egypt as "The Indian Jasmine."
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| Plumeria alba or Indian Jasmine at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Originally native to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, the flower was cultivated and naturalized in modern Egypt.
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| Plumeria alba or Indian Jasmine at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
I remember my granddad, may Allah bless his soul, cultivating it in his garden.
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| Plumeria alba or Indian Jasmine at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
He would be shocked to know that its price ranges from LE 200 to 6,000.
There was also Plumeria Rubra or Red Frangipani which looks amazing.
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| Plumeria Rubra or Red Frangipani at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
A native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, it has been cultivated and naturalized in Egypt as you can see and even stand in heatwaves as you can see.
The plumeria family contains mild poisonous compounds as all parts of its shrub yield mildly poisonous alkaloids that irritate the eyes and skin. My granddad told me this about the Indian Jasmine and God knows as a child it made me stay away from it.
I believe he told me that as a warning not to cut it for its flowers, rather than to make me afraid of it when I think about it.
This year, more than any other previous year, I stumbled upon many plants with poisonous compounds.
Maybe it's because I went after more exotic-looking flowers and plants and decided to research them, unlike in previous years.
Like Nerium oleander or Rosebay, the native Mediterranean Basin flower was more than beautiful for real.
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| Nerium oleander or Rosebay at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The Nerium oleander’s price can start from LE 250 up to 750 according to the pot size as well as the exact type of oleander.
There was also exotic but poisonous Cascabela thevetia that originally came from Mexico and Central America.
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| Cascabela thevetia at Egypt's Spring Flowers show 2024 |
The toxins of Cascabela thevetia are used in pest control.
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| Cascabela thevetia at Egypt's Spring Flowers show 2024 |
The price of the Cascabela thevetia in Egypt as it is cultivated and naturalized widely starts at LE180
There were also poisonous Desert Roses or Adenium obesum
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| Desert Rose at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Yes, there is a flower called Desert Rose. It is not related to the famous hit song of Sting and Chab Mami.
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| Desert Rose at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan) as well as the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Oman and Yemen, specifically in Socrata.
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| Desert Rose at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
It had been cultivated and naturalized in Egypt as it could endure hot weather.
You can tell from its name. In 2020, it was sold for LE 100 but now its prices can start from LE 700 to over 2,000.
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| Desert Rose at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
There has been a long misconception that the desert rose is a cactus, but it is not.
It is a succulent plant.
Just like Christ’s Thorn or Crown of Thorns, also known as Euphorbia Milii in its different varieties.
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| Christ's Thron or Euphorbia Milii at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Its sap is moderately poisonous and causes irritation on contact with skin or eyes.
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If ingested by humans, it can cause severe stomach pain, throat and mouth irritation, and vomiting. It is also deadly poisonous to animals like horses.
Besides being a cute flower for gardens, it is used as a pesticide.
Its prices can start currently from LE 35 to 200 according to the size of the pot.
There is also its sister Euphorbia Lophogona, which is as cute as Euphorbia Milii
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Euphorbia Lophogona
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The Lophogona’s price can start from LE 100 to 850.
As I said earlier the Christ’s Thorn is not a cactus, but it is a succulent plant.
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Euphorbia Lophogona
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There is a mix because as it turned out cacti are a subset of succulents and belong to the family Cactaceae. While all cacti are succulents because they have water-storing tissues, not all succulents belong to the cacti family.
This was new information I discovered while searching for the plants’ names using the Pl@nt.Net identification service via photos.
There is a long-standing problem in the Spring Flowers Show most of the partitions do not put tags.
I felt so stupid considering the fact I own two pots of Euphorbia beautiful plant that did not survive last summer’s heatwave that hit the country mercilessly.
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| Cacti and bonsai sold at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
I feel that I took a lot of cacti in the past years so I ignored most of them this year.
As a change this year, I decided to go after exotic-looking plants and flowers as you may have noticed.
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| Moon cacti at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
But I can't ignore the moon cacti.
I saw the seedling of the Southern Magnolia and I thought it was strange.
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| The Southern Magnolia seedling at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
I did not know that it looked amazing except after seeing its Wikipedia page.
Little Manaca appeared to me with its violet colours shyly.
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| Manaca flower at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Unfortunately, I did not know its price.
Brunfelsia Uniflora or Manaca is originally native to parts of South America and was cultivated and naturalized to Egypt in modern times.
I saw the famous Sunflower in this edition of the show more than any other time.
Needless to say, the flower that flourishes in the summer had all the sun it needs in the show.
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| The sunflowers at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is native to North America, specifically to the region that includes present-day Mexico, the southern United States, and parts of Central America.
It is believed to have been first domesticated by Native Americans around 3,000 years ago, though evidence of its cultivation dates back even further, with early forms of sunflowers being grown for their seeds and oil.
The sunflower was later introduced to Europe in the 16th century, following the exploration of the Americas, and gradually became popular worldwide.
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| The sunflowers at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Given Egypt's historical trade connections with Europe and the broader Mediterranean region, sunflowers likely made their way to Egypt in the 17th or 18th century, after being brought over from the Americas.
By the 19th century, sunflowers had spread widely across the Mediterranean, and their cultivation for both ornamental and agricultural purposes (especially for seeds and oil) became more common.
Egypt ranks number 21 in Sunflower seed Oil Production worldwide. It also ranks the second Arab country after Morocco in producing oil as well as third after Turkey and Morocco in the Middle East region.
To Egypt’s famous “Ward Baladi” or “Local rose” or as commonly known in the West as “memorial rose” or in the world as “Damask rose”.
Yes, Damask rose as in Damask or Damascus in Syria.
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| White Memorial Rose or Ward Baladi at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The Damask rose originated in the Middle East, particularly in Syria.
It was traded widely along routes connecting Persia, Mesopotamia, and the Levant with Egypt, so it could have entered Egypt as early as the ancient period or later during the Islamic Caliphates.
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| White Memorial Rose or Ward Baladi at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
We call this rose “Ward Baladi" and it is like our national rose and the ultimate symbol of beauty.
This reflects how deeply established this flower has become in Egyptian identity and everyday life.
Over centuries, Egyptians embraced it in gardens, religious ceremonies, weddings, and cultural symbols.
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| Red Memorial Rose or Ward Baladi at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Its resilience and adaptability allowed it to naturalize, making it both familiar and accessible across social classes.
This "everyday flower" status led to it being considered "Baladi" or native, reinforcing its symbolic connection to the land and its people.
The price of the Baladi rose ranges between LE 25-100 currently.
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| Red Memorial Rose or Ward Baladi at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
It is the second most exported flower after Jasmine from Egypt. Egypt is also famous for its Egyptian Rose Oil which it produces and exports from Ward Baladi.
Ward baladi roses are not the only flowers associated with Egypt I have seen in this edition of the show.
Meet the famous Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus.
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| The Lily of the Nile at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Strangely, the Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus, which means in Greek “The flower of Love” is native to South Africa. Yet it is also known in the Mediterranean specifically Egypt or rather an ancient Egypt to the level that is called the Lily of the Nile.
Paintings depicting the lily of the Nile were found in ancient Egypt’s tombs and temples. It was a popular flower during then.
Its moment of fame in the modern age is when it was found among the dried flowers found on the mummy of King Tutankhamun of the 18th dynasty.
The importance of the lily of the Nile in ancient Egypt is also depicted in the masterpiece featuring the alabaster perfume vase of King Tut, which was found in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
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| Alabaster Perfume Vase and Statues of King Tut with a harpoon at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo in 2015 |
This is not the usual alabaster perfume vase because it depicts the ancient Egyptian deity of the Nile Hapi on both sides.
The two Hapi are differentiated by the lily and papyrus clusters on their heads as the Hapi of Upper Egypt and Hapi of Nile Delta aka Lower Egypt.
The unity of the country and its Nile is beautifully symbolized by the lily and papyrus stems tied together at the neck of the vase, held by the two Hapis. Each Hapi supports a column representing a single stem and flower from one of these plants, crowned with a cobra adorned with the respective crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, embodying the harmonious union of the two lands.
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| The Lily of the Nile at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The Lily of the Nile was sold for between LE 75-100 in the Flowers show.
Another flower that I surprisingly knew that was popular in ancient Egypt was the world-famous marigold.
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| Golden marigold at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Marigold turned out to be popular in Ancient Egypt as it is a native to the Mediterranean on both sides. According to some websites, it represented the ancient Egyptian deity Ra.
Currently marigold is cultivated in Egypt for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. It is cultivated in Fayoum and in Qalyubia.
The price of a marigold pot ranges between LE 150 and 300.
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| Golden marigolds and other flowers at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
I found some famous lotus flowers, but they’re fake ones because the real ones are a bit expensive and require an aquarium-like environment.
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| Fake lotus sold at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
This artificial flower is actually the Asian lotus and not the Egyptian Nile lotus which is longer.
The seeds of the real natural lotus, Egypt's national flower, are sold online for LE 130-180
Artificial plants had their place in the show specifically at the landscaping companies' partitions.
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| Landscaping and garden decorations at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The fruits and vegetables were there as usual.
Along with the usual herbs and greens like basil—whether Egyptian or Italian—and mint—whether Syrian or Saudi—we found new additions, like lemongrass. I didn’t know lemongrass was used in our cuisine!
The cherry tomatoes, however, were sold out.
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| Cherry tomatoes at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
The cherry tomatoes seedling was sold starting with LE 30 up to 130.
The cherry tomato seeds were also sold from LE 60 to 350. Historically cherry tomatoes are believed to have originated in Mexico.
They are a small variety of the larger tomato family, and wild ancestors of the tomato were first domesticated by indigenous peoples including the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures. The old world knew about cherry tomatoes in the 17th century when a Swiss botanist spoke about them in his book.
In the 1970s, Israeli scientists from the Hebrew University developed different varieties of cherry tomatoes.
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| Orange trees at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Orange trees or rather citrus trees were among the popular seedling trees sold across the show.
Egypt already ranked first globally in orange exports for the fourth consecutive year by the end of 2023, with total quantities nearing 2 million tons, compared to 1.8 million tons the previous year.
Orange trees specifically sweet orange entered Egypt in the 19th century via the famous agricultural expert “Youssef Effendi” who revolutionized agriculture in the country then.
During then, Egypt’s citrus production was mostly limited to lemons and bitter oranges.
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| Papaya at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
I saw other less-known local fruits sold in the show like papaya.
Papaya was originally domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and Central America.
I do not know when exactly it entered Egypt, but it was in the 20th century. Some believe since the 1980s.
The papaya fruit is grown in the regions of Alexandria’s Maamoura and King Mariout as well as in North Sinai’s Arish, Suez Canal city Ismailia, and the desert areas, with the harvest season taking place in May and June every year.
The seeds of the Papaya may start from LE 30 to 300.
Different types of coloured pepper bells were sold for a price starting at LE 10.
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| Pepper bells at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
Unfortunately, I bought one pot of coloured pepper bell but it did not survive the heatwave despite the constant water.
Climate change is real.
I could not ignore tiny lantana.
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| Tiny Lantana at Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2024 |
That was a macro shot featuring the small cute flower.
That’s it for our tour in Egypt’s Spring Flowers Show as I share it with you in the last days of autumn.
All photos "except the old ones" were taken by Sony Alpha a6500 with an E18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens.
Hello. Thanks for your extensive and detailed report of the flower show. It brings back memories of when I visited the show with an Egyptian friend years ago, in Orman garden at that time.
ReplyDeleteThanks again. John, Netherlands.