| Flora in Armenia
Flora in Armenia
With 17 vegetation zones, the variety of plant-life in Armenia is truly astounding. The country has everything from desert plants to oak, beech and pine forests, wet marshland and sub-tropic plants to alpine meadows teeming with wild flowers.
There are even virgin fields of wild grain, the forebears of the first wheat in the ancient world, believed to have been cultivated in Armenia 12-15,000 years ago. Known by their genus names Triticum Urartu and Triticum Araraticum, the wheat is native to the Ararat valley and can be found in small protected fields between Yerevan and Garni.
Armenias flora is so diverse and rich it seems all you would have to do is add cacti, palms and a rain forest, and your would pretty much complete the worlds diversity of plant life.
Armenia has over 3,500 species of plants, more than half of the 6,000 that can be found in the entire Transcaucasus region. While Europe has around 20,000 species, and the entire North American continent holds 40,000 species, with a total landmass of just under 30,000 sq. kilometers (about the size of Belgium), Armenias diversity and close proximity of so many different types of flora is often breath-taking.
Literally within an hours drive of Yerevan, 5 completely unique topographies lie, each with its own varieties of flora, many lying on opposite sides of the highway. While one side will hold forests teeming with woodland species, the other may be semi-desert, Mediterranean marshland, mountain steppe or alpine meadow. Forests are home to particular species unique to the Transcaucasus, including the Araks Oak, Eastern Beech, Caucasian Pine, and a coniferous tree called the «Tis»
Native to Armenia are the apricot and peach. The apricot was taken by Alexander the Greats army back to Greece, where the Romans then spread it throughout Southern Europe. Other fruits that grow in the country include apples, pears, cherries, mazzards, plums, pomegranates and an amazing variety of grapes. The Ararat Valley sustained a large cotton industry before vineyards were. | |
