Flowers of Crete

The wild flowers of Crete come in great variety and grow abundantly throughout this beautiful Greek Island. Around 1,650 species and subspecies of wild vascular plants grow on Crete, according to a 2019 study of Cretan plant diversity in the Journal of Biological Research. A second 2019 study of Crete’s endemic plants in the same journal counts 223 endemic species and subspecies, which means that they do not exist in any other place in the world. Wild Cretan flowers, among them rare orchids, many of which are endemic, add colour and sweet smelling scent all year round to this beautiful Greek Island.

With so many plants and wild flowers of Crete growing all over this wonderful Greek island it is a colourful and aromatic place to spend some time.

There is an infinite variety of colour, scent and size to the wild flowers of Crete. One of my favourites has to be the wild anemones that range in colour from white to pale lilac to deep purple.

Anemones also grow in all shades of pink. In the spring months in Crete whole areas seem to be carpeted by these lovely wild flowers.

There are plenty of other Cretan flowers too. In April and May Crete is abundant in wild flowers. Fragrant wild herbs such as Thyme, Sage and Rosemary add wonderful aroma to the hillsides. Chamomile, poppies, anemones, iris, field gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus) and many species of wild orchids and other wonderful wild flowers of Crete grow all over this fabulous Greek Island.

Meadows of vibrant scarlet red poppies create a colourful and wonderful scene that is breathtaking. You’ll see poppies in March, April, May and June in Crete growing in cultivated fallow fields and amongst olive groves.

Springtime is the best time to see a massive array of beautiful flowers of Crete when the mountains, plains, olive groves, fields and sea shores are covered with flowers.

Brilliant yellow centred chamomile is found all over the island and certainly gives a fresh spring feel and aroma to the island.

The very decorative purple Chaste Tree that flowers throughout the summer months is said to be an aphrodisiac for women – and just the opposite for men!

Click the link to learn more and see pictures of The Chaste Tree

May Day, Protomagiá (1 May), is a national holiday in Greece and Crete. May 1st is traditionally seen as a flower festival and the flowers of Greece play a central role in this celebration of spring and fertility.

Cretan families will take the day off work and school and go to the fields and hillsides to pick wild flowers.

Families will picnic in the countryside and pick the wild flowers to make into wreaths.

The wildflower wreaths are then hung above doors, on fishing boats, on cars and trucks and other places with the intention of warding off evil and ushering in the spring season.

You’ll see men, women and children with whole armfuls of beautiful and colourful flowers picked from olive groves, meadows and hillsides. Later they fashion them into wreaths.

And if you are a sun lover yourself you’ll love the sun loving little Heliotrope flowering throughout the summer in Crete. Click the link to find out the sad tale from Greek mythology about The Heliotrope

Words alone cannot describe the beauty of the flowers of Crete so we’ve included a few pictures for your enjoyment.

A beautiful deep pink wild field gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus) is a much prized decorative flower that is simply stunning when you see it through the olive groves. You can see it in full bloom in the spring months throughout Crete.

Click the link to learn more and see pictures of the elegant bright pink Field Gladiolus

And if you are holidaying or visiting the Greek island of Crete in the height of the summer and spend some time on its gorgeous beaches you may be lucky enough to spot a beautiful pure white flower growing in the hot sand. It is commonly known as the Sea Daffodil and has the Latin name of Pancratium maritimum.

Click the link to know more about The Sea Daffodil.

The Aromatic Inula also known as Dittrichia viscosa, Sticky fleabane and False Yellowhead is just one of the many wild flowers of Crete.

The Aromatic Inula belongs to the Asteraceae, (Daisy) family and grows all around the Mediterranean.

This flower grows abundantly in the autumn months all over the Greek Island of Crete. You'll find it along roadsides and uncultivated fields.

As its name suggests it has a lovely aroma and was traditionally used as a dye of a greenish yellow shade.

Aromatic inula has numerous yellow flower heads and sticky leaves. Its flowers carry both male and female parts and are pollinated by insects.

Anemones in Crete

Anemones (Anemone coronaria) are among the earliest spring flowers of Crete, blooming while it is still winter. Their pinks, purples and lilacs carpet the hillsides in a burst of colour. On a walk around ancient Aptera near Chania we found the hills covered in them.

The name comes from anemos, the Greek word for wind. The ancient Greeks believed the wind made the flowers open. In Greek mythology the anemone was born from the blood of Aphrodite and Adonis, and another story says its petals are the tears of the goddess Demeter for her daughter Persephone.

A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Crete

Wild Flowers of Crete by Vangelis Papiomitoglou is the handbook we take with us on walks through olive groves, ancient paths, hillsides, mountain tracks and roadsides. Each flower has its own picture with its local, common and Latin names, where it grows and when it flowers. The text also notes any use in folk medicine and any links to Greek mythology.

The book is small enough to carry on a walk, and its layout makes each wild flower easy to identify.