Israel is a home of 70 species of trees, most of which grow in the cooler and rainy Mediterranean region. To underline the beauty of its fauna Israel Post has designed and released a set of three stamps depicting some of the colorful tree species. The stamps feature such tees as Greek strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne), Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) and Mount Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis). So let`s appreciate the bright design of these philatelic items and other stamps devoted to flora.
The first stamp features Greek strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne) that is an evergreen recognized by its bright red bark. The interesting feature of this tree is that its blossoms allegedly kill off the fruit, which is the previous generation. The second stamp shows Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) that is the only wild tree in Israel that blooms solely in pink in the springtime. Its blossoms are particularly prominent because they appear before the leaves, and not only on the branches but on the trunk as well. The third item depicts Mount Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis) that is the largest and most prominent tree in the Israeli landscape. The Israeli people think that this tree is probably is described by the prophet Amos: "Whose stature was like the cedar’s and who was stout as the oak, destroying his boughs above and his trunk below".
