Iris to Iris
Eight species of Oncocyclus irises live in Israel, two of which share their home range with the Western Bank territories. They live locally in different habitats, from arid soils and sand dunes in the desert, to lush green habitats of the Mediterranean mountains in the north. All eight species are endemic to this area, and they are in the red list of endangered species.
I have been visiting oncocyclus irises for seven consecutive flowering seasons, watching them, sometimes sitting for hours with individual flowers looking for identity – theirs and mine. From the beginning it has been the three of us, me, the camera and the flowers – eye to eye, iris to iris.