Cyprus Hotel Association - Flora and Fauna

Flora and Fauna

There are 1,900 species of flowering plants in Cyprus, 140 of which grow nowhere else. In the Akamas region alone, there are 700 plant species, of which 40 are endemic. From February to April, pink cyclamen sprouts up from rocky foothills and glades. Pink oleander is common all over Cyprus and is often grown as an ornamental plant along roadsides and highways. From March to April, the pink wavy-leaved monkey orchid (Orchis italica) grows in dense patches around Pafos.

Many plants and herbs that grow naturally in Cyprus have medicinal properties and were once widely used by villagers to make holistic home remedies for a host of common ailments. Peonies, for example, used as painkillers in medieval times, grow in abundance in the Troodos Mountains above 1,500 metres.
Since 01/02/06 the Cyprus National Flower is Kyklamino and the Cyprus National Tree is Latzia.

A diverse array of fauna calls Cyprus home. There are 168 bird species, 12 for mammals and 20 reptiles - the latter including the sea turtles who annually nest at protected Lara Beach on the Akamas Peninsula. The moufflon is a mountain ram with thick, sinuous horns that lives in protected reserves in the Troodos.

For more information please apply to:
Ministry of Agriculture (Forestry Department)
website: www.moa.gov.cy/forest

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