Anemone, the national flower of Israel

 I went to Israel in February in search of the anemone flower which is supposed to bloom in profusion in February every year after the winter rains. The Negev desert was supposed to be the place to see it. Its supposed to bloom in such profusion as to color the desert red. A festival called 'Darom Adom' or 'red south' is celebrated every February in the Negev. I arrived in Be'er Sheva which is in the Negev hoping to see this phenomenon.

At the bus station I hopped into a taxi, the driver didn't know where to take me. He said he'll ask his sister who happened to be a florist. They gave him some interactions and off we went in search of 'kalaniot' Jewish for anemone. The anemone habitat have almost been eliminated because of development. We drove around but found none, just fields of cultivated grass. I told him I'll pay him 400 shekels and since we found none, I said I'll still pay him. So we turned around and drove back to the bus station. I was a little disappointed but I remained hopeful. I continued to scan the roadside as we drove back. Just then I saw a patch of undeveloped land and people walking around and little red flowers scattered all over. I shouted for him to stop and turn into where the people were. This was the Pura national trail and there they were, little red anemones, the national flower of Israel, 'Kalaniot' they call them in Jewish.