Ethiopia (March 2013)

Some Plants of the Bale Mountains

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The Bale Mountains host some unusual plants. The giant lobelia is the most conspicuous of them. It blossoms only once, producing a flower that may reach 5m above the ground, and then dies of exhaustion. The trunk of the dead lobelia reveals a highly textured skin.

The giant thistle (Echinops ellenbeckii) is another plant with an unusual look.

Hagenia Abyssinica (female/male with pink/yellow flowers). Locals use infusion of the flowers against tapeworm infection (often caused by eating raw meat, a favorite dish among many Ethiopians).

Silver everlasting flowers (Helichrysum Splendidum). They grow in the Bale Mountains between 2500m and 3900m and are used by local women to create perfumes.

Kniphofia foliosa.

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