Common Myrtle In Cyprus
Picture yourself on a sun-drenched slope in Cyprus, where the air carries a sweet, spicy fragrance whenever a breeze stirs the shrubs. Amid the rocky terrain and scattered pines, you encounter clusters of glossy green leaves dotted with delicate white flowers. This is the common myrtle, a quiet but ever-present companion in the island’s wild landscapes. A Shrub Steeped in Mediterranean Grace Myrtus communis, known simply as the common myrtle, belongs to the Myrtaceae family a group that includes fragrant giants like eucalyptus and clove trees. In Cyprus it grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching up to five metres tall. It is one of only two species in its genus worldwide, the other being a rare Saharan relative. Here on our island it forms part of the classic maquis vegetation, that resilient scrubland of aromatic bushes that cloaks hillsides from sea level right up to 1,500 metres. Tales from Antiquity: Aphrodite’s Favourite Veil Long before botanists catalogued it, the myrtle was woven into the very birth story of Cyprus. Legend tells that when Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, rose from the foaming waves near Paphos, she modestly hid her nakedness behind a myrtle bush. Ever since, the plant has been sacred to her. Ancient brides wore myrtle wreaths and bathed in myrtle-scented water on their…
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