Flora: what grows on Hymettus and who looked after it

The "Nature" article (2) gives the general picture: scrub, phrygana, pine in the north. Here we look more closely at the vegetation and at how people changed it.

A mountain in zones. The Hellenic Ornithological Society describes three pictures. In the north, after the Second World War and thanks to extensive reforestation around Kaisariani, an Aleppo pine forest (Pinus halepensis) grew. In the central and southern parts the pine gives way to evergreen broadleaf scrub and phrygana. Between 800 and 1,000 metres scrub dominates. The same source singles out the Kaisariani Aesthetic Forest for the variety of its vegetation.

A mountain that is not green everywhere. English Wikipedia notes that most of the forest is in the north, while much of the mountain is rocky, deforested, grassy and made of limestone. Greek Wikipedia says Hymettus has suffered destructive fires and that its green areas are kept up by continuous tree planting.

Olives, vines, beehives, herbs. Greek Wikipedia's article on Kaisariani Monastery says the land around the monastery used to be wooded and full of olive trees. The monks' income rested on their olive trees, vines and beehives. They were also known for medicines made from herbs. The article cites a letter of 1209 by Michael Choniates about the monastery's beehives. On Wikipedia that reference is marked as a citation still needed.

Thyme. For thyme and honey, what article (2) and English Wikipedia say stands: Hymettus was noted for its thyme honey. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (book 11), writes about thyme honey and the thin threads it leaves when touched as a sign of good quality. The passage we checked does not mention Hymettus.

Protection. Hymettus is a protected habitat in the Natura 2000 network. According to the Ornithological Society, the Natura 2000 site covering Hymettus carries the code GR3000006, "Hymettus, Kaisariani Aesthetic Forest, Vouliagmeni lake" (8,819 hectares, of which 99% is the bird area GR126). As main threats the same source lists fires, building expansion at the edges and new roads.