These are two wildflowers appearing in Spring in Cyprus and are also known locally as The Tears of the Virgin Mary. Anagallis Arvensis is commonly known as Pimpernel. It’s a plant of lush green with small flowers in pink and light blue. They open at sunrise and close at sunset and die in summer. The plant has medicinal qualities.
The second plant is also known as Everlasting sun-gold and grows like cyclamens in rocky areas or by the sea. It has many small flowers of strong yellow-gold colour and blooms between January and April.
Legend has it that the Virgin Mary went all over the Near East looking for her son Christ and when she could not find him, she shed tears which transformed into these beautiful little flowers.
The ‘Did You Know’ series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and Active Citizens Fund.
