Flora of Beni Farah

The dry weather of the Saharan Atlas makes Beni Farah an area of light, and sometimes, scare vegetation. However the relatively high altitude and air cleanliness make the existing green cover pleasant, useful and, to some extent, special. Practically all trees and herbs that grow up outside farming zones are used by locals be it for building, feeding animals or making traditional medicaments. Even the notoriously useless oleander finds use in making handles for farming tools or as a fire wood for drying pottery and earthen-ware. In addition to the juniper trees of Adhrer nah'Frah, the following is a citation of the common wild herbs and flowers that one can easily find there. Whenever possible names are given in both English and the local Shawi dialect (italicized names). Unfortunately some names are known to me in just one language.

Medicinal Herbs

There are numerous medicinal herbs growing in the wild in Beni Farah. They flourish during rainy years particularly in areas less exposed to animal grazing; many of them are evergreen. The two variants of Artemisia, izri and thagufth, are the most known and spread herbs. Izri can be found almost anywhere in the south as well as in the north of the village. Thagufth is limited to higher grounds and spreads along the north of Thaaouint n'Tazzart area. Wild rosemary (azir) grows in the north and eastern parts and is also used for heating along with wild asparagus (Azzou).M'zoushen prefers to grow on rocks of high grounds; it makes a wonderful aroma for goat milk. Thyme (flaggoo) is not that common in Beni Farah but it can be found along the main irrigation ditch of Ain l'Kat. The Spanish thyme (manta) spreads all over the muddy edges of irrigation ditches especially in Kasha and Jebalwa. Among other medicinal herbs in Beni Farah are dandelion, sweet cicely, thizrekth, ish natkoura, artemisia arborescens (merriw), cynara scolymus (thagga), capparis spinosa (thalilekth), ruta graveolens (awermi), thapsia garganica (adheryas) and plenty of armel (harmel) in the built up areas.

Izri (Artemisia herba alba)

Juniper Trees

Adhrer nah'Frah mountain is mainly covered by Thuriferous Juniper (Juniperous Thurifera) trees. This tree is specific to the western part of the Mediterranean basin. It is found in Spain, France, Morocco and Algeria. In Algeria it is confined to the Aures mountains. In Beni Farah juniper wood is used for cooking, heating, making beds (long time ago), distilling tars for tanning skin bags or flavoring drinking water and for house roofs and pillars. The quasi-totality of old houses and buildings in Beni Farah have roofs and pillars made up of juniper wood.

Wood removal and livestock activity have reduced the area occupied by juniper woodland. Until recently some elders still recall the time when the Ikhf Allaakabth escarpment (nowadays almost treeless) was covered by juniper trees. The mosque Ljamaa n'Kasha is said to be roofed from what was at that time the Ikhf Allaakabth forest. Added to the fact that juniper trees of Beni Farah are old, slow growing and have a weak natural regeneration, it's no exaggeration to suggest that this delicate bio-diversity is threatened. Degradation of juniper and oak woods means soil erosion (already poor) and desertification. The good news is that Farhis nowadays are replacing wood fire by Butane gas and wooden roofs by concrete. A revived mountain will in the future certainly attract many kinds of tourists like foresters, hunters, ecologists and walkers.

Zimba (Juniperus phoenicea)

Many people will be surprised to know that juniper berries are not used by Farhis almost in anyway. It seems that Ah Wammas who used to tease Ah Am'nea by calling them "berries eaters" do not really realise the value of juniper berries. Here in the UK, Tesco stores sell them at the price of £39.6 or US$47.8 per Kg (price on January 2004). Maybe someday the wild juniper berries of Beni Farah will be found among those fine spices ornamenting shelves of big supermarkets.

Wild flowers

The best season to see the full spectrum of wild flowers growing in Beni Farah is between March and June. The following are abundant species particularly in grooves and farmed terraces.

Common poppy (thakkoukth), rough poppy (thakkoukth ounaghyoul), winter cress, sweet Alison, toothed medick, common mallow (khabbeyz), stinging nettle (thimsakseen), cord-necklace, shepherd's needle, great pignut, giant fennel, bindweed, white horehound, white henbane, Cornish moneywort (thaljameen), daisy, chamomile, ragwort, thistle, galactites tomentosa, grape-hyacinth, Dandelion (Abechar elkheir) and purshane (berrathkala).

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