Syringa komarowii Syringa komarowii Syringa komarowii is a species of lilac native to central China, commonly called nodding lilac. It is native to the Provinces of Gansu, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan. It is a shrub growing to 3–6 m tall, with erect branches. The leaves are oval-oblong, 5–19 cm long and 2–7 cm broad. The flowers are fragrant and range in colour from pink to mauve, sometimes with a white base; they are produced in early summer on panicles 4–25 cm long and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds. The panicles often hang limply, which is how the plant got its
Tree of the Virgin Tree of the Virgin The Tree of the Virgin is a sycamore tree in the El Matareya suburb of Cairo, Egypt. According to local beliefs, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph stopped at El Matareya (then a small village) on the Flight into Egypt. Mary rested against the tree and a spring of water sprang up near it for Mary to wash Jesus. For many years its bark was taken by Christians in the belief that it had miraculous properties. It has been a place of pilgrimage for Coptic Christians for many centuries, who come to pray by it or