Bear's Plum

Prunus ursina (Bear's Plum) is a rare plant in north Israel. It belongs to a typical montane open deciduous oak forests in Mt Hermon (where this pic was taken) and to Mediterranean oak scrub in the Upper Galilee and northern Golan Heights. About 100 years ago there were still some Syrian Bears eating its fruits, unfortunately they are extinct in the region these days. During summer fruits develop and fall under the tree in autumn, than they are eaten by boars (and bears) that disperse the seeds. The Bear's Plum belongs to a complex of species from which some cultivated plums originate.