~All Common Plant Life~
Natural vegetation varied due to the little rainfall, but the Egyptians were able to work around this by using irrigation channels to support many plants like lotus, bamboo, esparto, etc. In lower Egypt, Spanish reed and papyrus were common plants while date palms and doum palms were common in upper Egypt. As for trees, the Phoenician juniper is the only native conifer. Acacia, eucalyptus,and sycamore are considered the most important timber trees. Jacaranda, royal poinciana, and lebbek have become characteristic features of Egyptian landscape.
~Poisonous Plants~
The Ancient Egyptians knew of many poisonous plants such as opium and mandrake. Now, we know several more poisonous plants commonly found in Egypt:
- "Elephant Ear" or Dieffenbachia;
- Sago Palm or Sycassia;
- Oleander or Dafla;
- Ficus, and last but not least,
- Yellow Datura or Angel Bells
~Ancient Plant Life~
Several of the plants in Egypt that were considered ancient are very common. Lotus, papyrus (a reed which grows in marshy areas along the banks of the Nile), and Date Palms (used to make palm oil and grow all over Egypt) are great examples. But even hundreds of years ago, there were few trees due to the lack of water in the area to support them. This is why the Egyptians bought their wood from Lebanon.