About Helichrysum sanguineum (L.) Kostel.
Helichrysum sanguineum (L.) Kostel. is a flowering plant, commonly called red everlasting or red cudweed, that belongs to the genus Helichrysum in the family Asteraceae. It grows in mountain forests across the Levant and blooms between April and June each year. In Hebrew, its flower is called "Blood of the Maccabees", and it has become the official icon of Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism. The full confirmed distribution of Helichrysum sanguineum within the Levant covers: western Syria; the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon and Mount Lebanon, growing up to an altitude of 1000 meters; the Golan Heights; most of northern and central Israel and the West Bank, including Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, the area around the Sea of Galilee, Mount Carmel, the Coastal Plain south of Mount Carmel, Mount Gilboa, the northern Jordan Valley, Samaria, the Judaean Mountains, and the Shefela; and the mountainous Gilead region of Jordan, covering the areas of Jerash, Dibeen, Ajloun, and Al-Salt. This species is classified as endangered within Israel.
