Dreamed of a time machine as a child? Khost has one! Come to the yew and boxwood grove. You will be transported into the distant past and see the world as it was in the Tertiary period.
Impression
The yew and boxwood grove in Khost will not leave anyone indifferent, because this is a unique opportunity to visit the nature of the pre-glacial period and find out what plants were then.
There are many tablets in the grove where plants are vividly told. Not so easy "Field dandelion medicinal! Representative of the Compositae family!", but memorable facts, stories and legends are given. For example, the fact that unripe figs are poisonous, and the yew was cut down in England by the 13th century because of the wood - it was ideal for bows. This is where the Sochi arboretum should be taken as an example, where all the data on plants is dry, and many trees and bushes have no tablets at all. In general, I guarantee that by the end of the route you will learn a lot and remember exactly how the berry yew, boxwood, butcher's tree, holly, Colchis ivy and Deer tongue look like.
Even if you are not a fan of botany, it is worth coming to the grove at least for the sake of rest from the heat, people and noise - there is always coolness here and peace falls on any tourist.
You say, what about the ecological disaster? After all, all the ancient boxwood died, what is there to look at. Believe me, there is something! The boxwood is in place, it’s just dry, and its bare trunks are covered with moss. However, in addition to boxwood, the grove is known for its berry yew - this coniferous tree has red cones instead of cones. More than 500 plants also grow here.
Which route to take
The yew-boxwood grove consists of three routes: the Small Ring, the Big Ring and the "Into the Depths of Ages" trail. I advise you to go through all three routes, because they are simple and do not require special physical training.
Let's go through first Small ring... It is only 1.6 km long - this is the easiest and most civilized route in a yew-and-boxwood grove, so the walk will take no more than an hour. A smooth concrete path winds between fabulous trees covered with plush Necker moss, which is beautifully illuminated by the rays of the sun. We first saw a similar forest in the Wet Psakho Canyon.
Here you can walk for the elderly and small children, no problems will arise. Clothes and footwear are suitable for urban.
On the Small Ring we met a giant yew, which is 1000 years old! A little further - a stone labyrinth, or rather a fault left after the earthquake. Here the smooth civilized path ends.
