Vashlovani National Park – A Protected Area of Kakheti

The Flora of Vashlovani 

Vashlovani is a unique place where there are semi-arid plants, arid plants, sparse forests, steppe, and deciduous forests all together in a small area.

The Name “Vashlovani”

Vashlovani gets its name from an interesting source. The park is home to an extremely rare species of wild pistachio tree (Pistacia atlantica), which grow in neat rows approximately 15-20 metres apart from one another.

This arrangement put people in mind of an orchard, and with the pistachio tree bearing a similar appearance to an apple tree, the area was named “Vashlovani” after the Georgian word for apple, “vashli”.

The Symbol of Vashlovani Protected Areas – Noe the Leopard

46 species of mammals make their home in Vashlovani, but coming across any of them is a rarity. There are many jackals, foxes, rabbits, wolves, lynxes, porcupines, and even bears. In 2003, a leopard, an unique animal for Georgia, was found here and was named Noe.

Vashlovani Protected Areas can be explored by off-road car, on horseback, or by hiking.