The Plane Tree of Gortys
"Crete hosts an extremely rare and endemic variety of plane trees (Platanus orientalis var. Cretica) with about 50 trees being reported throughout the island. The characteristic feature of this variety is that it is evergreen, unlike the common deciduous plane trees.
One of these trees is of great historical and mythological value and has survived the centuries, since the Minoan era. This is the plane of Gortyna, which still stands proudly in the back side of the current archaeological site of ancient Gortys.
The plane was dedicated to Zeus and according to mythology, under this tree, Zeus mated with Europa after transferring her to Crete from [the Levant]*. This is where she conceived her children; Minos, Sarpedon and Radamanthys. Since then, the plane did not lose its foliage again. The importance given to this tree is very clear by the depiction of Europa under the tree in the ancient coins of Gortys."
www.cretanbeaches.com/en/flora/monumental-trees/plane-tre...
*The author writes "Africa" here, but this isn't correct.
Here you can find a picture of a coin of Gortys depicting Europa under a plane tree: www.greeceancientmodern.com/gortys.html
The Plane Tree of Gortys
"Crete hosts an extremely rare and endemic variety of plane trees (Platanus orientalis var. Cretica) with about 50 trees being reported throughout the island. The characteristic feature of this variety is that it is evergreen, unlike the common deciduous plane trees.
One of these trees is of great historical and mythological value and has survived the centuries, since the Minoan era. This is the plane of Gortyna, which still stands proudly in the back side of the current archaeological site of ancient Gortys.
The plane was dedicated to Zeus and according to mythology, under this tree, Zeus mated with Europa after transferring her to Crete from [the Levant]*. This is where she conceived her children; Minos, Sarpedon and Radamanthys. Since then, the plane did not lose its foliage again. The importance given to this tree is very clear by the depiction of Europa under the tree in the ancient coins of Gortys."
www.cretanbeaches.com/en/flora/monumental-trees/plane-tre...
*The author writes "Africa" here, but this isn't correct.
Here you can find a picture of a coin of Gortys depicting Europa under a plane tree: www.greeceancientmodern.com/gortys.html