Vegetation and Wildlife

Rum is considered an agricultural area, although vegetation is sparse, the locals plant seeds as wheat and barely. Some fruit trees are also planted around the houses in the village at the mouth of the wadi. In spring one can see several grass clumps here and there, scattered shrubs and curling vines producing the ground-like, bitter-tasting handhal ordesert melon Grouping in rocky areas, out of reach of goats, is the tall, lupin-like, white flowering borsalan. Some medication plants grew also, as wormwood, southern wood, sweet basil and many others. Beside springs, in the valleys and in mountain cracks wild edible figs grew.

Wild animals are seldom seen, while the common fox, hyrax, desert hare, jerboa and gerbil still exist in remote parts of the valley. Oryx and gazelle have been shot out. Birds sighted in rum are sinai rose-finches, blackcaps, fan-tail ravens, redstarts, desert larks and buzzards. The summer heat is so intense that birds are known to die on the wing.