Areas of the Garden

The Botanical Garden seeks to demonstrate the great similarities between Californian, Chilean, South African and Australian landscapes and those of the Mediterranean basin through a wide-ranging representation of plant species from Mediterranean-type climates.

By either following the main route or exploring the labyrinth of paths, visitors discover the most characteristic plants from the principal Mediterranean plant landscapes. Careful observation enables us to see the similarities and differences between these and, at the same time, to discover certain morphological features that are shared by many plants that have adapted to the Mediterranean-type climate. Any time of year is good to visit the Garden, but its vegetation responds to the conditions laid down by the changing seasons.

In summer, the Garden presents a dry, arid overall image. Only trees with deep roots can find water that allows them to continue their activity. The small bushes and abundant shrubs that are so prevalent in Mediterranean regions shed branches and leaves in order to reduce water loss. Activity only returns after the first rains of autumn. This is when many bulbous plants awaken, annual plants germinate and many bush species sprout new leaves that will enable them to benefit from the winter rains. The vegetation now forms a greener, more vigorous landscape. Due to the landscape winter is usually a time of rest for the aerial parts of plants whilst, underground, their roots grow in readiness for the arrival of rain in spring. This season is when most Mediterranean plants bloom. The Garden now becomes a spectacle of colours that also attracts animals to the plants, pollinating them.

• Australia

  The Australian Mediterranean region, with 700,000 square kilometers, is the second-largest in surface area (this region represents just over 20% of the biome overall). It is formed by two separate sectors, located in the south and southwest of the continent. Some 8,000 species are known, of which 75% are endemic. The climate is Mediterranean with a certain tropical influence due to the proximity of the Oceanic monsoons; this influence means that the summer drought is not as severe as it is in our own region here. Even so, there is a high frequency of forest fires and soils are very poor in nutrients.

  Besides the characteristic Mediterranean flora, plants from amongst the temperate flora in the southwest of the continent (the states of Victoria and New South Wales) also grow in the Australian area of the Garden, in addition to its characteristic Mediterranean flora, plants are also cultivated selected from the temperate flora of the southeast of the continent (states of Victoria and New South Wales). Trees and bushes alike are dominated by a large number of species from just a few families, such as Mimosae (Acacia), Myrtaceae (Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Callistemon) and Proteaceae (Hakea, Banksia, Grevillea).

  Also present are other remarkably singular and primitive species of trees, which are characterised by displaying homogeneous behaviour during their growth:

  • Xanthorrhoea or grass trees with very narrow, non-fleshy leaves, surprisingly well adapted to fires.
  • Casuarinas and conifers from the cypresses group (Callitris genus).

   

   

   

  The forests of Victoria and New South Wales: in the forests in the eastern regions of Australia, humid rainfall conditions prevail in summer. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Calcareous forests in the western region: open forest community in the interior of Australia’s western region. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Southern forest: there is considerable heterogeneity of species and diversity of environments in the forestlands of southern Australia, where there are numerous species of Eucalyptus. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Forests of the western region: forests along the coastal regions of Western Australia reach heights of over 40 meters. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Mallee, limestone shrubland on the western coast: the Western coastal region is covered by shrubs. Many species of eucalyptus grow no more than 6 meters high. Some, such as Eucalyptus ficifolia, bloom spectacularly. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Sub-desert acacia shrubland: open shrub communities inhabiting the most arid regions of western and southern Australia. The plants in these communities are well adapted to withstand long periods of drought, as rainfall is irregular. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Southern acidophilous shrubland: acid-loving shrub communities in the interior of South Australia, where numerous species of the Acacia, Callistemon, Eucalyptus and Melaleuca genera predominate. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Shrubland with Proteaceae from Western Australia: a community of large shrubs in the interior of Western Australia. The dominant species produce spectacular flowers and fruit. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Silicic shrubland from Victoria and New South Wales: a shrub community found on silica-rich soil in regions with rainfall predominantly in summer. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Eucalyptus groves and mallees from Western Australia: a community from Western Australia formed by low trees and bushes. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Southern Eucalyptus groves: formations dominated by large bushes, mainly species of Eucalyptus, whose trunks form great twisted masses. These formations are often the result of forest fires, which occur frequently in this region. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

• California

  The Mediterranean area of California occupies a narrow coastal strip from Cape Blanco, in the United States, to Punta Baja, in Mexico, its centre roughly corresponding to San Francisco. In an easterly direction, this strip stretches for some 100 or 200 kilometers towards the interior of the continent. Despite its small size (approximately 10% of the total biome), this is the area that presents the greatest continuous stretches of unaltered Mediterranean landscape. It contains some 4,300 known species of which 35% are endemic. In climate terms, there is marked seasonality: 85% of rainfall is concentrated in winter. The summer drought is very severe, although coastal mists partly temper this contrast.

   

   

  Monterrey Bay Forest: coastal forests in the northern half of California, dominated by Pinus radiata, and endemic trees from the Cupressus genus. These woods abound with evergreen and woody shrubs that may have either a pincushion or spreading form. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Oak and holm oak forests: forests dominated by oak (Quercus). There are two types of community. The savanna community is represented by sclerophyllous and evergreen plants, and the dominant species is Quercus engelmanni. The forest communities are denser and made up of semi-evergreen species in which the predominant trees are California walnut (Juglans californica) and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia). Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Sequoia forest: a closed, shady arboreal community characterised by high ambient humidity. The predominant tree is the Sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens), which can grow as high as 100 meters. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Mountain forests of pine and juniper: a tall and very extensive community in Western California. Dominated by pine (Pinus monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus californica and J. osteosperma). Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Pinus ponderosa forest: thick forests that occupy the more humid sides of mountains, at an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,500 meters. The predominant species is Pinus ponderosa, though other pines (P. jeffreyi and P. lambertiana) and oaks (Quercus kelloggii) also appear. The undergrowth is dominated by woody shrubs. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Semi-desert community: open shrub communities found between the Colorado and Mojave deserts. Rainfall is concentrated in summer. The soil is covered by grasses of the Bromus genus. The vegetation is characterised by low, sclerophyll, semi-evergreen bushes and shrubsc. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Yucca communities: typical communities in the most arid zones of Southern California, the Arizona Desert, Texas, and Mexico, where the soil is sandy and well-drained. Very open vegetation dominated by high shrubs. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  The dry Chaparral: dense, high grasslands found abundantly in lower regions of California. The soil is acidophilus and well-drained. The Chaparral ecosystem contains many of California’s endemic plants, such as the tree Cercocarpus betuloides and many evergreen, woody shrubs which bloom spectacularly and have small, pointed leaves. This vegetation is adapted to drought and fire, and has a great capacity for regrowth. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  The wet Chaparral: dense, high grasslands found widely in California at altitudes of over 1,000 meters. Deciduous trees such as Alnus rhombifolia, Platanus racemosa and species of the Populus and Salix genera grow in the more humid areas. Also represented here are woody evergreen shrubs with broad, deciduous leaves. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Coastal sage scrub: open community formed by low shrubs, found from sea level to 900 meters and very frequent on the coast of Southern California. Such communities often inhabit rock or gravel slopes. The characteristic species are of the Artemisia and Salvia genera. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

  Californian forests present many ecological and evolutionary similarities with those of the Mediterranean basin. Many genera are common to both, such as Pinus, Quercus, Arctostaphylos, Arbutus, Salvia, Artemisia, etc. Wildfires have a similar natural recurrence, the fertility and diversity of soils is comparable, and many species show similar adaptations.

• Mediterranean basin

  The Mediterranean area par excellence is, of course, the Mediterranean basin, which is formed by the lands that surround the Mediterranean Sea. This area stretches across European, Asian and African territory, occupying a total area of 2,300,000 square kilometers. It contains some 25,000 known species, of which 50% are endemic. Mediterranean flora presents numerous solutions to adapt to the ecological factors that have influenced its evolution: tough, persistent leaves to withstand the summer drought; thorns, prickles, and toxic substances to defend against herbivores; low plants in the form of cushions or bushes that lose their leaves in the summer to reduce transpiration and so on.

  In the Garden, the flora of the vast Mediterranean basin is distributed into four bio-geographic sub-regions: Eastern Mediterranean (between Italy and the Caucasus); Western Mediterranean (the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Tyrrhenian Islands); North Africa (from Morocco to Tunisia); and the Canary Islands.

   

  Eastern Mediterranean

   

   

  Deciduous forest from Southern Eurasia: forests formed by deciduous species. Formations dominated by Quercus macrolepis are common on the Greek mainland and islands, as well as in Albania. Other trees found include flowering ash, linden, beech and oak. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies:

   

  Fir forest: conifer forests that inhabit fertile, fairly damp land. Commonly found trees include those of the Abies, Cupressus and Picea. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  River forest: communities growing close to rivers. They are rich in species, harbouring willows, Judas trees and flowering ash. Many such communities in Greece and the southern Balkans are dominated by Platanus orientalis. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Holm oak forest: sclerophyllous forests dominated by woody trees with persistent leaves. One of the only two autochthonous palm trees in Europe: Phoenix theophrastii, is associated to this community; it is endemic to the Island of Crete. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Steppe community on the Eurasian border: a very open community found in dry, high mountain Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions. It contains many pin-cushion type plants. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Rock community: rock community containing mountain plants that do not tolerate the shady conditions of “maquia” shrublands or forests. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Phrygana scrub: low scrub, with rounded, thorny shrubs. Communities of this type are common in Greece and Italy, and feature many vicariant species, that is, species that are different yet closely related. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

  Western Mediterranean

   

   

  Montane holm oak forest: forests of evergreen trees growing on calcareous soil, predominantly holm oak, accompanied by such species as scots pine, sweet chestnut and laurel. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Coastal holm oak forest: calcareous evergreen forests dominated by holm oak (Quercus ilex), and differentiated from mountain holm oak woods by tall shrub species such as the strawberry tree, laurustinus and the heath tree, and by low shrubs such as butcher’s broom. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Cork oak forest: forests growing on flinty soil, formed by evergreen trees, predominantly cork oak (Quercus suber) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster). Cork oak forests are less dense and are rich in light-tolerant shrubs. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Acidophilous oak forest: deciduous forests growing on well-drained acid soils that are poor in nutrients. This is an Atlantic-type community, in which the predominant species are the sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and common oak (Quercus robur), together with accompanied by tall shrubs. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Basophilous oak forest: deciduous forests growing on fertile, well-drained alkaline soil. The predominant species are oaks such as the Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea), the downy oak (Quercus humilis) and other deciduous trees such as maple and rowan, often accompanied by large formations of box. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  River forest: forest communities that inhabit damp places. The predominant species are central European deciduous trees. Formations in which European alder predominate are known as “alisales” and are accompanied by European ash and shrubs such as elderberry and hazel. Formations in which white poplar predominate are known as “alamedas” and are accompanied by narrow-leaved ash and elms, and shrubs such as hawthorn and blackberry. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Beech forest: Mid-European Atlantic forest formed by a very dense arboreal stratum that is shady in summer, and a herbaceous stratum which flourishes in autumn. The arboreal stratum is dominated by European beech, along with other shade-tolerant trees such as the Swiss pine and English holly. In the shrub stratum we find box and hazel. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Basophilous scrub: these dense, very open formations on limestone soil, growing up to 3 meters in height, harbour shrub-like trees such as the wild olive and the carob. The most common shrubs here include the evergreen pistache, the Mediterranean heath and various lavender species. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Valencian rock crevice community: limestone rock formation containing a representation of the most common species in Valencia, as well as endemic species from the Iberian, Pre-Betico and Alicantine mountain systems. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Balearic Island rock crevice community: calcareous rock formation containing a representation of the most dominant plants and endemic species from the coast, scrub, oak forests and high mountains of the Balearic Islands. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Catalan Pre-Pyrenean rock crevice community: Catalan rock formation, mainly calcareous, but with a section of siliceous rock. The calcareous terrain contains the most common species and the endemic species found in the mountains of central and southern Catalonia and the Pre-Pyrenees. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Andalusian rock crevice community: calcareous rock formation containing a wide selection of endemic species to mountains in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Spiny cushion plants are the main bush species. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

  North Africa

   

   

  Atlas Mountain cedar forest: forest representing the mountainous regions of North Africa. The predominant tree here is the Atlas cedar, though there are also mixed areas with conifers such as certain firs, and deciduous trees such as the Mediterranean oak and the Pyrenean oak. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  African cork and holm oak forests: arboreal communities predominant throughout the Mediterranean Basin region, always with holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber). Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Palm and wadi community: forest communities inhabiting permanently wet places. Here we find plants from two very different plant formations: communities from rivers and river beds in northern Morocco, and communities from the wadis and oases in the south of the country. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Argan forest: transitional community found in southwest Morocco between formations influenced by the ocean and the Sahara Desert. The predominant tree is the argan (Argania spinosa), very common in this area. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Oleaster and fan palm scrub: community of tall shrubs, dominated by oleaster or wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis). Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Rif siliceous scrub: a low, dense community, dominated by prickly plants from the Leguminosae and Cistacea families, with yellow blooms in spring. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

  Canary Islands

   

   

  Thermophylous forest: a transition community between the “cardonal” (areas dominated by Canary Island spurge) and the forest zone (200-600 meters), with sclerophyllous trees and shrubs. The most characteristic formations are juniper woodlands, or “sabinar” and oleander or wild olive woodlands. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Fayal-Brezal (Endemic Macronesian heaths): an arboreal community characteristic of drier woods in the misty area (Sea of Clouds) in the Western Canary Islands. This is dense, high forest dominated by heath trees and fire trees, though there are many laurisilva shrubs and various species of creeping plants. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Laurisilva (laurel forest): arboreal community found in areas with permanent mist (between 400 and 1,500 meters), mainly in the western isles. This is dense, impenetrable forest similar in appearance to coastal oak forest. It is dominated by four species of trees with laurel-shaped leaves (Laurus azorica, Apollonias barbujana, Ocotea foetens and Persea indica). Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Canary pine forest: a forest community situated between altitudes of 800 and 2,000 meters. This forest is dominated by the pine endemic to the Canary Islands (Pinus canariensis) with light undergrowth and clearings covered only by pine needles. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Volcanic peak community: an open shrub community living on rocky volcanic soil. Situated above 1,800 meters, these communities are adapted to the cold, the wind and extremely arid conditions. This is a community featuring many endemic species, as well as plants of ornamental interest. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  “Cardonal-Tabaibal” community: a community of low shrubs occupying the coastline of the entire Canary Islands between sea level and 700 meters. Succulents predominate in such communities. Formations dominated by Canary Island spurge (Euphorbia canariensis) are known as “Cardonales”, while those dominated by tabaiba spurge (Euphorbia regis-jubae) are called “Tabaibales”. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

• South Africa

  The South African Mediterranean area is the smallest of all, representing just 3% of the biome. It contains some 8,550 known species of which 68% are endemic. Rainfall, never abundant, is concentrated in the cold Seaton. However, the summer influence of tropical monsoons means that there is no completely dry season. The diversity of soils, the climate and the relief, together with geographic isolation and the frequent incidence of fires, have generated very high diversity, with the result that the proportion of endemic and rare species is, together with that of south-western Australia, the highest in all the Mediterranean areas and one of the richest in the world.

   

   

  South-east forest: coastal forest similar to tropical forest, with annual summer rainfall over 700 mm. Temperatures are not extreme due to the proximity of the sea, but wind and sea breeze factors have an important influence. These forests are dominated by evergreen trees and shrubs that may grow to heights of over 30 meters. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Southern montane forest: mountain forests over 1,500 meters, adapted to cold winters with occasional freezing temperatures. Rainfall -between 700 and 2,000 mm per year- is equally distributed throughout the year. These forests abound with evergreen trees including Podocarpus, and shrubs of the Maytenus genus, as well as shrubs with spectacular blooms such as Carissa bispinosa. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  The Karoo: very open formations in the western region of South Africa, with low rainfall in winter (20-290 mm/per year) in the form of storms, and extreme summer drought with temperatures rising to over 40ºC. The predominant vegetation includes summer deciduous shrubs such as acacias, succulents, compound plants that bloom in spring, and geraniums. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  The savanna: a very extensive community in South Africa, occupying 46% of the country. It can be found from sea level up to 2,000 meters. Summer rainfall in the savanna ranged from 235 to 1,000 mm per year. Fires and grazing are the key factors in its development. The vegetation is characterized by a grassy ground layer with a variety of succulents. There are woody plants that grow as high as 20 meters. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Lowland scrub: lowland scrub and shrub formations found up to 100 meters. The climate is relatively uniform, with average annual temperatures of 15ºC and winter rainfall of approximately 450 mm per year. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Acidophilous woodland: fine shrub community inhabiting nutrient-rich soil. Known as “Renosterveld” due to the presence of Elytropappus rhinocerotis (Renosterbos). The predominant species are plants from the Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Liliaceae and Poaceae families. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Fynbos: the fynbos is the most extensive vegetation in the Cape region. Found between sea level and 2,000 meters, rainfall is concentrated in winter and ranges from 200 to 2,000 mm/per year. The diversity of vegetation makes it difficult to characterize. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

• Chile

  The Chilean Mediterranean area is formed by a narrow coastal strip, some 100 kilometers in length, which corresponds approximately to Central Chile. Its surface area (some 140,000 square kilometers) represents less than 5% of the total biome. Climatically, this is a rather cool region owing to marked oceanic influence, with abundant incidence of coastal mists. Some 2,400 species are known, of which 23% are endemic. An important ecological characteristic of this area is the historic absence of fires, as well as the marked presence of herbivores, especially camelids (llamas and guanacos). As a result, the Chilean Mediterranean area is abundant in spiny bushes, while plants adapted to fire are not found.

   

   

  Sclerophyllous forests: a community found in the coastal mountains at altitudes of 350-1,000 meters, mainly on west and south facing slopes. These evergreen forests harbour various species of low tree and are dominated by Cryptocarya alba and Lithraea caustica. A herbaceous layer is inhabited by ferns and many climbing plants. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Oak forest: forest community found at altitudes of 1,100-1,500 meters on south, southwest and southeast facing slopes with 20-50% gradient. Characterized by the predominant oak (principally Nothofagus macrocarpa), abundant shrub layer and poor herbaceous layer. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Chile pine forests: coniferous forests in southern Chile (Arauca region). The soil here is fertile and permanently damp, and annual rainfall can be as high as 2,000 mm. The predominant species is Araucaria araucana, which can grow to heights of 40 meters or more. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  River forest: communities growing close to rivers. They are rich in species, with willows (Salix alba, S. elaeagnos and S. purpurea), Judas trees (Cercis siliquastrum) and flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus). In Greece and the southern Balkans, many such communities are dominated by Platanus orientalis. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  “Espinal” shrubland: “Espinal “literally means a thorny deciduous shrubland. It is a characteristic community in Chile’s Central Valley. It is open scrubland dominated by a single species that may reach up to 4 meters in height, the “espino caven” (Acacia caven). The “espinal” is considered a degraded form of sclerophyllous scrubland, created and maintained by human activity. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Montane shrubland: a dense shrub community found between altitudes of 500 and 1,500 meters along the south and southeast facing slopes of the coastal and Andes mountain chains. Characterized by the presence of evergreen shrubs growing to 1-3 meters in height, with small sclerophyllous leaves. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Xeromorphic shrubland: shrub community found on the north and northeast edges of the steep coastal mountains, concentrated particularly in rocky crests. This is an open community dominated by succulent species and sclerophyllous and malacophilous shrubs. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

   

  Coastal shrubland: open shrub community found in coastal areas below 300 meters. The predominant species are sclerophyllous shrubs, and because strong winds bring in sea breezes, the cacti known in Chile as “quisco” (Echinopsis chiloensis) and “quisquito” (Echinopsis coquimbensis) are well-adapted. Archive Jardí Botànic / museuciencies

  In the Garden, subtropical habitats are represented that are typical of the desert and sub-desert regions in the north of the country. The Chilean Mediterranean has a large variety of sclerophyll landscapes (plants with hard, rigid leaves), with woodland and shrubland formations that range from the sclerophyll forest to the coastal “matorral” and including the ‘espinal’ or spiny hillside shrubland. Many Chilean plants have names of Iberian plants because the first colonists compared them with the plants they knew from home. Plants such as the ‘algarrobo’ (Prosopis chilensis), the ‘espino’ (Acacia caven), the ‘belloto’ (Beilschmiedia sp.), the ‘murta’ (Ugni molinae) and the ‘arrayán’ (Myrceugenia obtusa) give the Chilean phyto-scenarios their own distinctive air. Worthy of highlight is the exotic nature of the Cactaceae (genera Trichocereus and Echinopsis) and of the Bromeliaceae (genera Puya and Fascicularia) of the ‘espina’, and the singular nature of the Escalloniaceae (Escallonia sp.).