Trees
tend to be of drought-resistant type, modest in height and with small leaves, though taller in valleys where there is a greater possibility of water in summer. Typical wild trees are the pine, pencil cedar, European Oak and in some areas, birches. Centuries of cultivation have produced a landsacape of olive groves, citrus trees, figs and almonds and inevitably some of these are wild. In cooler areas around Tripolis, there are cherry orchards.
Shrubs
In summer the most common shrub, lining roads across the Peloponnese, is the Oleander. It has leathery green-grey leaves and pink or white flowers. It is poisenous - even goats won't eat it! shrubs are woody but smaller than trees and have no central trunk. Small leaved and spiny shrubs are suited to the climate and provide masses of colour as well as protection for other plants. Broom is an early flowering shrub found on hillsides around Methoni and indeed throughout Europe. It is a member of the family Leguminosaea, commonly known as the pea family.
Herbs
are a special category of plants that have either culinary
or medicinal value. Their daily use continues in Greece from
ancient times, probably because the long occupation of Greece meant that survival
could only be ensured by being self-suffient. The Peloponnese was also quite isolated until
fairly recently when new roads allowed faster transport. It is often the flowers of herbal
plants that are collected and dried, not the leaves.
Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes
With its hot dry summers and mild winters, Greece is home to many species bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers, whose dormant season is Summer rather than Winter. The first show of colour arrives with the first rain in September when colchicums and other members of the crocus family bloom. By December, there are small irises (reticulata) and by March the orchids will be flowering. Some of these plants are found only in specific locations, are rare and are protected species.
Ground-cover plants
In Winter and Spring, the groves and hillsides are carpeted with ground-cover plants, ranging from yellow oxalis in December, through white, pink, blue and red according to location. It is worth taking a close look at the flowers; Some are quite simple in structure but others are complex, with subtle shades and markings. More detail is shown on the plants pages by season and by habitat. After May, the beauty fades as the sun scorches the earth and plants go into their dormant phase when they will be able to survive without water.
Annuals, biennials and perrenials
The remaining categories of plants are annuals biennials and perrenials which set seed and mature within a season, two or more. While traditionally, books on horticulture, describes the plant kingdom by family, this site describes by habitat and season in order to appeal more easily to the casual observer than the botanist.
Plants by season
plants by habitat