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Mediterranean Climates Garden Plant List

Mediterranean Climates Garden Plant List

The Mediterranean Basin, Southwest Australia, South Africa, Central Chile, and Coastal Southern California make up the Mediterranean climates of the world, having hot, dry summers and wetter, mild winters.  The Mediterranean Climates Garden features plants from these regions, to include species native to Southern California, geophytes, proteas, and other plants adapted to the Mediterranean climate.

A cluster of daisy-like flowers with pink-tipped orange petals and dark centers, surrounded by the silvery-green foliage of Mediterranean garden plants.
Arctotis ‘Pink Sugar’

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name: African Daisy

A dense, light green conifer bush typical of a Mediterranean garden sits in front of a wooden fence.
Adenanthos sericeus

Family Name: Proteaceae
Common Name: Wooly Bush
Provenance: Australia

A bushy, drought-tolerant plant with feathery, silver-white foliage.
Artemisia mauiensis ‘Makana Silver’

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name: Maui Wormwood

Two side-by-side images of Mediterranean garden plants with feathery, silvery-green foliage, featuring yellow flower clusters on the left and bright golden-yellow flower heads on the right.
Athanasia acerosa

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name: Coulter Bush
Provenance: South Africa

A bright red cylindrical bottlebrush flower on a drought-tolerant, needle-leafed shrub perfect for a Mediterranean climate garden.
Calothamnus quadrifidus

Family Name: Myrtaceae
Common Name: One-sided Bottlebrush
Provenance: South Africa

A cluster of tubular, bright pink fuchsia flowers hanging from a woody shrub, typical of Mediterranean garden plants.
Cantua buxifolia

Family Name: Polemoniaceae
Common Name: Flower of the Incas

Clusters of small, round, bright blue flowers on a leafy Mediterranean garden bush.
Ceonothus ‘Dark Star’

Family Name: Rhamnaceae
Common Name: California Lilac

A dense, mound-shaped grass typical of a Mediterranean garden, with thin green stems tipped with small, dark brown flower clusters.
Chondropetalum tectorum ‘El Campo’

Family Name: Restionaceae
Common Name: Cape Rush

Pink Mimulus flowers with white-edged petals and green foliage, ideal for a Mediterranean climate garden.
Diplacus ‘Jelly Bean’

Family Name: Phrymaceae
Common Name: Sticky Monkey Flower

A side-by-side comparison of a low-growing, drought-tolerant plant with silvery green foliage, shown without flowers on the left and with small pink blooms on the right.
Dorycnium hirsutum

Family Name: Fabaceae
Common Name: Hairy Canary Clover
Provenance: Mediterranean Basin

A split image showing a dark purple, spiky succulent on the left and a flowering plant with yellow stalks and needle-like leaves on the right, both common in a Mediterranean garden.
Dyckia ‘Alice’

Family Name: Bromeliaceae
Common Name: Dyckia

A side-by-side comparison of a leafy green plant and the tall, conical flower spike of a Pride of Madeira, common in Mediterranean climate gardening.
Echium wildpretii

Family Name: Boraginaceae
Common Name: Tower of Jewels
Provenance: Canary Islands

Three vibrant orange-red California poppies bloom amidst green foliage in a Mediterranean garden.
Eschscholzia californica ‘Copper Pot’

Family Name: Papaveraceae
Common Name: Copper Pot California Poppy

A cluster of lime-green flowers blooming on a leafy shrub in a mediterranean garden.
Euphorbia lambii

Family Name: Euphorbiaceae
Common Name: Tree Euphorbia
Provenance: Canary Islands

Purple and white iris flowers blooming in a Mediterranean garden.
Iris x pacifica ‘Native Warrior’

Family Name: Iridaceae
Common Name: Pacific Coast Iris

A Mediterranean garden bush with pointed, variegated leaves in shades of green, yellow, and vibrant red.
Leucadendron ‘Jester’

Family Name: Proteaceae
Common Name; Sunshine Conebush

A bush of pincushion protea flowers with round, orange, spiky blooms and green foliage, common in a Mediterranean garden.
Leucospermum cordifolium

Family Name: Proteaceae
Common Name: Nodding Pincushion
Provenance: South Africa

Many yellow pincushion protea flowers, a popular choice for Mediterranean climate gardening, bloom on leafy green stems.
Leucospermum cordifolium

Family Name: Proteaceae
Common Name: Pincushion Flower

Clusters of vibrant pink Lewisia flowers bloom among green rosettes of succulent leaves, a perfect choice for drought tolerant plants in the garden.
Lewisia cotyledon

Family Name: Montiaceae
Common Name: Siskiyou Lewisia
Provenance: California and Oregon

Lion’s ear plant in a Mediterranean garden, featuring clusters of tubular orange flowers and green leaves.
Lobelia excelsa

Family Name: Campanulaceae
Common Name: Devil’s Tobacco
Provenance: Chile

A Mediterranean garden shrub with needle-like green leaves and clusters of small, pink flowers.
Ozothamnus diosmifolius

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name: Pink Rice Flower
Provenance: Australia

A cluster of green, succulent-like plants with many small, bright pink flowers, typical of a Mediterranean garden.
Pimelea ferruginea

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name; Pink Rice Flower
Provenance: Australia

A split image showing a protea bush with three flowers in a Mediterranean garden on the left, and a close-up of a single pink protea blossom on the right.
Protea ‘Pink Ice’

Family Name: Proteaceae
Common Name: Pincushion Flower

A plant with large, deeply lobed green leaves and clusters of small, bright yellow flowers, typical of a Mediterranean garden.
Sonchus palmensis

Family Name: Asteraceae
Common Name: La Palma Sow Thistle
Provenance: Canary Islands