Mediterranean climates are marked by warm (even hot) dry summers and mild wet winters, with about 24 inches of rain yearly. They can be found in the lower middle latitudes of every continent, often on the west coasts. Ecosystems in this climate are typically located near large bodies of water, appropriate since the name is from the Mediterranean Sea “between the lands” of Europe and Africa.
A great variety of native plants grow in these ecosystems, those that have adapted to summer drought and are resilient enough to come back after both fires and floods. Our Mediterranean room includes examples of citrus and pomegranate, olive, cypress, bay laurel, rosemary, lavender, and medicinal plants among many others. Zones that have been used for agriculture produce many grains and fruits (like wheat and grapes) which are worldwide foodstuffs.
Ponderosa Lemon
(Citrus x pyriformis)
This hybrid between a pomelo and a citron both flowers and fruits continually, making it an attractive ornamental tree, its most common commercial use even though its large fruit contains abundant juice and does indeed taste like lemon. The fruits are also used to create citronella candles. Notice the large thorns, a protective adaptation.
Cane's Bottlebrush
(Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid')
This ornamental evergreen tree has pastel-pink 8″ long bottlebrush-type flowers that appear profusely during late spring and early summer. Its narrow green-gray leaves are on spreading, often arching branches with young foliage that is soft and tinged with pink. Drought tolerant, even lightly seacoast salt spray tolerant, durable, and pollinator-friendly, it is a lovely example of adaptation to a Mediterranean climate.
Karoo cycad
(Encephalartos lehmannii)
The Karoo cycad is endemic to South Africa. Its species name lehmannii commemorates Prof J.G.C. Lehmann, a German botanist who studied the cycads and published a book on them. Quite durable, this cycad can survive successive seasons of drought. Cycads are an ancient family of plants. We know from the fossil record that many species of cycads which existed then went extinct eons ago.
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