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- Olives, Oranges and Co: Mediterranean crop plants
Olives, Oranges and Co: Mediterranean crop plants
Sweet tropical fruits, aromatic herbs and spices, spicy olives - woody plants whose fruits we all enjoy grow throughout the Mediterranean region. Some of the best known are listed here, together with others offering somewhat different culinary delights.
Very long-lived evergreen tree, one of the oldest plants to be cultivated as a source of oil in the Mediterranean regions.
The Bay Laurel is a tree or shrub whose leathery, aromatic leaves are used as a spice.
The Mastic is a shrub or tree with a dense network of branches. Its bark produces mastic resin.
The Strawberry Tree is an evergreen shrub with decorative, edible fruits and attractive flower panicles.
The Pomegranate is a deciduous tree producing a tasty fruit with sweet seeds.
The Almond is a small deciduous tree with decorative flowers and a favourite stone fruit.
Robust evergreen, salt-tolerant tree whose fruit is used to make cocoa or coffee substitute.
Slender palm with lattice pattern on the cane, pinnate leaves and tasty, sweet date fruit.
The Date-Plum is a small tree with edible fruits which originally came from Asia.
Dwarf shrub with attractive flowers, aromatic smell, slightly bitter taste. The leaves are used for culinary purposes.
The Apricot is a small tree from China with delicious reddish-yellow fruits.
The Indian Fig Cactus has been widely established throughout the Mediterranean region for a long time. Its fruit is extremely tasty, but unfortunately also very prickly.
The Sea Grape grows predominantly on beaches and dunes as it is highly tolerant of the salty sea spray.