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Malta's Native Flora as found at
The Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park
in the Winter time

This is one of four parts dedicated to one of Malta's little known beauty spots; a largely unappreciated strech of land offering a rich selection of our native flora.
my-malta.com is indebted to Steve Borg for this and other works on this site and for championing our natural heritage.
It is recommended that you also visit related articles, such as: The negative impact of Bird Trapping ..., as well as Is-Saggir ta' Wied Ghollieqa, among others by Steve Borg.

Zaghfran tal-Blat - Sand Crocus

Zaghfran tal-blat (Romulea ramiflora), sand-crocus
Bulb growing purplish-lilac flowers with yellow throat, 7-10mm. Found in coastal habitats, bare sandy or grassy, marshy ground. In Malta it grows on garigue. Flowers between February and April. The Zaghfran tal-Blat Malti (Romulea melitensis), Maltese sand-crocus is endemic to Malta, but is deeper violet, has slender leaves and prefers damp habitats.
endemic rare

Sukkulent - Succulent

Sedum (Sedum sediforme), Mediterranean stonecrop
Member of the stonecrop, (Crassulaceae) genus that has over 600 species. Perennial. Fleshy greyish to green leaves, thick, borne in close spiralled rows, flowering greenish-white or yellowish in the beginning of summer. Grows on garigue, especially near sea cliffs. Frequent in Malta.
see also summer

Buzbiez - Fennel

Buzbiez (Foeniculum vulgare), fennel
Strongly pungent perennial, forming large tufts growing up to 3metres. Yellow bouquetish flowers, leaves feathery with multiple thread-like lobes. Grows on waysides, ditches, disturbed land, fallow ground and garigue. Widely cultivated as a culinary herb outside Malta, it grows wild on the Maltese Islands and its fruit, oblong, 4-10mm long, is liberally used for seasoning pork in a local dish, patata l-forn. Our elders believed that it conveyed longevity. It helped relieve digestive problems such as indigestion and nausea. Common in Malta.
culinary medicinal

Saghtar - Wild Thyme

Saghtar (Coridothymus capitatus), Mediterranean thyme
Aromatic shrub, growing up to 50cm. Densely branched with erect or ascending stems. Flowers purplish, borne in clusters. Found on dry hills, heaths and garigue, it was ruthlessly cut at during Yuletide for embellishing cribs. Protected by Maltese law, its pollen helps in the production of the thyme honey, l-ghasel tax-xaghri, popular in the Mgarr and Mellieha region. Flowers between spring and summer. Common in Malta.
see also summer protected

Qaqocc Selvagg - Wild Artichokes

Qaqocc tax-Xewk (Cynara cardunculus), wild artichoke
Perennial, stout and growing up to one metre. Leaves thick and toothed, edged with yellow spines. Flower heads violet-purple. Found on disturbed land, roadsides, clay and garigue. Grows from Portugal to Eastern Turkey, with the exception of Cyprus. Common in Malta.
see also spring

Tenghud tax-Xaghri - Maltese spurge

Tenghud tax-Xaghri (Euphorbia melitensis), Maltese spurge
There are over 1600 species in the spurge family, but this is endemic to Malta. Dense shrub, growing up to one metre, with yellowish flowers. Its liquid are irritant, similar to the chemical listed as litmus or girasol. Blossoms mostly in March. Grows in garigue, where it is nearly dominant. Identified by Italian botanist Parlatore in 1846, it is different from the Euphorbia papillaris that grows on the Egadi Islands. Previously eaten by goats, it is now uprooted by bird trappers. Protected by Maltese law. Frequent.
endemic protected

Berwieq - branched asphodel

Berwieq (Asphodelus aestivus), branched asphodel
Herbaceous perennial from the arrow-grass (Juncaginaceae) family. Grows up to one metre, thickened root, flowers white, 20-30mm, the tepals with a pinkish-brown midvein. Found on rocky slopes, it flowers around January. It dominates the Maltese garigue, areas that were subjected to heavy grazing since the asphodel is unpalatable to livestock. Grows though the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands.

Fidloqqom - Borage

Fidloqqom (Borago officinalis), borage
Annual. Rough with many spinescent bristles, basal leaves oval. Flowers bright blue with a whitish centre, 20-25mm, star-shaped. Grows on fallow ground and on garigue. Highly respected by Maltese elders and used in folk medicine, its flowers, when boiled, helped ease the wintry cough, whereas its boiled leaves, when drunk, helped relieve those with urinary problems. Thus the Maltese adage “Ghax jitfejjaq ma satax, dawwar wiccu ghall-burrax” [borago]. Common in Malta.
medicinal

L-ingliza Sewda - Double-flowered Cape Sorrel

Ingliza Sewda (Oxalis pes-caprae), Double-flowered Cape Sorrel
Member of the Oxalidaceae family, originally native of South Africa. Not to be mistaken to the invasive and very frequent Haxixa Ingliza, the Cape Sorrel, it is double-petalled, and yellowish flowers that are at times lined red. Grows on garigue. Frequent.

Xewk Abjad - Boar thistle

Xewk Abjad (Galactites tomentosa), boar thistle
Annual, at times growing to one metre, though often less. Leaves pinnately-lobed, toothed with white veins above. Flower heads on Malta remain white, whereas those on the continent turn to purple and lilac, solitary or in branched clusters. Found on dry ground, fallow land and garigue. Flowers between April and July. Not found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Very Common.
see also spring

Bezzul il-Baqar - Blue Stonecrop

Bezzul il-Baqra (Sedum caeruleum), blue stonecrop
Annual, slightly glandular and hairy in its upper parts, much branched, linear leaves, the plant growing only 6-7mm in height. Tinged with red, petals usually 7, stamens usually 14. Common on rocky strips, especially garigue. Ideal terrain are small dried up ponds, which it carpets. Flowers between March and June. Native to Algeria, Tunisia, Malta Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia.
see also spring

Gilbiena tas-Serp - Crimson Pea
PHOTO TO FOLLOW
Gilbiena tas-Serp - Crimson pea

Gilbiena tas-Serp (Lathyrus clymenum) Crimson pea
Annual. Member of the pea family. Medium to tall, a clambering plant. Flowers crimson or purple-red with violet, 16-20mm. Pod brown, 30-70mm long. Grows on steppe, arable land and garigue. Flowers between March and May, in the Western Mediterranean and Madeira, not found in Cyprus and rare in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is common on Malta, especially in Wied Qirda, Wied Incita and Wardija.

Lellux - crown daisy

Lellux (Chrysanthemum coronarium), crown daisy
Annual. Nearly similar to the corn marigold (Chrysantemum segetum), it is slightly hairier and its dark leaves pinnately-lobed. Flower-heads 30-60mm, it is pale yellow, hence it other Maltese name Zofran, also used in Berber. Grows on cultivated or fallow ground, seashores and garigue. Suffers indiscriminately with the ‘love-me, love-me not’ (thobbni, ma thobbnix) game. Flowers from December to June. Very common in Malta.

Fjurdulis salvagg - Barbary nut iris

Fjurdulis salvagg (Gynandriris sisyrinchium), Barbary nut iris
Cormous perennial. Usually one-leaved, often deep greened, 5-8mm often wider than the flower stem. Flowers 22-40mm, bluish-lilac, short lived, iris like, solid neck 20-30mm long. Grows on fallow ground, scrub and garigue. Flowering period is from February to May. The short-lived flowers open around midday and close in the evening. Common in Malta.

Erika - Mediterranean heather

Erika (Erica multiflora), Mediterranean heather
From the 400 species of the Ericaceae family, that are mostly native to South Africa. Others grow in the Azores, this in the Western Mediterranean, from Portugal, North Africa up to Greece. Evergreen shrub, erect or ascending, very branched, rising up to one metre. Its leaves linear, the flowers pinkish, narrow bell-shaped, 5-7mm long, can be seen from November to April. Grows in thickets, rocky slopes seaside cliffs and garigue, where it is usually the dominant shrub. Frequent in Malta, including Wied il-Ghasel, Wied Babu and l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha. Less frequent in Gozo.

Lsien l-ghasfur - red campion
BETTER PHOTO
TO FOLLOW
Lsien l-ghasfur - red campion

Lsien l-ghasfur (Silene colorata), red campion
Annual. Leaves linear to oval-spatular shaped, flowers pink, 12-18mm, in lax clusters of 1-4 usually. Grows on fallow ground, roadsides and on garigue. Flowers between November and June in Malta. Spread through the Mediterranean littoral. Previously named as Silene sericea. Common in Malta.

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	Malta's Native Flora as found at The Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park in the Winter time This is one of four parts dedicated to one of Malta's little known beauty spots; a largely unappreciated strech of land offering a rich selection of our native flora. my-malta.com is indebted to Steve Borg for this and other works on this site and for championing our natural heritage. It is recommended that you also visit related articles, such as: The negative impact of Bird Trapping ..., as well as *Is-Saggir ta' Wied Ghollieqa*, among others by Steve Borg.
Zaghfran tal-Blat - Sand Crocus	Zaghfran tal-blat (Romulea ramiflora), sand-crocus Bulb growing purplish-lilac flowers with yellow throat, 7-10mm. Found in coastal habitats, bare sandy or grassy, marshy ground. In Malta it grows on garigue. Flowers between February and April. The Zaghfran tal-Blat Malti (Romulea melitensis), Maltese sand-crocus is endemic to Malta, but is deeper violet, has slender leaves and prefers damp habitats. endemic rare
Sukkulent - Succulent	Sedum (Sedum sediforme), Mediterranean stonecrop Member of the stonecrop, (Crassulaceae) genus that has over 600 species. Perennial. Fleshy greyish to green leaves, thick, borne in close spiralled rows, flowering greenish-white or yellowish in the beginning of summer. Grows on garigue, especially near sea cliffs. Frequent in Malta. see also summer
Buzbiez - Fennel	Buzbiez (Foeniculum vulgare), fennel Strongly pungent perennial, forming large tufts growing up to 3metres. Yellow bouquetish flowers, leaves feathery with multiple thread-like lobes. Grows on waysides, ditches, disturbed land, fallow ground and garigue. Widely cultivated as a culinary herb outside Malta, it grows wild on the Maltese Islands and its fruit, oblong, 4-10mm long, is liberally used for seasoning pork in a local dish, patata l-forn. Our elders believed that it conveyed longevity. It helped relieve digestive problems such as indigestion and nausea. Common in Malta. culinary medicinal
Saghtar - Wild Thyme	Saghtar (Coridothymus capitatus), Mediterranean thyme Aromatic shrub, growing up to 50cm. Densely branched with erect or ascending stems. Flowers purplish, borne in clusters. Found on dry hills, heaths and garigue, it was ruthlessly cut at during Yuletide for embellishing cribs. Protected by Maltese law, its pollen helps in the production of the thyme honey, l-ghasel tax-xaghri, popular in the Mgarr and Mellieha region. Flowers between spring and summer. Common in Malta. see also summer protected
Qaqocc Selvagg - Wild Artichokes	Qaqocc tax-Xewk (Cynara cardunculus), wild artichoke Perennial, stout and growing up to one metre. Leaves thick and toothed, edged with yellow spines. Flower heads violet-purple. Found on disturbed land, roadsides, clay and garigue. Grows from Portugal to Eastern Turkey, with the exception of Cyprus. Common in Malta. see also spring
Tenghud tax-Xaghri - Maltese spurge	Tenghud tax-Xaghri (Euphorbia melitensis), Maltese spurge There are over 1600 species in the spurge family, but this is endemic to Malta. Dense shrub, growing up to one metre, with yellowish flowers. Its liquid are irritant, similar to the chemical listed as litmus or girasol. Blossoms mostly in March. Grows in garigue, where it is nearly dominant. Identified by Italian botanist Parlatore in 1846, it is different from the Euphorbia papillaris that grows on the Egadi Islands. Previously eaten by goats, it is now uprooted by bird trappers. Protected by Maltese law. Frequent. endemic protected
Berwieq - branched asphodel	Berwieq (Asphodelus aestivus), branched asphodel Herbaceous perennial from the arrow-grass (Juncaginaceae) family. Grows up to one metre, thickened root, flowers white, 20-30mm, the tepals with a pinkish-brown midvein. Found on rocky slopes, it flowers around January. It dominates the Maltese garigue, areas that were subjected to heavy grazing since the asphodel is unpalatable to livestock. Grows though the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands.
Fidloqqom - Borage	Fidloqqom (Borago officinalis), borage Annual. Rough with many spinescent bristles, basal leaves oval. Flowers bright blue with a whitish centre, 20-25mm, star-shaped. Grows on fallow ground and on garigue. Highly respected by Maltese elders and used in folk medicine, its flowers, when boiled, helped ease the wintry cough, whereas its boiled leaves, when drunk, helped relieve those with urinary problems. Thus the Maltese adage “Ghax jitfejjaq ma satax, dawwar wiccu ghall-burrax” [borago]. Common in Malta. medicinal
L-ingliza Sewda - Double-flowered Cape Sorrel	Ingliza Sewda (Oxalis pes-caprae), Double-flowered Cape Sorrel Member of the Oxalidaceae family, originally native of South Africa. Not to be mistaken to the invasive and very frequent Haxixa Ingliza, the Cape Sorrel, it is double-petalled, and yellowish flowers that are at times lined red. Grows on garigue. Frequent.
Xewk Abjad - Boar thistle	Xewk Abjad (Galactites tomentosa), boar thistle Annual, at times growing to one metre, though often less. Leaves pinnately-lobed, toothed with white veins above. Flower heads on Malta remain white, whereas those on the continent turn to purple and lilac, solitary or in branched clusters. Found on dry ground, fallow land and garigue. Flowers between April and July. Not found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Very Common. see also spring
Bezzul il-Baqar - Blue Stonecrop	Bezzul il-Baqra (Sedum caeruleum), blue stonecrop Annual, slightly glandular and hairy in its upper parts, much branched, linear leaves, the plant growing only 6-7mm in height. Tinged with red, petals usually 7, stamens usually 14. Common on rocky strips, especially garigue. Ideal terrain are small dried up ponds, which it carpets. Flowers between March and June. Native to Algeria, Tunisia, Malta Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia. see also spring
Gilbiena tas-Serp - Crimson pea	Gilbiena tas-Serp (Lathyrus clymenum) Crimson pea Annual. Member of the pea family. Medium to tall, a clambering plant. Flowers crimson or purple-red with violet, 16-20mm. Pod brown, 30-70mm long. Grows on steppe, arable land and garigue. Flowers between March and May, in the Western Mediterranean and Madeira, not found in Cyprus and rare in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is common on Malta, especially in Wied Qirda, Wied Incita and Wardija.
Lellux - crown daisy	Lellux (Chrysanthemum coronarium), crown daisy Annual. Nearly similar to the corn marigold (Chrysantemum segetum), it is slightly hairier and its dark leaves pinnately-lobed. Flower-heads 30-60mm, it is pale yellow, hence it other Maltese name Zofran, also used in Berber. Grows on cultivated or fallow ground, seashores and garigue. Suffers indiscriminately with the ‘love-me, love-me not’ (thobbni, ma thobbnix) game. Flowers from December to June. Very common in Malta.
Fjurdulis salvagg - Barbary nut iris	Fjurdulis salvagg (Gynandriris sisyrinchium), Barbary nut iris Cormous perennial. Usually one-leaved, often deep greened, 5-8mm often wider than the flower stem. Flowers 22-40mm, bluish-lilac, short lived, iris like, solid neck 20-30mm long. Grows on fallow ground, scrub and garigue. Flowering period is from February to May. The short-lived flowers open around midday and close in the evening. Common in Malta.
Erika - Mediterranean heather	Erika (Erica multiflora), Mediterranean heather From the 400 species of the Ericaceae family, that are mostly native to South Africa. Others grow in the Azores, this in the Western Mediterranean, from Portugal, North Africa up to Greece. Evergreen shrub, erect or ascending, very branched, rising up to one metre. Its leaves linear, the flowers pinkish, narrow bell-shaped, 5-7mm long, can be seen from November to April. Grows in thickets, rocky slopes seaside cliffs and garigue, where it is usually the dominant shrub. Frequent in Malta, including Wied il-Ghasel, Wied Babu and l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha. Less frequent in Gozo.
Lsien l-ghasfur - red campion	Lsien l-ghasfur (Silene colorata), red campion Annual. Leaves linear to oval-spatular shaped, flowers pink, 12-18mm, in lax clusters of 1-4 usually. Grows on fallow ground, roadsides and on garigue. Flowers between November and June in Malta. Spread through the Mediterranean littoral. Previously named as Silene sericea. Common in Malta.
	Tour the Maltese Islands Our Rich History Interesting Articles At Your Service Of Guns & Roses Maltese People? Stationed At Malta Speak to Us The Latest Site Updates Churches & Chapels Our Resources Page Sign our Guestbook Home