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Mediterranean garden plants: selector by sun and water

Choose the type of plant, how much sun it gets and how much water you want to use, and see the species that fit: their height, whether they keep their leaves and what we would use them for. It is a starting list for a low-water garden.

25 plants

How to read the list

  • Water: what the plant asks for once established. In the first two summers almost all of them need some watering, even the toughest.
  • Height: a rough figure for a mature plant. It depends on soil, water and pruning.
  • Area: inland Girona gets more frost than the coast, and by the sea wind and salt matter. A species can thrive in one place and struggle in another.

What not to plant

Several plants often seen in gardens are on the Spanish catalogue of invasive alien species (Royal Decree 630/2013), including pampas grass (Cortaderia), hottentot fig (Carpobrotus), fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), century plant (Agave americana), silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) and tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Check the current catalogue before you buy.

If the house is near woodland

In housing estates next to forest land, the protection strip limits what is planted and how far apart. Before you choose, read our wildfire protection guide and ask the town hall.

Gardens and wildfire prevention in Catalonia: the 25-metre strip →

Want to see it in your garden?

In the 3D model we put each plant in its place and see how it grows over the years, with a planting plan and quantities.

Start a projectGardens and parks

Girona

Gardens · GironaGarden design in Girona, in 3D on your plotWe are based in Girona. We draw your garden in 3D with the real levels of the land, you walk through it before any earth is moved, and you get drawings, a planting plan, quantities and an itemised estimate.

Free tool

Gravel and soil calculatorGravel and soil calculator for the gardenFree calculator for gravel, sand, sub-base, topsoil and bark: enter the area and the depth and get the cubic metres, the approximate weight and the number of bags, with a 10 % margin.

Articles on the subject

Garden and renovation projects · 4 min readRainwater in the garden: how to avoid puddles and make use of itA guide to planning garden drainage: reading where the water runs, keeping it away from the house, paving that lets it through, drains behind walls, rain gardens and tanks for irrigation. With 3D examples.Garden and renovation projects · 4 min readHow to design a sloping garden: terraces, walls, steps and rampsA guide to designing a garden on a sloping plot: how to divide the level change into terraces, when to use a wall or a bank, steps or a ramp, and what to do with rainwater. With three 3D projects as examples.

Frequently asked questions

Which plants need the least water in a Mediterranean garden?

On this list: mastic, Italian buckthorn, carob, grey-leaved cistus, rosemary, thyme and cotton lavender. Once established they ask for very little, but they should be watered in the first two summers.

Which Mediterranean hedge can replace cypress or thuja?

Mastic, Italian buckthorn, laurustinus, myrtle or bay, depending on height and sun. They are evergreen and can be clipped, some more than others.

Which plants do well in part shade?

Laurustinus, myrtle, mastic, strawberry tree and Mediterranean honeysuckle tolerate part shade. Aromatic plants such as rosemary and lavender need full sun.

Can I plant pampas grass or century plant?

They are on the Spanish catalogue of invasive alien species, so we do not recommend them. The list has alternatives of a similar size.

Shall we talk about your project?

Tell us in three lines what you need. We reply the same day with the next steps.

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