Plant encyclopedia
Plants we see every day in Saudi gardens — what they genuinely need in water, sun and soil, and when they need a farmer.
24 plants
Date palm
Phoenix dactylifera
Saudi Arabia's signature tree: heat-hardy, salt-tolerant, productive for decades.
Olive
Olea europaea
A long-lived, silver-leaved tree that shrugs off drought — as a hedge or a specimen.
Lemon
Citrus limon
The most requested citrus for home gardens: compact, fragrant, productive most of the year.
Mandarin
Citrus reticulata
Small, easy-peel citrus on a tree that fits a narrow courtyard.
Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Crimson flowers in summer, fruit in autumn, on a tree that takes both heat and cold.
Fig
Ficus carica
Broad leaves, dense shade and early fruit — fast-growing and undemanding.
Grape
Vitis vinifera
A climber that turns any pergola into living shade, with fruit in autumn.
Mango
Mangifera indica
A large tropical tree for the south and west of the Kingdom — dense evergreen shade.
Moringa
Moringa oleifera
Fast-growing, exceptionally drought-hardy, with edible leaves.
Sidr
Ziziphus spina-christi
A genuinely native tree — extremely tough, and among the densest shade in Arabia.
Washingtonia palm
Washingtonia robusta
A fast-growing ornamental palm with a slim trunk and fan fronds — the default at villa entrances.
Ficus nitida
Ficus microcarpa
Glossy evergreen shade — clipped as a hedge or left to grow into a large tree.
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea glabra
The most colour per litre of water of anything in a Saudi garden.
Duranta
Duranta erecta
The default hedge shrub in Saudi compounds: dense, fast, and takes clipping.
Arabian jasmine
Jasminum sambac
A small white flower whose scent fills the courtyard after sunset.
Oleander
Nerium oleander
An exceptionally tough flowering shrub — and toxic in every part.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Large, arresting flowers in succession from spring to autumn.
Damask rose
Rosa damascena
The rose that made Taif's name — intense scent, a short concentrated season.
Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Fragrant purple flowers on a shrub that hates wet feet.
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
An evergreen herb that doubles as an ornamental and a low hedge.
Spearmint
Mentha spicata
The fastest-growing, most-used herb — and the one that most needs containing.
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
A fast-growing aromatic herb that needs steady water and constant picking.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera
A succulent native to the Arabian Peninsula — it very nearly thrives on neglect.
Bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon
The Kingdom's standard lawn: heat- and traffic-tolerant, and it needs regular mowing.