Maltese Habitats

Garigue

Garigue (or garrigue) is a community of low (less than 1m) scattered, often spiny and aromatic shrubs with a herbaceous undergrowth. This is the most common natural vegetation type in Malta. Some garigue communities are natural edaphic complexes, others result from degradation of forest and maquis. Garigues are typical of rocky ground, particularly karstland, and are characterised by such species as Mediterranean Thyme (Thymus capitatus), Yellow Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis hermanniae),Olive-leaved Germander (Teucrium fruticans),Mediterranean Heath (Erica multiflora), Tree Spurge (Euphorbia dendroides), Olive-Leaved Bindweed(Convolvulus oleifolius) and the endemic Maltese Spurge (Euphorbia melitensis), accompanied by numerous geophytes (herbs with perennating buds below soil level) and therophytes (herbs which survive the unfavourable season as seeds).  

Many subtypes of garigue exist, Erica garigue (dominated by the Mediterranean Heath (Erica multiflora), Thyme garigue (dominated by Mediterranean Thyme (Thymus capitatus), Anthyllis garigue (dominated by Shrubby Kidney Vetch

Garigue at Nadur
Garigue at Nadur

(Anthyllis hermanniae), and less commonly,Euphorbia melitensis garigue (dominated by the endemic Maltese Spurge (Euphorbia melitensis).

It is useful to distinguish between high and low garigues since there are marked structural differences between the two.Low garigues are characterised by low growing bushes(less than 0.5m high), high garigues are dominated bylarge bushes up to 1m height. Anthyllis garigue can occur as both low and high varieties while an important type of high garigue is that dominated by Tree Spurge (Euphorbia dendroides) which normally occurs on steep rocky ground.