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The climate of this region of the world would initially appear hostile to the development of gardens and landscaped areas such as parks and road verges. Rainfall is low and infrequent and evaporation high; soils are mostly shallow and of poor texture, often overlying a loamy calcium lacking in natural phosphorus; salinity levels are generally very high; and surface winds can be fierce over prolonged periods. However, over the years careful selection of introduced species, plus utilisation of a few native species, has helped to combat these problems. While the effect on the country as a whole is minimal, the concentration of landscaped areas in towns and cities is in marked contrast to the original land area even as recently as five years ago. Around the plants themselves in these gardens and parks the effect on the microclimate can be remarkable. Temperature is reduced in shaded areas, direct sunlight is filtered onto the ground and manmade surfaces such as walls and paths, windspeed is reduced and sand and dust accumulations minimised. To us humans this greening is a relief and a triumph over the perceived monotony of the natural desert landscape with its scattered plant communities and lack of striking colour.
The lists that follow are not by any means complete as the Group is still compiling data, and the whole country would need to be surveyed. Most of the following names apply to the Arabian Gulf cities. Commercial fruits and crop species have been omitted though in a very few cases, such as the date palm and wavy-leafed tecomella, the species is grown both as an ornamental and for its fruit.
Finally, there follows some notes on environmental factors and plant growth, which are generalisations based on experience gained to date.
| Family Anacardiaceae | |
| Mangifera indica | mango, commonly in date oases and plantations, particularly along the Fujeirah coast; becoming popular in gardens in Al Ain and Fujeirah but unknown on Arabian Gulf coast. |
| Family Apocynaceae | |
| Plumeria acutifolia P. rubra |
frangipani |
| Family Casuarinaceae | |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | whispering pine, she oak, mostly as shelter-belts fringing plantations and afforested areas, especially in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi; also surrounding town parks. |
| Family Combretaceae | |
| Terminalia catappa | Indian almond, introduced in the nineteenth century in mountain oases; a magnificent shade-giver, popular on roundabouts and lining roads particularly in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. |
| Family Ehretiaceae | |
| Cordia myxa | mostly for shade and fruit in mountain oases but occasionally a garden and park ornamental along the Fujeirah coast. |
| Family Leguminosae | |
| Albizzia lebbeck | parrot tree, fry wood tree. |
| Bauhinea variegata | ebony tree. |
| Inga dulcis, syn. Pithocellobium dulce |
monkey's ear. |
| parkinsonia aculeata | Jerusalem thorn. |
| Prosopis juliflora | mesquite, algaroba bean; one of the earliest town ornamentals which under favourable conditions spreads easily and forms large thickets in Ras al Khaimah town and surrounding villages; reputed to be a prime cause of local hayfever. |
| Poinciana regia, syn. Delonix regia |
flamboyant tree, flame of the forest. |
| Family Lythraceae | |
| Lawsonia inermis | henna. |
| Family Malvaceae | |
| Thespesia populaea | Aden apple. |
| Family Meliaceae | |
| Melia azederach | neem tree, a sweet-scented evergreen with showy lilac or purple flowers. |
| Family Moraceae | |
| Ficus nitida, syn. F. retusa |
laurel fig. |
| F. religiosa | peepul. |
| Morus nigra | mulberry, only in mountains and plantations along Fujeirah coast. |
| Family Myrtaceae | |
| Eucalyptus camaldulensis | red gum, mostly as shelter-belts around deep desert plantations. |
| E. microtheca | dwarf box. |
| Psidium guajava | guava. |
| Family Oleaceae | |
| Olea europaea | olive tree. |
| Family Palmae | |
| Cocos nucifera | coconut palm. |
| Washingtonia robusta | Californian fan palm. |
| Family Rhamnaceae | |
| Ziziphus jujuba | Chinese date, jujube; trials are also being carried out to find out whether this species can be a profitable crop for its oil. |
| Family Acanthaceae | |
| Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum | |
| P. reticulatum | |
| Family Apocynaceae | |
| Nerium oleander | Mediterranean oleander, very similar to the native Nerium mascatense which is widespread in mountain wadis in the north and east; in both cases the flowers are pink, but N. oleander also has a white variety. |
| Thevetia nereifolia, syn. T. peruviana |
yellow oleander. |
| Family Bignoniaceae | |
| Tecomella stans | yellow elder, yellow bells. |
| Family Cactaceae | |
| Opuntia engelmannii | prickly pear. |
| Family Convolvulaceae | |
| Ipomoea biloba | |
| I. crassicaulis | |
| Family Euphorbiaceae | |
| Breynia nirosa | |
| Acalypha wilkesiana | |
| Family Leguminosae | |
| Caesalpinia bonduc | fever nut, physic nut. |
| C. gilliesii, syn. Poinciana gilliesii |
bird of paradise. |
| C. pulcherrima | peacock flower, Barbados pride. |
| Family Liliaceae | |
| Asparagus sprengeri | |
| Family Malvaceae | |
| Hibiscus rosa sinensis | Chinese shoe flower. |
| Malvaviscus arboreus | Turk's hat hibiscus. |
| Family Myrtaceae | |
| Callestemon speciosus Melaleuca leucadendron |
both Australian bottle-brushes |
| Family Nyctaginaceae | |
| Bougainvillea glabra B. spectabilis |
both hedges and climbers; widely cultivated in cities; dominat visual shrub in parts of Abu Dhabi. |
| Family Oleaceae | |
| Jasminum sambac | Arabian jasmine. |
| Family Plumbaginaceae | |
| Plumbago capensis | leadwort. |
| Family polygonaceae | |
| Antigonon leptopus | coral vine, rosa de montana. |
| Family Portulacaceae | |
| Portulaca grandiflora | purslane. |
| Family Rubiaceae | |
| Ixora coccinea | |
| Family Verbenaceae | |
| Clerodendron inerme | wild jasmine, 'yasmin zaffr'. |
| Lantana camara | common lantana. |
| Family Vitaceae | |
| Vitis vinifera | grape vine. |
In addition to the exotics listed above there is a number of local species which are utilised, particularly as shelterbelts, hedges and occasionally as town ornamentals.
| Family Bignoniaceae | |
| Tecomella undulata | around Hatta and Dhaid. |
| Family Leguminosae | |
| Acacia arabica A. tortillis Prosopis spicigera |
all grown in nurseries in the Western Region for transplanting into afforested areas. |
| Family Rhamnaceae | |
| Ziziphus spina-christi | crown of thorns tree. |
| Family Asclepiadaceae | |
| Calotropis procera Leptadenia pyrotechnica |
as for the legumes above |
| Family Chenopodiaceae | |
| Atriplex leucoclada | |
| Family Polygonaceae | |
| Calligonum comosum | widespread in western dunes. |
| Family Salvadoraceae | |
| Salvadora persica | 'rak', toothbrush bush. |
| Family Sapindaceae | |
| Dodonaea viscosa | native to higher mountains. |
| Family Tamaricaceae | |
| Tamarix aphylla | able to tolerate highly saline conditions |