ARBORETUM - Shrubs of Portugal

Portugal's shrublands are dominated by a wide variety of native shrubs that have adapted to the country's Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Among the most iconic is the rockrose (Cistus spp.), a hardy, resinous shrub that blankets hillsides with white or pink flowers in spring. Equally prevalent is lavender (Lavandula stoechas), known locally as rosmaninho, which perfumes the air across scrublands and garrigue. The gorse (Ulex spp.), called tojo in Portuguese, forms dense, spiny thickets that are a defining feature of the northern and coastal landscapes, while heather (Erica spp.) carpets vast stretches of moorland, particularly in the Serra da Estrela and the Alentejo. Portugal's shrubland ecosystem, locally known as mato, also hosts several ecologically and economically important species. The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), or medronheiro, produces small red fruits used to make the traditional aguardente de medronho spirit. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) and mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) thrive in the drier, sunnier slopes of the south, while the Portuguese oak scrub gives way to dense stands of broom (Cytisus and Genista spp.) after fires or disturbance, playing a vital role in soil stabilization and ecological recovery. Many of these shrubs are also keystone species for pollinators and wildlife, making Portugal's shrublands the most biodiverse habitats on the Iberian Peninsula. Árvores e Arbustos de Portugal.