Corsica's flora: a wealth of 2500 wild plants
A rich and diverse flora has evolved from Corsica's insularity and the Mediterranean climate. From sea level to the highest summit of Corsica (which rises to more than 2700m), you can distinguish several different levels of vegetation. Real Babylon hanging gardens, these different layers of vegetation are true treasures. There are 22,500 plant species on the island, of which 140 are native to the island and 80 are native to Corsica and Sardinia. The isolation, the sunshine and the diversity of the habitats have created original characteristics on common species present outside the Corsican region.
Many plants have adapted to the sea spray, wind and arid heat of the area: sand daisy, sea fennel, sea rocket, royal mallow, marine alfalfa.
On the sunny slopes of the coast, a typical Mediterranean flora can be found alongside garrigue plants (olive tree, pistacia lentiscus, pine, thyme, rosemary, savory, honeysuckle) and exotic vegetation (aloes, agaves, eucalyptus, prickly pears and tamarisks). Wildflowers line the paths, flower the dunes and colonise meadows and undergrowth, protected from too much light. Corsica hosts many native wildflowers such as Corsican saffron, the Nurra orchid, aquilegia, Corsican foxglove and buttercup.