Introduction:

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Green oak and kermes oak, deciduous in other parts of the world, hang onto their leaves and are virtually evergreen here. Other common sights are the tall, slim cypress trees that line roads or form windbreaks on the hills. Pine woods, prone to forest fires in the high summer, include typically Mediterranean Aleppo and Maritime pines. Parasol pines (easy to spot because they look like their name) are distinctive in the headlands above the coast. The shade of micocouliers (nettle trees) and plane trees give Provençal village squares their typical character.

Since their introduction at least 2,500 years ago, olive trees have so taken to local conditions that they are often found naturalized, mingled with wild fig and almond trees. In the wild, they can reach as much as 60 feet in height, with trunks of 12 feet or more in circumference.

As with agriculture, other plant life tends to be typical of local microclimates: bamboo along water courses; fragrant herbs such as rosemary, thyme, savory and mint in the garrigues (the arid limestone areas), and sturdy alpines on the higher slopes.

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