Arriving in Rome, I didn't know what to except for plants in the area until I did I little more research and went out and about. Many of the plants that I have encountered so far, I have only seen as a tropical house plant. So, it is a big shift to see them in the "wild".
While walking through the streets, I've encountered a variety of plants ranging from cacti that intertwine themselves in with plants of more foliage and greenery. Even though more of the desert plants can be found, they are overrun by the greenery. There are many that existed back in ancient Rome and are still prevalent today. Many of the ancient gardens are found in peristyle gardens in the Roman villas. There would have been a mixture of potted plants with small roots (MacDougall, 46). These small, rooted plants would consist of flowers or vines that were intended to climb the column that surround the peristyle. They also had plants that were arranged to align along the garden that were in situ usually around a path, water feature or a variety of sculptures. The grander houses would have had more elaborate gardens. (Giesecke, 11.) I will discuss more about the space in which these plants were located, and the other decoration that reflected the venue.
Let's get into the variety of plants that are most commonly seen around. Many of them include beautiful flowers. The main variety of plants I have seen are oleander, jasmine, poppies, magnolia, and many citrus plants, like lime, lemons, and oranges. Largely you can see a lot of oleanders and it can be identified by its narrow-pointed leaves and the red flowers that poke out (MacDougall, 47). I find the poppies that are everywhere the most fascinating. Probably because it is a plant that you can't typically see in Canada. They are often found creeping up into people’s garden both today and in the past. Back than the poopy was commonly harvested to be used to sprinkle of bread. (Farrar, 145) The common trees that I found out and about most often are cypress pine and mulberry tree. I catch myself mixing up mulberry with Ficus tree as they look very similar. Overall, there is a lot of plants to absorb and appreciate. Also, it is fascinating to think of where they originated and how they were originally used.
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| Figure 1: Jasmine found on the streets of Rome (photo by author) |
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| Figure 2: Oleander found on the streets of Rome (photo by author) |
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| Figure 3: Lemon found at the British School in Rome(photo by author) |
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| Figure 4: Poppies found in Pompeii site. ( Photo by author) |
MacDougall, Elisabeth B., and Wilhelmina Feemster Jashemski, eds. Ancient Roman Gardens. Vol. 7. Dumbarton Oaks, 1981. 45-48.
Giesecke, Annette. The mythology of plants: Botanical lore from ancient Greece and Rome. Getty Publications, 2014. 7- 45.
Farrar, Linda. Gardens and Gardeners of the Ancient World. Oxford ; Havertown, PA: Windgather Press, 2016.138-184
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