The flora of the garrigue
- Par nbesse
- Le 02/03/2025
- Dans Living in Uzès and around
FR - The garrigue is a vast playground for any botany enthusiast. And if, what's more, the enthusiast is captivated by medicinal plants, the place turns out to be fun and exciting, as well as instructive and educational.
To find out a little more about these pretty plants with unsuspected powers, let's go on a nature trip.
The garrigue, near Sanilhac-Sagriès
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‘The garrigue? A dry environment, exploited by man, which has replaced the original forest... Since the 20th century, the garrigue has hardly been used at all. Shrubby vegetation, which is very invasive, has reclaimed its rights and rapidly closed up the environment that centuries of grazing and cultivation had kept open... Today, programmes to reclaim the land for farming, such as the return of grazing, are helping to breathe new life into the area, are helping to breathe new life into the garrigue’ (Syndicat mixte des gorges du Gardon).
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In the garrigue, particularly in spring and autumn, there are some real wonders waiting to be discovered. With their bright or pale colours, their dense or velvety foliage, the plants of the garrigue are a world that's always a pleasure to explore.
Cottony rockrose
Phytotherapy, available in chemistries in a variety of forms, is one way of highlighting the natural treasures of our biodiversity. The natural world around us is also perfect for learning. So what better way to learn than to take a walk along the footpaths and come across thyme, rosemary, rockrose, orchids, yellow gentians, euphorbia, round-headed garlic, shrubs and tall trees. Here are a few references to help you appreciate them even more:
Reconnaître toutes les espèces LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON 400 FICHES (Editions Artémis), the Agenda perpétuel - Les plantes au rythme des saisons ou bien Les salades sauvages, Guide de cueillette éclairée (Editions Les écologistes de l’Euzière), the classic La garrigue (Editions Edisud). Very useful too the Plantnet website, helping you to know the name of a plant through its photo.
Lavender
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Lavender... This thousand-year-old plant, appreciated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to scent baths and care for linen, is thought to be originated from Persia. In the 1st century, Pliny the Elder, the Roman naturalist and Dioscorides, the Greek physician and botanist, mentioned ‘Aspic’ and ‘Stoechas’ lavender in their works. Dioscorides classed them as precious plants.
Although the term ‘lavender’ first appeared in the Middle Ages, it derives from the Latin verb ‘lavare’, to wash. At the time, its use was linked to the fight against infectious diseases... and was found in monastery gardens where, combined with other aromatic plants, it was used for medicinal purposes. In fact, plants were the only elements of the pharmacopoeia... (source)
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The garrigue is an open-air mine of plants and flowers, combining wild beauty with a fascinating botanical history.
Some of the best-known species include aromatic herbs such as ‘rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), thyme (Thymus spp) and, in a different style, elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and the poisonous yarrow elderberry (Sambucus ebulus), as well as milk thistle (Silybum marianum or its basionym, Carduus marianus), with its pale green, very thorny leaves marbled with white. Milk thistle is mainly used for its hepato-protective and liver-draining properties’ *.
Other species should be used with great caution as they are toxic. For example? Well, honeysuckle (Locinera spp), ‘a medicinal plant but, once again, it depends on the species and the part used. We mainly use the flowers, which are calming, even for wild varieties. The rest of the plant is avoided, especially the berries, except in edible (cross-bred) variants. Creeping (non-climbing) varieties are more toxic. In all cases, it's best to avoid picking a plant, like a mushroom, if you're not familiar with it. *... There's also sarsaparilla (Smilax aspera)...’. It also depends on the species, because, for example, Smilax officinalis or glabra is a great medicinal plant: for the skin, psoriasis, rheumatism and even syphiliis (historically!). Generally speaking, this species is not really toxic, although the aspera species is moderately toxic when ingested’...
As far as shrubs and trees are concerned, we often come across the small leafy brachypodus (Brachypodium retusum) and the larger kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), also known as the scrub oak, and rightly so...
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Legend has it that a sprig of honeysuckle pierced the stone of the tomb of Héloïse and Abélard (12th century). It blossomed on stormy evenings to signify that, despite the hatred that had followed them, love had reunited the lovers in eternal life. (source)
While she was nursing Jesus, someone came to disturb her. As she turned round, a few drops of her milk stained the thistle next to her, leaving fine white stripes on its leaves...
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The garrigue can be enjoyed at any time of year, but it's obvious that the flora is even more resplendent in spring and autumn. Colours, scents, intense or discreet flowering, dense or sparse foliage, the garrigue invites walkers to get to know it better as they go along.
Many thanks to Sabrina Biscardi, Herboristerie Botanica * and Sylvie Duplan for their contribution to this article.
Photos©Garrigue, cottony rockrose, rosemary, lavender field, euphorbia, garrigue sign ©UzEssentiel.com.