Research in Context
The park of Ancient Agora.
Tree survey in 2025.
The park of Ancient Agora is an interesting case study for resilient tree species, for a number of reasons:
- Most of them are linked to the Mediterranean and the region extending from Middle East to the plateaus of Iran. They are sclerophyllous and drought-hardy and they have persevered since their initial planting in mid-1950s.
- As they are slow growing they are not preferred for urban plantings. However, given the time and a well maintained environment they can attain considerable dimensions.
- They seamlessly blend together in the landscape with olive and carob trees and other species that are characteristic of the natural landscape and even the urban environment in Greek cities.
The landscape of the park as it is seen from Adrianou Street. Beyond the tree rails and along the border wall, a grove of plane trees. On the hill in the background, the outline of Acropolis.
TREE AND SHRUB SPECIES
Laurus nobilis
Lauraceae
Unlike other species of the initial plantings that could be grown as trees (Pistacia spp, Quercus coccifera, Arbutus spp), the park's laurels have been kept as trimmed shrubs. A label at the base of this plant, reads:
"Frederika, queen of the Greeks, planted this laurel on January 4th, 1954 "
This was one of the two plants that were planted symbolically on that date, by the royal couple on either side of the altar of Zeus. The other plant was an oak tree (Thompson, Burr and Griswold 1963).
Quercus ilex
Fagaceae
The holly oaks (or evergreen oaks or holm oaks) have grown to remarkable size specimen trees. In some cases they are grouped with other oaks and olive trees.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
"The Arcadians have a tree which they call smilax (holm-oak), which resembles the kermes-oak, but has not spinous leaves, its leaves being softer and longer and differing in several other ways. Nor is the wood hard and close like that of the kermes-oak, but quite soft to work."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 3 "Of Wild Trees",
chapter 16, section 2. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Corresponding notes by Suzanne Amigues
"Although the species occurs more rarely in Greece than in the Western Mediterranean region, it can be observed in Arcadia and other parts of Peloponnese. The leaves in this species exhibit indeed a high degree of morphological variability" (Amigues 2010).
Quercus coccifera
Fagaceae
Some of the kermes oaks in the park have grown to medium size trees. Also many plants can be found in shrub form, as this is one of the most resilient and drought hardy species.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
"The kermes-oak has a leaf like that of the oak, but smaller and spinous, while its bark is smoother than that of the oak. The tree itself is large, like the oak, if it has space and root-room ; the wood is close and strong; it roots fairly deep and it has many roots. The fruit is like an acorn, but the kermes-oak’s acorn is small; the new one overtakes that of last year, for it ripens late. Wherefore some say that it bears twice..."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 3 "Of Wild Trees",
chapter 16, section 1. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Corresponding notes by Suzanne Amigues
"This statement will surprise anyone who knows the low and impenetrable vegetation of the Mediterranean scrublands with kermes oak. But it is true that the same species, Quercus coccifera L., grows in the eastern Mediterranean in the form of tall trees. Without being able to explain this difference in forms, contemporary specialists have given up on making arboreal individuals a distinct species, formerly called Q. calliprinos
Webb." (Amigues 2010).
Quercus ithaburensis ssp. macrolepis
Fagaceae
Some specimen trees of Valonia oaks can be found in the vicinity of Stoa of Attalos.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
"...However, to take the classification given by the people of Mount Ida, these are the kinds : hemeris (gall-oak), aigilops (Turkey-oak), ‘ broad-leaved ’ oak (scrub oak), Valonia oak, sea-bark oak, which some call 'straight-barked’ oak. All these bear fruit; but the fruits of Valonia oak are the sweetest, as has been said ; second to these those of hemeris (gall-oak), third those of the ‘broad-leaved’ oak (scrub oak), fourth sea-bark oak, and last aigilops (Turkey-oak), whose fruits are very bitter. However the fruit is not always sweet in the kinds specified as such; sometimes it is bitter, that of the Valonia oak for instance..."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 3 "Of Wild Trees",
chapter 8, section 2. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Corresponding notes by Suzanne Amigues
"Until recent times, the Valonia oak has sometimes been cultivated as a fruit tree. Cf. VON Heldreich, 1862, page 16: «Its large acorns are sweeter than those of all other species [...]; even today, the people of the countryside roast them and even eat them often raw»..." (Amigues 2010).
Reference for Cf.:
Heldreich, Theodor von. 1862.
Die Nutzpflanzen Griechenlands. :
Mit Besonderer Berücksichtigung Der Neugriechischen Und Pelasgischen Vulgarnamen.
Athens: K. Wilberg.
Platanus orientalis
Platanaceae
Groves or groups of oriental plane trees are located in the center and the north side of the park.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
In the context of the reaction of different tree species to topping.
"Some trees again submit to being hewn both when they are standing and when they have been blown down, so that they rise up again and live and shoot, for instance the willow and the plane. This was known to happen in Antandros and at Philippi; a plane in Antandros having fallen and had its boughs lopped off and the axe applied to its trunk, grew again in the night when thus relieved of the weight, and the bark grew about it again. It happened that it had been hewn two thirds of the way round ; it was a large tree, more than ten cubits high, and of such girth that four men could not easily have encircled it."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 4 "Of the Trees and Plants special
to particular Districts and Positions. Of the importance of position and climate."
chapter 16, section 2. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Corresponding notes by Suzanne Amigues
"The height may seem quite low (10 cubits = 4,45 m) for a circumference of about 7 meters (one fathom=1,80 m) but these dimensions are those of an undivided trunk when the tree was entirely cut back. They match the stocky silhouette of very old plane trees" (Amigues 2010).
Arbutus andrachne
Ericaceae
A handful of specimens of Greek strawberry trees, can be found in the vicinity of Stoa of Attalos.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
In the context of describing morphological differences of plants.
"...However all plants when young have smoother bark, which gets rougher as they get older ; and some have cracked bark, as the vine; and in some cases it readily drops off, as in andrachne apple and arbutus..."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 1, chapter 5, section 2. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Arbutus unedo
Ericaceae
More specimens of Strawberry tree are found in the park, in comparison to Arbutus andrachne. This may be an indication of its hardiness and longevity. Most of the occurrences of the species in the park, are in shrub form.
Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
"The arbutus, which produces the edible fruit called memaikylon, is not a very large tree ; its bark is thin and like that of the tamarisk, the leaf is between that of the kermes-oak and that of the bay. It blooms in the month Pyanepsion; the flowers grow in clusters at the end of the boughs from a single attachment; in shape each of them is like an oblong myrtle flower and it is of about the same size ; it has no petals, but forms a cup like an empty eggshell, and the mouth is open: when the flower drops off, there is a hole also through the part by which it is attached, and the fallen flower is delicate and like a whorl on a spindle or a Doric karneios. The fruit takes a year to ripen, so that it comes to pass that this and the new flower are on the tree together."
Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 3 "Of Wild Trees", chapter 16, section 4. (transl. Arthur Holt)
Tree and shrub species in the landscape of Ancient Agora
BROADLEAF
Species Family
Arbutus andrachne Ericaceae
Ceratonia siliqua Fabaceae
Cercis siliquastrum Fabaceae
Ficus carica Moraceae
Laurus nobilis Lauraceae
Myrtus communis Myrtaceae
Olea europaea Oleaceae
Phillyrea latifolia Oleaceae
Platanus occidentalis Platanaceae
Platanus orientalis Platanaceae
Punica granatum Lythraceae
Quercus coccifera Fagaceae
Quercus ilex Fagaceae
Quercus ithaburensis
subsp. macrolepis Fagaceae
Vitex agnus-castus Lamiaceae​
CONIFERS
Species Family
Cupressus sempervirens Cupressaceae
Juniperus spp Cupressaceae
Pinus halepensis Pinaceae
PALMS
Species Family
Phoenix dactylifera Arecaceae
NOTES
​Some of the species are also considered native in other countries and regions beyond the Mediterranean. For many of the above species, information is included in the website pages of the tree survey section, such as a) distributions b) recommendations in recent literature and c) images.
Website pages
Near East to Central Asia
Europe to Caucasus
Mediterranean
Oak trees group
REFERENCES
​
BOOKS
Perlin, John. 2022.
A Forest Journey : The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization.
Third revised edition.
Ventura, CA: Patagonia.
Théophraste, Suzanne Amigues, and Paul Bernard. 2010.
Recherches Sur Les Plantes À L’origine de La Botanique.
Paris: Belin.
​
Theophrastus, and Arthur Hort. 1948.
Theophrastus Enquiry into Plants and Minor Works on Odours and Weather Signs with an English Translation by Sir Arthur Hort, Bart.
London: William Heinemann Ltd.
https://archive.org/details/theophrastus-enquiry-plants-loeb
Thompson, Dorothy Burr, Ralph E. Griswold, and American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 1963.
Garden Lore of Ancient Athens.
Princeton, New Jersey: American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
https://archive.org/details/gardenloreofanci0008amer/
​
Vathis Emmanuel. 2002.
The Plants in the Park of the Ancient Agora
Athens: Agricultural University of Athens.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Kathimerini’s electronic edition.
Giannarou Lina. 2003.
Botanical paintings of plants that once flourished in the Ancient Agora park. (August 23, 2003).
​
Efsyn, electronic edition.
Panagopoulou, Vasi. 2017.
With the eyes of Emmanouil Vathis. (April 23, 2017).
https://www.efsyn.gr/nisides/107744_me-ta-matia-toy-emmanoyil-bathi
​
Efsyn, weekend edtion
Panagopoulou, Vasi. 2025.
The plants of the park of Ancient Agora. (December 6 and 7, 2025).