1. The ancient Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic tree.

2. As a source of balsam, the versatile “tears” of the “weeping” mastic tree have soothed and healed for centuries.

3. The mastic tree may have been one of the sources of the ‘balsam of Gilead,’ noted in the Bible for its medicinal properties and for its use in cosmetics and embalming.

4. The bushes and shrubs include the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), Mauritanian grass (Ampelodesmos mauritanica), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), broom (Spartium junceum), gorse (Ulex parviflorus), the white-leaved rock rose (Cistus albidus), the agave (Agave americana), the elm-leaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and there are other common species such as perennial grass (Brachypodium retusum), the white wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides), the corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas)and the slender sow thistle (Sonchus tenerrimus).