Vegetation Profile of Kish Islland

The geographical location of Kish, on the southern coast of Iran, places it within a narrow strip of dry and tropical growth regions. The unique climatic conditions of the island, situated in the warm and shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, result in sparse vegetation. Low rainfall, evaporation rates several times higher than the annual precipitation, and consistently high temperatures for most of the year contribute to the island’s dry, semi-desert, and desert climate. The lack of topographical features, the thin soil layer stretched over the hard coral substrate, and the aridity and heat are the main factors contributing to the sparse vegetation on the island.

The island’s green cover consists of two main groups: annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as semi-woody and woody plants. The vegetation starts to shed its leaves at the beginning of the hot and dry summer season.

Herbaceous growth typically begins to appear gradually in late November, bringing a green hue to the dry and sun-scorched lands of the island.

By April and May, the vegetation starts to wither, leaving behind a yellow and gray background across the island. Amidst this backdrop, patches of green and silvery-green perennial herbs can be seen throughout the summer, lasting until early autumn.

Some of the island’s annual herbs include various grasses, marigold, salsify, night-scented stock, chickweed, wild fenugreek, euphorbia, geranium, datura, heliotrope, sorrel, plantain, and others.

The perennials include a wide range of grasses, convolvulus, wild lettuce, plants from the parsley family, astragalus, sedges, abutilon, melilot, yellow clover, and various salt-tolerant species.

Short shrubs and bush-like plants on the island include thorny shrubs, ocaradonus, ephedra, indigofera, certain mallow species, and tamarisk. The predominant native trees include prosopis, sidr, relatively tall tamarisks, banyan figs, three-lobed leaves (lamboo), bombax, Indian almond (terminalia catappa), and Celtis, which have been planted long ago and are now almost naturalized. Acacia species, Pakistani mesquite, eucalyptus, date palms, coconut palms, and other planted trees also contribute to the island’s greenery.

Other herbaceous plants grow under the shade of palm trees and other irrigated areas, maintaining their growth until the end of the growing season, creating a notable green cover around palm groves.

During the intense heat and dryness of summer, especially in drought years, not only do perennial shrubs survive, but trees and bushes often lose their green aerial parts, appearing dry and gray. In late December, particularly after the seasonal rains, green shoots emerge from the previous year’s dry branches, and the bushes soon develop dense green foliage. With the growth of annual herbs across the island, Kish transforms into a lush, spring-like landscape.

In years with low rainfall—unfortunately a common occurrence—the extreme dryness and heat result in reduced growth of perennial herbs and even shrubs and trees. As the primary vegetation on the island consists of these perennials and semi-woody shrubs, the island often presents a grayish landscape throughout much of the year.