The Mediterranean climate is characterised by warm or hot dry summers and cool wet winters, and Mediterranean plants are adapted to those conditions. Other parts of the world have a similar climate, notably parts of California, South Africa, Chile and Australia, and their plants too are adapted to those conditions.
As useful shorthand, we use "
Mediterranean" with a capital M when talking about the Mediterranean basin itself, and "
mediterranean" with a small m to cover all those areas with similar climates - and of course their plants!
The
Mediterranean Garden Society, which runs this Forum, is devoted to furthering knowledge and appreciation of plants and gardens suited to the mediterranean climate regions of the world.