Sardinia holds some of the most intact coastal dune vegetation in the western Mediterranean. The island's low population density along many stretches of its roughly 1,850 kilometres of coastline has allowed plant communities to persist across the full dune succession — from the seaward pioneer fringe to the stabilised back-dune scrub — in configurations that have largely disappeared from the Italian peninsula's more frequented shores.
The following accounts cover the principal vascular species recorded across Sardinia's dune transects in botanical surveys conducted by the University of Cagliari and documented in regional vegetation databases maintained by the Sardinian Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPAS).
Pioneer Zone — Embryonic and Foredune
The seaward margin of any active dune system is colonised by a small number of stress-tolerant annual and perennial species capable of surviving sand burial, salt spray, and substrate instability.
Cakile maritima (Sea Rocket)
Cakile maritima is typically the first vascular plant to establish on bare sand above the tide line. It is an annual completing its cycle within a single growing season, leaving root networks that provide minimal but measurable structural resistance to aeolian erosion. On Sardinia's west coast, C. maritima stands are most dense at Piscinas and Is Arenas, where offshore winds deliver consistent sand supply to the upper beach.
Salsola kali (Prickly Saltwort)
Salsola kali co-occurs with sea rocket in the pioneer zone. Its branching habit traps windblown sand around the stem base, initiating the micro-topographic variation that allows later-successional species to establish.
Euphorbia paralias (Sea Spurge)
Euphorbia paralias is a perennial capable of surviving repeated sand burial through elongated stems that regenerate growth from buried nodes. Its lateral root system, extending up to 2.5 metres from the stem base, contributes to foredune cohesion in the embryonic stage.
White Dune — Ammophila-Dominated Crest
The primary dune crest is structurally controlled by one species above all others.
Ammophila arenaria (Marram Grass)
Ammophila arenaria is the dominant dune-building grass across the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe. Its capacity to maintain growth under active sand burial distinguishes it from most vascular plants: burial stimulates the production of adventitious roots and new tillers, effectively anchoring accumulating sand. Stem densities of 100–300 culms per square metre have been recorded in vigorous stands on Sardinia's west coast.
On Sardinia, marram grass forms the crest of white dunes at Piscinas (where dune heights exceed 30 metres — among the highest in Italy), Is Arenas, Porto Pino, and Capo Comino. ARPAS vegetation transects at these sites record a relatively stable canopy cover compared with the more fragmented Adriatic populations, though pedestrian trampling pressure at Porto Pino has created linear deflation paths visible in orthophoto series from 2015 to 2022.
Pancratium maritimum (Sea Daffodil)
Pancratium maritimum is a bulbous perennial associated with the upper foredune and white dune crest. Its large fleshy bulbs, buried 15–30 cm below the surface, anchor the plant in mobile substrate. The species is considered a good ecological indicator for near-natural white dune condition; its absence or sparse occurrence is often associated with excess disturbance or sediment deficit.
Grey Dune — Fixed Herbaceous Zone
Behind the active crest, sand movement slows and soil organic matter begins to accumulate. The plant community shifts from sparse rhizomatous grasses to a denser, more species-rich mosaic.
Crucianella maritima (Sea Crosswort)
Crucianella maritima is a prostrate sub-shrub forming mats on stabilised dune sand. It is the characterising species of EU Habitat 2210 (Crucianellion maritimae dunes) and is found on both the east and west coasts of Sardinia. At Capo Comino, where the fixed grey dunes are relatively undisturbed, C. maritima cover reaches 25–40 percent in the most developed parts of the back-dune plain.
Artemisia campestris subsp. variabilis
This Sardinian-endemic subspecies replaces the mainland form on grey dunes across the island. It is typically 30–60 cm tall, aromatic, and resistant to summer drought conditions. Its presence marks the transition from the white dune pioneer community to the more stable back-dune zone.
Helichrysum stoechas (Curry Plant)
Helichrysum stoechas forms low silvery cushions on fixed dune sand and is widespread across Sardinian coastal systems. Its dense pubescent leaf cover reduces boundary-layer wind velocity at the soil surface, limiting deflation between shrub canopies.
Dune Scrub and Back-Slope
Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa (Large-Fruited Juniper)
Juniperus macrocarpa is the defining species of EU Habitat 2250 (priority dune juniper habitat). On Sardinia, it forms scattered to dense woodland on back-dunes at Is Arutas, Santa Margherita di Pula, and Stagno di Platamona. The canopy modifies wind conditions beneath it, creating a protected zone where shade-tolerant understorey species can establish. EUNIS characterises this habitat as highly threatened across its Mediterranean range due to clearing, fire, and dune stabilisation with exotic species.
Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic)
Pistacia lentiscus is a co-dominant of the dune scrub community on Sardinia's back-dunes. Its deep taproot system accesses water below the dry surface layer, making it resistant to summer drought. The species is a reliable indicator of long-term dune stability — it rarely colonises recently mobile sand surfaces.
Threats to Dune Vegetation
Several processes are reducing the extent and continuity of Sardinia's dune plant communities. Recreational pressure is concentrated at easily accessible beaches, where foot traffic creates deflation corridors through the white dune crest. The introduction of exotic beach-stabilisation species — particularly Carpobrotus edulis (ice plant) and Acacia saligna — has altered competitive dynamics in multiple coastal sites. Both exotic species suppress native dune vegetation: Carpobrotus forms dense mats that exclude marram grass and sea daffodil, while Acacia rapidly overtopping the native scrub canopy.
ARPAS assessments note that Carpobrotus infestations are recorded at over 40 Sardinian coastal sites, with the highest density near car-accessible beaches and former camp sites.
Reference Sources
- EUNIS Habitat Classification — Coastal Dune Habitats
- Sardinian Geoportal — Regional Vegetation Data
- European Environment Agency — Mediterranean Coastal Habitats
- ISPRA — Flora and Vegetation Monitoring
Last updated: 15 April 2026