ARAR: Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region is characterized by an abundance of seasonal and annual pastoral plants which helps to fight desertification, increase vegetation cover and biodiversity, and stabilize soil.
Estimated at 104,000 sq. km, the region has many species of trees, shrubs and pastoral plants, most notably the evergreen shrub Salsola, which is eaten predominantly by camels, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Nasser Rashid Al-Majlad, president of the Aman Environmental Society in the Northern Borders region, said the region is classified as a pastoral area and has many multi-purpose plants.
Its topography has contributed to the diversity of its plants and trees, of which the most famous is Salsola, also known as Caroxylon imbricatum.
This evergreen shrub is a summer plant of the Salsola vermiculata genus, which grows in the Arabian Peninsula as well as in the deserts and arid regions of southwestern Asia and North Africa.
It grows over a meter tall, and its leaves contain an unpleasantly smelling sap. It is one of the preferred pastoral plants for camels in particular.
In some places, it has been a tradition to use Salsola for treating skin disorders.
Nature reserves and the Saudi Green Initiative have contributed to afforestation and land reclamation, as well as to the restoration of native plants to their habitats.
