The great natural riches of the Villa's garden are seen in the vast quantity and variety of the plant species. This is indeed a unique heritage, enhancing the status of Villa Rufolo as a cultural and naturalistic jewel. Here is a short overview of the varieties of flowers and trees found in the garden:

 

Pinus pinea

The stone pine or umbrella pine (Pinus pinea, L. 1753) is the most characteristic tree in the coastal zones around the Mediterranean, in particular on the northern shores, where it constitutes vast pinewoods and provides most welcome shade against the muggy heat of the Mediterranean summer.

Cupressus sempervirens

The Mediterranean cypress or pencil pine is very common in Italy although probably not autochthonous. It appears to originate from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, being imported by the Phoenicians for its highly ornamental pyramidal form.

 

Abies alba

The European silver fir is typical of the forests and mountains of the Northern hemisphere. Together with the rare Sicilian fir (Abies nebrodensis) it is one of only two spontaneous fir species growing in Italy. It is a majestic tree, slender and long-lived, known as "the prince of the woods" on account of its height (50-60 m.).

 

Ficus pumila

The creeping or climbing fig, belonging to the Moraceae family and originating in south-eastern Asia, is a vigorous climber with small, dark green cordate leaves. It has aerial roots with which it adheres to walls and other surfaces. It is suited to hanging baskets or providing foliage in winter gardens. A particularly attractive variety has green leaves outlined in white.

 

Tilia platyphyllos

The large-leaved lime or linden, common throughout continental Europe and the Caucasus, can reach 40 m. in height. Its deciduous leaves, heart-shaped with serrated edges, with small clusters of whitish down along the veins, produce fragrant whitish-yellow flowers in May-June, with bracts and arranged in drooping, cymose clusters of 2-5 hermaphrodite flowers. The fruits are little capsules with pronounced ribbing and a hard, woody shell.

 

Hydrangea anomala

This hydrangea is a woody shrub originating in China and Japan. This species includes numerous varieties producing large globular flowers, white, red and pink, that can be grown in pots and gardens. Other species of the Hydrangea genre are H. paniculata, with slender twigs bowed down by the weight of the small white flowers, cultivated in the form of a small tree or shrub and multiplied by grafting, and H. arborescens, with deciduous leaves and fragrant flowers. It was introduced into Europe during the 18th century by the naturalist Philibert Commerson.