NatureCity Tours Morocco
Nature and gardens
Photograph: Viault, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rose Valley, the gardens worth the ticket, and what blooms each month: from the Damask roses of the Dades Valley to Atlas meadows and the saffron crocus of Taliouine.
Overview
In Morocco, flowers go into the food and the bathroom cabinet as much as the garden: rose water scents the pastries, orange blossom water flavours the tea, saffron colours the tagines, and argan oil is pressed from the fruit that follows the argan flower. Between the High Atlas and the Saharan fringe the country has room for a wide range of plants.
The Dades Valley, known as the Rose Valley, harvests Damask rose petals each spring for rose water, essential oil and cosmetics. In the Anti-Atlas village of Taliouine, purple crocuses give some of the world's finest saffron. And the gardens, from the 12th-century Menara to Jardin Majorelle, span eight centuries of Moroccan garden design.
Come for the Rose Festival in May, the almond blossom in February or a jasmine-scented riad courtyard in summer. This guide covers the flowers, the gardens and the seasons, month by month.
Eight plants
Eight flowers and flowering plants, from garden cultivars to wild mountain blooms.
April to May
The flower most associated with Morocco.
These fragrant pink roses are grown as hedges around the fields of the Dades Valley and picked each spring for rose water, rose oil and cosmetics.
April to October
Magenta, purple and orange bracts trail over riad walls, kasbah ramparts and medina alleys. It thrives in Morocco's warm climate and is one of the most photographed plants in the country.
June to September
Its scent fills summer evenings in gardens across the north. Moroccan jasmine is used in perfumery and traditional medicine.
March to April
The white blossom of the bitter orange tree. Orange blossom water (ma zhar) is a staple of Moroccan cooking, used in pastries, salads and drinks, and in spring the citrus groves are heavy with its scent.
March to April
The small yellow-green flowers of the argan tree (Argania spinosa) come before the fruit that gives argan oil. The tree grows wild in south-west Morocco, where the Arganeraie is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Bees visiting the flowers make argan honey.
May to June
Yellow and orange flowers of the prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) open across the drier landscapes. Introduced centuries ago, the cactus is now part of Moroccan farming: the fruit is a summer street snack and the seeds give prickly pear seed oil.
October to November
The pale purple crocus of Taliouine gives the world's most expensive spice. Each flower has only three red stigmas, picked by hand at dawn.
February to April
Named after Tangier (Tingis in Latin), this iris colours northern hillsides blue-purple in early spring.
The harvests
The Dades Valley between Kelaat M'Gouna and Boumalne Dades is Morocco's Rose Valley, and its harvest and festival are the high point of the flower year. In autumn, Taliouine has the saffron.
Gardens
From Jardin Majorelle to free public parks. Entry fees change, so check the current price at the gate.
Marrakech
Laid out by the French painter Jacques Majorelle from 1923 and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent. Around 300 plant species from five continents grow around the cobalt-blue buildings: bougainvillea, bamboo, water lilies, palms and cacti.
VisitingThe Berber Museum and the Yves Saint Laurent memorial are on site. Check the current ticket price before you go.
Rabat
Inside the Kasbah of the Udayas: orange and lemon trees, jasmine, bougainvillea and herbs, a short walk from views over the Bou Regreg river and the Atlantic.
VisitingFree entry.
Marrakech
Laid out under the 12th-century Almohads: a large olive grove around a reflecting pool, with the Atlas behind it on a clear day. The green-roofed pavilion is one of the most photographed sights in Marrakech.
VisitingThe gardens are free; the pavilion charges a small fee.
Marrakech
A restored riad garden in the medina, divided into an exotic garden of plants from around the world and an Islamic garden of geometric beds, water channels and plants native to Morocco. A tower gives views over the medina.
Fes
A historic public garden in Fes, laid out in the 18th century: tall bamboo, old fig trees, rose beds and a central lake.
Marrakech
An 8-hectare public garden that pairs historic Moroccan garden design with modern green space; its olive and citrus trees date to the 18th century. Rose beds and bougainvillea flower in spring.
VisitingFree entry.
Month by month
April and May have the most flowers, but something is in bloom every month.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
What to buy
What Morocco's flowers become, and where to buy them. Prices vary by shop and season; cooperatives give the best value.
In the wild
Beyond the gardens, the mountains and the desert edge flower in spring.
March to June
The High and Middle Atlas turn to meadow from March through June: red poppies, wild lavender, thyme, rosemary and many orchids. The Ourika Valley south of Marrakech and Toubkal National Park are the easiest places to see them.
February to May
The north gets the most rain and the greenest growth. The Rif around Chefchaouen flowers with wild irises, including Iris tingitana, cistus and Mediterranean wildflowers. Talassemtane National Park has old fir forests and a rich ground flora.
January to March
After winter rain the arid south flowers too. Almond blossom turns the Ameln Valley near Tafraoute pink and white in late January and February, and succulents and desert wildflowers bloom along the Draa Valley and the Sahara edge, among them euphorbias and desert marigolds.
Photography
Six places and the weeks to be there.
Practical
Spring (March to May) is the peak. April and May bring the most at once: the rose harvest, wildflowers, bougainvillea and the gardens. For saffron, come from late October to November; for almond blossom, late January to February.
Ask before photographing people working in rose fields or gardens. Photography may be restricted in private gardens and riads. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light. Follow each garden's rules on tripods and drones.
Cooperatives and established herbalists (attarine) give the best quality and price. Tourist-area shops often sell diluted rose water. Argan oil should be cold-pressed.
Head for the Ourika Valley, Toubkal National Park or the Rif around Chefchaouen, and hire a local guide who knows where the flowers are. An identification app such as PlantNet helps put names to plants.
Mornings are cooler, the light is better and the crowds are thinner; at Jardin Majorelle the first hour is the quietest. A guided tour adds botanical context you would miss on your own.
Rose water is sprinkled on guests as a welcome, orange blossom water flavours pastries and tea, and saffron is a prized cooking ingredient. Knowing this makes the gardens and souks easier to read.
Questions
Morocco does not have an officially designated national flower. The Damask rose (Rosa damascena), grown in the Dades Valley around Kelaat M'Gouna, is widely treated as the country's symbolic flower and is celebrated every May at the Rose Festival.
Spring (March to May) is the peak wildflower season. The Rose Valley peaks from mid-April to mid-May. Bougainvillea blooms from April through October and orange blossom in March and April. For saffron crocuses in Taliouine, visit from late October to November; for almond blossom, late January to February.
The Festival of Roses (Moussem des Roses) takes place in Kelaat M'Gouna, usually in May at the end of the rose harvest. It has parades, music, dancing, the crowning of a Rose Queen, and stalls selling rose products from local producers. Check the dates for the year you travel.
The most reliable rose water comes from the cooperatives around Kelaat M'Gouna in the Dades Valley. In the cities, buy from established herbalists (attarine) in the medinas of Marrakech, Fes or Meknes, and avoid diluted tourist-market bottles.
Yes, Jardin Majorelle is open year-round. Spring (March to May) has the most flowers. Go early in the morning to avoid crowds, especially in the busy season from October to April, and check the current ticket price before you go.
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