1047 species of vascular plants and ferns from the Sultanate of Oman have been documented (Patzelt, 2015). The number of 1407 species compares regionally to a flora of 2100 species in Saudi Arabia, 1650 species in Yemen (N), 1180 in Yemen (S) and 825 on Soqotra (Miller & Cope 1996; Miller & Morris 2004). The remaining other countries on the Arabian Peninsula (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait) have considerably lower numbers of plant species.

Oman has a total of 191 range-restricted species, representing 13.6 % of the total flora (Patzelt, 2014). This high proportion of range-restricted species (endemics, near endemics and regional endemics) in the Sultanate can be explained by a unique combination of ecological factors that restricted the range of species in the past. Endemics are found in all vegetation types throughout the country. However, some habitats are particularly rich in range-restricted species and are of special interest, encompassing sites of maximum biodiversity. Significant species-rich habitats include the monsoon-affected mountains in southern Oman, the northern Hajar mountains, and the coastal areas of the central desert; these areas represent local centres of plant endemism.

Oman’s native plants are breath-taking in their beauty, form and variety. Oman’s flora has multiple geographic origins, with floristic elements from North and East Africa, South-West Asia and Arabia. The highest levels of plant diversity are found in Dhofar (North and East Africa element) and the Northern Mountains (South-West Asia element). Oman’s native plants offer an extraordinary array of beauty and fascination all of which will be harnessed and showcased at Oman Botanic Garden.