The Best Plants for Landscaping in Qatar’s Climate

A successful landscape in Qatar starts with choosing the right plants. High heat, humidity and saline soil and water cause some plants to wilt no matter how much they are watered, while others thrive with minimal care.

Selection criteria

• Tolerance of high heat and direct sun.
• Tolerance of saline soil and irrigation water.
• Low to moderate water demand.
• Fit for the location: sun or shade, open areas or small beds.

Good options for Qatar

• Palms: such as date palms and Washingtonia, iconic and tough.
• Trees: such as Ghaf, Sidr and Poinciana, offering shade and drought tolerance.
• Shrubs: Conocarpus for green hedges and Bougainvillea for colour.
• Ground cover: succulents and cacti that need very little water.
• Turf: salt-tolerant grasses such as Paspalum.

Design tips

Group plants by water needs into separate zones, use drip irrigation for trees and shrubs, limit lawn areas where they are not needed, and use stone and hardscape to complete the design.

Al-Haram Maintenance & Agriculture designs, builds and maintains landscapes for government, education, commercial and residential sites in Qatar, choosing plants that suit each site.