Surviving on a cliff face is not an easy task for a plant. Not all species inhabiting cliff faces are specifically adapted to this habitat and its pressures.
Several plants are simply able to tolerate these conditions for just long enough to complete their life cycle successfully.
Cliff species, however, need to be able to cope with strong winds, constant exposure to sunlight, lack of water, high soil salinity and precarious anchorage on a near-vertical face.
Moreover, their seeds tend to fall straight into the sea rather than in suitable and hospitable habitat.
Helichrysum melitensis. Photo: Sandro Lanfranco