Within the UAE this species is widespread, generally present in coastal areas (Böer and Griggs 1994, Jongbloed et al. 2003, Böer and Saenger 2006, Perry 2008). It used to be common around Abu Dhabi Island, however much of its suitable habitat here was destroyed (Western 1992). Some inland localities remain, such as at Al Ain, in addition to some offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Sakkir et al. 2017). This species is native to Europe, Africa and temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species has been recorded from Rafiq Island (Abu Dhabi Emirate) and Ras al Khaimah beach (Böer and Chaudhary 1999), although it has been suggested that these records remain unconfirmed (MEW 2010). This species is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018). The species has a very wide global distribution (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It is an Eurasian southern-temperate element that has been widely naturalised outside its native range (BSBI/BRC 2017).

Within the UAE, this species is fairly widespread, having been specifically recorded from Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman (Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species is native to north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Abu Dhabi and Dubai emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and along the gulf coast (MEW 2010). The species has also been recorded from north of Shwayb (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00398802"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium; 325 m, c. 45 km north of Al Ain</a>). This species is restricted to Socotra and the Arabian Peninsula (Gulf States, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from Jebel Faya and Qarn Nazwa (G.M. Brown pers. obs., G.R. Feulner pers comm. 2018, MEW 2010). Globally, this species occurs across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

The distribution of this species within the UAE is apparently not well known. The species is mentioned by Jongbloed et al. (2003) with no distribution map; in addition, there are few mentions of the species in the available UAE literature, and the species does not occur in the available locality data (Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium, RBG Kew seed survey data), which primarily cover the northern emirates. The only specific locality found (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2018) is from an irrigated area south of the Al Marmoom lakes.Globally, this species occurs across northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman and the UAE; Board of Trustees, RBG 2018).

This species is widespread throughout the UAE except in mountainous areas (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019). Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered the species to occur on offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Abu Dhabi Island (Western 1982, 1983), although the recent map of Al Meharibi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from the islands, as well as from some coastal areas in Abu Dhabi Emirate. The species is also recorded for Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016, Judas 2016), although Feulner comments that it is known from a single site at the waterfall and is likely to be of anthropogenic origin here. Globally, this species occurs widely across Africa, in the Arabian Peninsula and in India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, it is known to occur to the northeast of Taweela (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019) and along the coast in the northern Emirates (G.R. Feulner in litt., MEW 2010), in addition to offshore islands (G. Brown and S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019). Although it was previously recorded from Jebel Hafeet, this record is thought to be erroneous due to possible confusion with Gymnocarpos decandrus (Brown et al. 2007). The estimated EOO for this species is 18,168 km² and it is thought to occur at between 6-10 threat-based locations according to ongoing development. Globally, the native range of this species spans from Egypt and north-east Africa to Sinai and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered this species to be widespread through the Hajar Mountains and along the east coast of the UAE, with scattered occurrences along the Arabian Gulf coast (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah), as well as inland. In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species is occasional (Feulner 2011), and the species occurs on the offshore islands of Abu Dhabi Emirate (Sakkir et al. 2017). The species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet, but considered to be introduced there associated with increased urbanisation (Sakkir and Brown 2014). MEW (2010) considered the species to be common and widespread in wadis and urban areas, in moist locations. This species is widespread globally, and considered native across large parts of Europe, Asia and northern parts of Africa, whilst introduced to the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). However, the origin of the species is unclear as a result of widespread and historical cultivation, and DEEDI (2019) considers the species native to northwestern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), Europe, western and central Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, western Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), China, and the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. northern India, Nepal and Pakistan), introduced and naturalised elsewhere. GRIN (2019) also exclude the Arabian Peninsula from the native distribution of the species.

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from oases and irrigated agricultural areas in the Hajar Mountain range (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold records from near Al Ain city and from the Ru'us al-Jibal whose origin require confirmation. Aspinall et al. (1995) reported the species from Wadi Shih (Khor Fakkan) and Wadi Hayl (Fujairah). Globally, this species native range spans from Cape Verde across tropical Africa and to Madagascar, in addition to encompassing tropical and subtropical America (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).