noun
- Plants or organisms that thrive in soils rich in calcium or lime; species that prefer alkaline or calcareous habitats.
Usage: technical; biology; ecology; plural form of calcicole
Examples
- Many Mediterranean wildflowers are calcicoles that flourish in limestone-rich soils.
- Calcicoles such as clematis and lilac are popular in gardens with alkaline soil.
- The botanist studied calcicoles to understand plant adaptation to high-pH environments.
- Calcicoles typically show stunted growth when planted in acidic soil conditions.
- Chalk grasslands support diverse communities of calcicoles and other specialized species.