This species was considered introduced to the UAE (Pagad et al. 2017, citing CABI). However, subsequent expert opinion (UAE Native Plant Working Group, 2019) considered that the species may be native to the country. Along the Arabian Gulf coast, the species is primarily found in urban areas, including Abu Dhabi Island; it also occurs along the east coast and the Hajar Mountains and around Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The native range of this species is the temperate and subtropical Old World (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018), who include the UAE in its native distribution, however, it has been widely introduced globally (CABI 2018).

Within the UAE, it is known to be widespread throughout the Hajar Mountains and in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known to occur at elevations up to 1,635 m in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans across Europe and northern Africa to Ethiopia, Socotra and western Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species has a scattered distribution in the eastern Emirates of the UAE, with records from the Arabian Gulf coast, from the east coast, Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and from Jebel Hafeet (Abu Dhabi Emirate; Sakkir and Brown 2014). The origin of the species is uncertain, and the opinion of the UAE native plant working group (June 2019) was divided. The species occurs in the Olive Highlands as a result of human transport (Feulner 2014) and in two peri-anthropic localities in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). It occurs in the Ru'us al Jibal to at least 1,550 m elevation (Feulner 2011). The species is very widespread globally, however the native distribution is uncertain and it has been very widely introduced and naturalised. GRIN (2019) considered it to be native to parts of Europe, Africa, Asia-Temperate and Asia-Tropical, but naturalised in the Arabian Peninsula (and not recorded for the UAE). In contrast, Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) considers it native to western Europe, northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and introduced elsewhere.

This species appears to have a scattered distribution in the UAE. Jongbloed et al. (2003) show records in the west (Sabkhat Matti), at Jebel Hafeet, and in the northwest, in the Musandam Peninsula. It has also been found in Taweelah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ra's al-Khaimah and the Sweihan-Al Hayer area, and is possibly distributed along the entire near-coastal region west of Abu Dhabi Island (Brown et al. 2007). More recent surveys confirm that the species is abundant in deserts in the northern Gulf (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). Globally, this species occurs in southern Africa, across much of northern Africa, Spain, France, the Middle East and various parts of Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). It has been widely introduced to the Americas, parts of western Europe, and to Australia.

Within the UAE, this species is generally considered to be widespread throughout northern parts of the country (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Mehairbi et al. (2019). It is known to occur in Al Ain and Dubai (Karim and Dakheel 2006), and in the Ru'us al-Jibal the species has been recorded from elevations up to 1,350 m (Feulner 2011). Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from parts of the western coast of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Globally, the native range of this species is from Italy (Sicily) and Greece, through much of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, and east to the Indian Subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been very widely introduced outside this native range.

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from higher elevations in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Brown and Sakkir (2004) report the species from rocky habitats in Abu Dhabi Emirate, without details. The draft Red Data Book for the UAE considered the species to be common in the northern region of the UAE (MEW 2010). The full distribution is not clear as a result of confusion with other members of the genus in the UAE. Globally, this species has a broad distribution that ranges from the eastern Sahara to Afghanistan in Asia (Clayton et al. 2006), being known from northeastern africa (Sudan, Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula), Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, and around the Persian Gulf reaching Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Records indicate a distribution in altitude that can range between 500 and 1,200 m asl across its global range (Ghasemkhani et al. 2008).

The species is widespread along the Arabian Gulf coast from west of Abu Dhabi city to Ras al-Khaimah, along the east coast, and through the Hajar Mountains to Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). This species has a very broad native distribution in the Old World according to Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018), however, according to CABI (2018) the species has its centre of origin in the Mediterranean region, but has since spread widely throughout the tropics and sub-tropics.

Within the UAE, this species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is considered to occur at all elevations and up to at least 1,525 m in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans across Africa. Macaronesia, the Mediterranean and to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this plant has been recorded in Dubai, Al Ain, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, the Ru'us al-Jibal and the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species extends from northern Africa and the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species is known from scattered locations typically within the north and east of the UAE, however there is also a record from close to Dubai (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). Globally, this species has a wide ranging native distribution, spanning across temperate Eurasia and northern Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).