Friends of the Earth Malta has expressed concern that the floral carpet to be laid out in St George’s Square, in an event organised by Valletta Foundation 2018, will be made up of non-native species.

“Placing a large amount of these flowers in Valletta and passing it off as a way to raise environmental consciousness and promote environmental sustainability is a contradiction,” the organisation said.

The carpet will be made up petunias, which FoE said originated in South America, and pansies, a hybrid derived from plants commonly found in the northern hemisphere.