Abstract Measurements of Ni, Mn, Mg, Ca, K and Fe concentrations in the soils that correspond to nine populations of Alyssum murale growing in different metalliferous regions of North Greece (eight from Vavdos, Chalkidiki area –rich in nickel and one from Grammeni, Drama –rich in manganese), revealed high amounts of Ni-Mg, and Mn-Ca in the soils of Vavdos and Grammeni, respectively. Ca/Mg ratio was very low (<0.24) in Vavdos, but very high (16.8) in Grammeni. All soil samples contained high amounts of Fe, but very low amounts of K. Alyssum murale natural plants from Vavdos were capable of taking up Ni from the soil and accumulating it in the leaves, whereas those from Grammeni did not have the ability to accumulate Mn. A positive correlation between Ni or Mn concentration in the plants and the soil where they grow, was also observed. The populations of A. murale from Vavdos exhibited both higher seed germination and index of tolerance to Ni, while the population from Grammeni showed higher seed germination and index of tolerance to Mn.
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