Introduction: Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich. (Cucurbitaceae), is a wild Mediterranean medicinal plant which has been described to thrive in drastic environmental conditions. In one study, it has been described to be frost-tolerant as compared to other wild species of the Cucurbitaceae family (4). This study was conducted on E. elaterium wild stocks growing in Malta (Central Mediterranean), on several soil types in order to determine the soil conditions ideal for the growth of this disease-resistant wild species (1). Materials and Methods: Four sites representative of the different soil types in Malta were selected for the habitat studies of E. elaterium wild stocks. The localities are illustrated in Figure 1, while the description of the soil types is given in Table 1. The experiments were subdivided into two groups: (a) The soil physical characteristics. The soil moisture content was determined by air-drying the soil until a constant dry weight was obtained. The percentage weight loss corresponded to the moisture content. The gravel and soil contents were determined by using a 2-mm sieve to separate the large stones from the fine soil particles. (b) The soil chemical characteristics. The pH and conductivity were determined using a pH meter (Dulcometer, from Prominent, Germany) and a conductivity meter (Jenway, U.S.A.). The organic matter was determined by using the dichromate oxidation test (3) while the carbonate content was determined using the sodium hydroxide-hydrochloric acid titration. The results were analysed statistically by the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test for equality of means. Only p0.1, v=19), while a statistical significance was recorded for the gravel and soil contents (p