Interesting Plants
of the 
Canary Islands 

noting those during 
Focus On Nature Tours
with an (*) 

1996 thru 2014

during the months of June & July 


The following list of Canary Islands Plants compiled by Armas Hill 

Photo at upper right:  the endemic CANARY PINE  



There have been 6 FONT tours in the Canary Islands.       


Links:

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in Spain & the Canary Islands

Birds of the Canary Islands

Mammals & Marine Life of the Canary Islands

Butterflies, Dragonflies, & Damselflies in the Canary Islands

Amphibians & Reptiles of the Canary Islands

Directory of Photos in this Website

The Canary Islands are famous for their high endemism. Almost half of the 1,270 indigenous plants of the Canaries are endemic and often only occur on single islands.
Additionally, about 680 alien plants have been introduced in the Canary Islands.

A Listing of Canary Island Plants:

       
      In the SUBTROPICAL SUCCULENT BUSH:

         On the south sides of the western islands, as well as the higher mountains on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote

       

1. Euphorbiaceae  ______  (dominates)   
   
   
2. Candelarum Milkweed  ______  
   Euphorbia canariensis 
   
   
3. Ceropegia  ______
   
   
4. Allagopappus  ______
   
   
5. Aeonium species  ______ 
   
   
6. Kleinia neriifolia  ______ 
   
   
7. Dragon's Tree  ______  (only a few wild specimens still exist) 
   Dracaena drago
   
   
8. Canary Palm  ______  (some larger numbers have remained in wet places, e.g. Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera)  
   Phoenix canariensis
   
   
9. Opuntia  ______  (introduced from South America) 
   
   
10. Agava  ______  (introduced from South America)
    
    
    At Upper Limits of Xeric Basal Regions:
    
     
11. Juniperus phoenicea  ______    
    
    
12. Juniperus cedrus  ______   EH  GC  TE   (at higher altitudes than Juniperus phoenices)  
    
    
    Nearly vegetation-free SEMI-DESERT:
    
    (in the same geographic areas as the previous grouping)   
    
    
13. Launaea arborescens  (= Zollikoferia spinosa)  ______    
    
    
14. Zygophyllum fontanesii  ______    
    
    
15. Suaeda species  ______   
    
    
16. Salsola species  ______  
    
    
    Desert flowers:
    
    
17. Matthiola parviflora  ______     
    
    
18. Echium lancerottense  ______  
    
    
19. Mesembryanthemum  species  ______   
    
    
20. Chrysanthemum coronarium  ______   
    
     
21. Reichardia tingitana  ______       
    
    
22. Asphodelus tenuifolius  ______  (a perennial)     
     
    
23. Lotus lancerottensis  ______  (a perennial)
    
    
24. Kickxia sagittata  ______  (a perennial)      
    
    
25. Tamaris  species  ______  (specialist halophytic, salt-tolerant plants along the coast, where not destroyed by the development of tourist facilities)   
    
    
    The LAUREL FOREST:
    
    Characteristic trees of the Laurel Forest:
    
    
26. Laurus azorica  (= Laurus canariensis)  ______  (the most common representative) 
    
      
27. Persea indica  ______   
    
    
28. Apollonias barbujana  ______     
    
    
29. Ocotea foetens  ______  
     
    
30. Viburnum tinus  ______  (dominates the shrub layer)   
    
    
31. Pteridium aquilinum  ______  (a fern, in wet places)    
    
    
32. Smilax  ______  (a climber)   
    
    
33. Convolvulus canariensis  ______  (a climber)  
    
    
34. Hedera canariensis  ______  (a climber)    
    
    
35. Erica arborea  ______  (a tree heather, in degraded areas)  
    
    
36. Myrica faya  ______  (can grow up to 20 meters high, in degraded areas)    
    
    
37. Ilex canariensis  ______ (dominates the shrub layer , in degraded areas)   
    
    
38. Phyllis nobla  ______  (dominates the shrub layer, in degraded areas)   
    
    
39. Rhamnus glanulosa  ______  (an endemic plant along forest tracks)   
    
    
40. Cedronella canariensis  ______  (an endemic plant along forest tracks)    
    
    
41. Urtica morifolia  ______  (an endemic plant along forest tracks)   
    
    
42. Gesnouinia arborea  ______  (an endemic plant along forest tracks)   
    
    
43. Canary Dwarf Shrub Heather  ______  (Tomillares)
    
    
44. Genista -like species in the genera:
    Adenocarpus  ______
    Cytisus  ______
    Cahrmaecytisus  ______
    Teline  ______
    Ulex  ______  
    
    
45. Dittrichia  (= Inula) viscosa  ______
    
    
46. Cistus  ______
    
    
47. Lavandula species  ______
    
    
48. Micromeria  species  ______
    
    
    The PINE FORESTS:  
    
    
49. Canary Pine   ______   (PHOTO AT TOP OF FILE) 
    Pinus canariensis  
    
    
50. Pinus radiata  ______  (introduced from North America) 
    
    
51. Cistus species  ______  (in the herb & shrub layer)
    
    
52. Cytisus species   ______  (in the herb & shrub layer)
    
    
    The MOUNTAIN SEMI-DESERT:
    
    Globose and often spiny shrubs  
    
    
53. Saprtocytisus supramubium  ______  (white-flowering)  (in the family FABACEAE) 
    
    
54. Adenocarpus viscosus  ______  (yellow-flowering)  (in the family FABACEAE)  (flowers in the spring & summer)
    
    
55. Pterocephalus lasiospermus  ______  (violet-flowering)  (flowers in the spring & summer) 
    
    
56. Crucifer  ______  (flowers in the spring)
    Descurainia bourgaeana
    
    
57. Erysimum scoparium  ______  (flowers in the spring)
    
    
58. Echium wildpretti  ______  
    
    Echium wildpretti is especially striking, with candle-like strands more than 2 meters high) 
    
    
    Alpine-like SCREE COMMUNITIES:
    
    
59. Viola cheiranthifolia  ______
    
    Viola cheiranthifolia is an Canarian endemic violet, and the only vascular plant of the islands. It occurs above 2,600 meters in elevation on Mount Teide on Tenerife. 
    
    
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