Endemic Flora — Dragon Tree, Canary Pine & Laurel Forest
The plant world of the Canaries is a botanical wonder of the world. Due to isolation in the Atlantic and extreme altitude differences, hundreds of endemic species have developed over millions of years, found nowhere else on Earth.
The Dragon Tree (Drago)
The emblem of the Canaries — a primeval-looking tree with a thick trunk, umbrella-shaped crown, and red resin (the legendary "dragon's blood"), traded since antiquity as a remedy and dye. The Guanches revered the Drago as sacred. The most famous specimen is the Drago Milenario in Icod de los Vinos (Tenerife) — its estimated age varies between 500 and 1,000 years depending on the source. Other impressive dragon trees stand in the Jardín Botánico in Puerto de la Cruz and on La Palma.
The Canary Pine (Pinus canariensis)
A survival artist like no other: The Canary Pine grows on lava soils and at altitudes up to 2,500 m and has a unique ability — it can sprout anew from charred trunks after a forest fire. After the devastating forest fire on Tenerife in 2023, green shoots appeared on blackened trees just months later. Its extremely long needles (up to 30 cm) also comb moisture from the trade wind clouds — so-called "horizontal rain", which soaks the ground under the trees.
The Laurel Forest (Laurisilva)
The most valuable botanical heritage of Europe: The laurel forests (Laurisilva) on La Gomera, Tenerife (Anaga), La Palma, and El Hierro are relics of the subtropical forests that covered all of Southern Europe before the Ice Age. They died out in continental Europe — only in the Canaries (and Madeira and the Azores) did they survive thanks to the even climate. The Garajonay National Park on La Gomera is the largest contiguous laurel forest in the world — UNESCO World Heritage since 1986. Hiking through these moss-covered, mist-shrouded forests feels like a time travel to an era before humans.
Other Botanical Highlights
- Canary Spurge (Euphorbia canariensis): Cactus-like succulent that grows everywhere in the arid areas
- Tajinaste (Echium wildpretii): A bright red flower tower up to 3 meters high, growing only on Teide in Tenerife and on La Palma — a breathtaking sight in May/June
- Siempreviva (Limonium): The "Everlasting" — grows on barren cliffs and symbolizes the resilience of Canarian nature
💡 Tipp
The Jardín Botánico in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife), founded in 1788, showcases the entire Canarian and tropical plant world in a small space. For the laurel forest of La Gomera, choose the route through the Garajonay National Park from Alto de Garajonay — here the forest is densest and most magical.
