Gran Canaria is ablaze with the vibrant colours of a multitude of flowering plants and trees throughout the year. The amazing variety of flora on display leaves many visitors surprised and curious. Because of the islands remarkable climate even small common plants can grow to astonishing proportions that leave them practically unrecognizable to the amateur gardener. With very little literature readily available to inform the interested, a common question to be heard from the strolling public is “What on earth is that?”
Although Gran Canaria has many indigenous plant varieties, the most abundantly used to decorate the southerly parks and gardens usually have outside origins and were brought to the islands by early settlers.
Bird of Paradise Flower or Strelitzia Reginae
The Bird of Paradise Flower is a spectacular plant that grows to grand proportions here in the islands. Originally a native of South Africa, the Strelitza Reginae has readily adapted to Gran Canarias hot dry climate. With its need for a good few hours of sunlight to enable the plant to produce its strange flowers, the long Canarian days guarantee a prolific production making this unusual plant an excellent, long lasting and popular take-home souvenir.
Candelabra Tree or Euphorbia Candelabrum
As a member of the succulent family these large plants need very little water, so are ideal for the dry arid terrain of the Canaries where they can be seen growing in even the most isolated of locations. The Euphorbia family is extensive and in Gran Canaria you will be able to see many excellent specimens of a great variety of them.
Buganvilla or Bougainvillea Spectabilis
Buganvilla, or paper flower, is a common sight in the south of Gran Canaria. The extravagant hues of the flowers vary from the lightest pink to the darkest mauve, illuminating and decorating the driest of scenarios. A native of Brazil, the plant was introduced to the island by the French navigator Luis Antoine de Bouganville, the first Frenchmen to sail around the world.
Chinese Hibiscus or Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis
The Chinese Hibiscus is commonly seen in many of Gran Canaria’s park areas, with a multitude of large open colourful flowers adorning these decorative bushes. The strong yellow-orange pollen that clings to the protruding stamen is extremely difficult to remove from clothing, so it is wise to admire them from a safe distance.
Oleander or Nerium Oleander
This bushy plant is a native of the Mediterranean, and a common sight in the south of the island. The Oleander or Nerium Oleander is frequently planted along open roadsides where it serves as a windbreak and also in many hotel and apartment gardens for decorative purposes.
It is a good point to remember, especially if you are travelling with young children, that all parts of this plant are in fact poisonous.
Botanical Gardens in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
One of the best places to see the Canarian plant life at its best is in the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the islands capital city. A very under-publicised park area that houses all of the most distinctive of the islands plantlife in a serene and organised setting.
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