The Dragon tree is the most mysterious and interesting tree on Tenerife. It is believed that the trees live for hundreds of years, although dating them precisely is not possible as they don’t have any annual tree rings. The ‘Dracaena Draco’ to give it its proper name, is a native species to the Canary Islands, and is used as an official plant symbol of Tenerife. The Dragon tree get its name from the red sap…

Many exotic plants have been introduced into Tenerife from all over the world including the iconic Bird of Paradise or Strelitzia flower, which has become a national symbol of Tenerife. It is known as the Bird of Paradise or Crane Flower due to its resemblance to the birds head and beak; the flower heads are formed of bright yellow and orange, purple and blue.Its proper name is ‘Strelitzia Reginae’, named after Queen Charlotte, Duchy of…

Along the rural roads of Tenerife you will find huge stands of Poinsettia plants. These plants are normally associated with winter and the Christmas period to north Europeans, so it can be quite surprising to find it grows in abundance on Tenerife.The plant is originally from Mexico and can grow to heights of over 2m, with bright red leaves that look like petals and small yellow flowers. The plants proper botanical name is ‘Euphorbia pulcherrima’,…