Orchids. Flora of the Canary Islands. Wild and cultivated orchids in the Canary Islands

Orchids

Phalaenopsis

    In the Canary Islands there are only eight species of wild orchids, almost all of which are small in size and have inconspicuous flowers. However, the Canarians’ great fondness for orchids is evident from the presence of non-native orchids in most of the islands’ public and private gardens. The beauty and spectacular nature of these plants’ flowers mean that it is rare to find a house or garden that does not feature some orchids, whether in pots, in hanging baskets or on a dry tree trunk.
    On the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, there are large collections of orchids open to the public, such as Sitio Litre, the Orchid Centre and Palmitos Park. The Orchid Centre is situated in the municipality of Arona, in the south of the island of Tenerife. This theme park is home to over 400 different species of orchids from all over the world, as well as a huge collection of carnivorous plants, making it the perfect place to visit and discover something truly unique.
    El Sitio Litre is a small garden dating back more than 200 years, situated in the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. It houses the Canary Islands’ first collection of orchids, with over 250 carefully cultivated species. Throughout its history, it has been visited by leading figures from the worlds of science, art and literature, such as Alexander von Humboldt, Agatha Christie and Marianne North, a painter who drew inspiration from these gardens to create works that are now on display at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London.
    Palmitos Park is a botanical garden and zoo situated in the Barranco de los Palmitos, in the south of the island of Gran Canaria. Its Orchid House is home to the largest collection of orchids in the whole of the Canary Islands. Tenerife also has a number of smaller orchid collections, such as those at Loro Park and the Puerto de la Cruz Botanical Gardens. And on almost every island there are nurseries and private collections where you can admire and purchase numerous species of this unique group of plants.