Double dose of spring, Gran Canaria

Almonds of Tejeda

This year, since we are allowed to go out and look at the beautiful spring of Gran Canaria, we try to do it as much as possible. Last spring, as I am sure everyone remembers, all or nearly all of Europe was in quarantine. What not everybody knows, perhaps, is how unnecessarily draconian the quarantine was in Spain. We were not allowed to go out of the house except for necessities. Said necessities didn’t include walking or any other form of outdoor physical exercise. Only dog owners were allowed to walk their pets, which give raise to infinite number of memes showing dogs being walked to exhaustion.

Even after we were finally allowed to get out a bit, the requirement of not getting too far from the house was imposed, thus preventing us from seeing the last flowers of spring. So, this year we try to compensate for that. I already did a number of hikes which I haven’t attempted before, and maybe I will write about some of them in details, but this post is here just to show the spring flowers and give very brief indicators as to where and when they could be seen.

Salix canariensis, Canary sallow

I start with almonds, because I love almonds. They start flowering in January, sometimes even in December, and the peak of blossom tends to fall onto the end of January — beginning of February, but it all depends on the weather.

Almonds flower in many places on Gran Canaria, but the most popular hanami routes go around Caldera de Tejeda in the center of the island. After the wildfire of 2019 some of the trees on the north side of the caldera perished, so I reckon that now the best route to see the almonds is Tejeda — Cruz de Timagada, which can be made into a circular or you can just walk a bit of it and come back. A bonus is that you can do this using the public transport. The Canary sallow tree, Salix canariensis, shows its little fluffy catkins around the same time.

Lavandula canariensis, Canary lavender

Almonds and sallows don’t last long, but Canary lavender flowers can be seen for a few months all over the island, starting from the altitude of a few hundred meters. Over the years I have been observing how the flora changes in certain areas, and this year, I quite liked the combination of flowers which we saw around Tagoror del Gallego — there were lavender, asphodels and marguerites, growing between the spurges. The picture above taken in January.

Not a flower picture, obviously, but since we are on Tagoror now: Teide on Tenerife proudly shows his snow cover, a rare sight indeed

Argyranthemum or marguerite daisy

Marguerite daisies start appearing in January—February, depending on the species and place. The peak of bloom falls onto the first half of April, when the round, almost semi-spherical plants are covered in flowers and look like flocks of white sheep on the slopes of the Summits of Gran Canaria, Las Cumbres. This year, we observed the most of them around Pico de Las Nieves, the highest point of the island.

Pericallis webbii, endemic of Gran Canaria

Locally called Flor de Mayo, i.e. May flower, Pericallis webbii flowers for nearly half a year. Some slopes turn magenta when it is at its maximum maximorum. They grow pretty much everywhere, but they need high humidity to display all their splendor, so the best places to look for them are around San Mateo, Teror and Valsequillo. The photo above was taken at Santa María de Guía. There is a little mountain behind the center of the town which explodes into flower in March, to dry out in May.

Small mantis Ameles gracilis on the flowers of yellow broom Teline microphylla

In March, yellow broom Teline microphylla starts to flower in the mountains. The flowering time depends very much on the orientation of the slope on which it is growing. Right now, in the end of April, you can find the bushes in all stages of flowering — some already fully done with it, some just starting. Although easily burned by wildfires, this plant propagates equally easily, covering whole mountains in yellow. This year, the most yellow patches were along the route Cruz de Tejeda — San Mateo, passing through Hoya de Gamonal.

At the peak, all you can see are the yellow flowers, stems and leaves well hidden

Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy

Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy is an obviously introduced species. It is considered invasive, but it is undeniably beautiful, probably the most beautiful of all the invasive species on the island. There are whole fields of them around San Mateo, probably all escapes from a single garden years ago. If you wish to see them, start walking on one of the routes leading to Pico de las Nieves. In some places they happily mix with the common red poppy, Papaver rhoeas.

Field poppy

Field poppies grow in many places. For the maximum mix of flowers, including the poppies, I would recommend the routes which go up from Tenteniguada village to Caldera de los Marteles and towards Pico de las Nieves. Going there in the first half of April, you will see amazing mixture of shapes and colors.

Echium callithyrsum, blue bugloss of Tenteniguada

Speaking of Tenteniguada. This is where you find probably the most appreciated flower of Gran Canaria, on par with almonds. Echium callithyrsum, blue bugloss of Gran Canaria, endemic and endangered in the wild, grows in large numbers around Rincon de Tenteniguada. There are two main hiking routes that start in the Rincon — one leading to the Caldera de los Marteles, and another up along the ravine Barranco de la Pasadera. Both steep, especially the ravine one. If you wish, you can link the two in their upper points and make a circular walk out of it. The buglosses flower along both routes. Maximum flowering is in the first half of April, and both routes are a riot of colors.

Canarina canariensis, Canary bellflower, Barranco de la Pasadera

Barranco de la Pasadera is the only place where I know a pure yellow specimen of Canarina canariensis, Canary Bellflower, grows. Normally the flowers of Canarina are orange with red veins, but not this one. Not sure why, but there you go, just a little local curiosity. It is found not far from the start of the ravine, within one kilometer, but the ascent is steep, be warned.

Gonospermum ferulaceum, sticky tansy

This year it was the first time I saw Gonospermum ferulaceum, sticky tansy, in the wild. Before I only saw it in the Jardin Canario, Canary Botanical Garden, and in passing from the bus window, but this year, I feel very lucky to catch it in bloom on a gorgeous walk to Punta de las Arenas.

To put it into context. Quite something, isn’t it?

I feel like maybe I should stop soon, so... Here is a nice mixture of Canary buttercups, marguerite daisies and Erysimum albescens, a species of wallflower, growing and flowering together around Caldera de los Marteles

I guess I’d better stop about now. To summarise — if you are as much into flowers as I am and have the slightest opportunity to come to the mountains of Gran Canaria in spring, come in the beginning of April. You won’t regret it, I promise. I have hiking companions who are in general indifferent to all things floral, but even they are impressed by the sheer exuberance of the island spring.

Ranunculus cortusifolius, Canary buttercup

Erysimum albescens, a species of wallflower

Above are just some species of flowers you will see on Gran Canaria in spring, I won’t dream of trying to squeeze all of them in one post. And my absolute favourite, silver tansy, hasn’t even started flowering yet. I am so looking forward to it.

Some pics of the flora of Gran Canaria — here.