Flora of the Canary Islands
By Margaret Kennedy-Tully
A collection of true Canarian plants, grown or growing here in the Canary Islands. Although there are many plants that grow here and are certainly worth a mention, this page is for plants that have been given the name canariensis in their binomial name.
Euphorbia canariensis
This is commonly known as the Canary Island spurge. It is not a cactus, despite its spiny appearance, as it´s latin name suggests it is a Euphorbia.
It is regarded as a tree and it grows to approximately 13 feet high. It is a succulent and therefore as their characteristics so often include being able to thrive in dry conditions due to their ability to store water, this is no exception.
At the tips of the branches small flowers form, they are nearly heart shaped and are green in colour, turning to a ruby red.
The sketch below was done sitting right next to an example of this tree, at Amarillo coast, Tenerife. Hopefully it shows the detail of the shape of the branches and the trunk.
Later on in their lifespan, they start to dry out and eventually skeletonise and fall in on themselves. This is due to the natural course of life but can also be due to burrowing animals making a home in the centre of the trunk. Small birds nest in them as they are like a spiny fortress keeping the birds of prey at bay.
The milky sap that oozes out of them when cut is a toxic latex and can burn and mark the skin.
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