Flowers are what we need at this time of year, and Lanzarote won’t let you down. Here are a few of the undisputed stars that the island can offer – tough, beautiful, and full of happiness and wonder.
Hibiscus
The hibiscus seems to defy all expectations on Lanzarote. This glossy-leaved shrub is tough, hardy and seems to survive pretty much anything that the climate throws at it here. You don’t usually associate such hardiness with lush beauty, but the hibiscus has an astonishing surprise up its sleeve – huge, beautiful, sensual flowers in brilliant pink, yellow, orange, creamy white and deep crimson. They’re always surprising and lift the spirits before withering after a day or two.
It really is a tough customer, and hacking it back only seems to make it throw out more of those flowers. Even the greenfly don’t seem to put it off its stride.
Strelitzia
It’s called the bird-of-paradise plant, but it really looks like nothing else on earth – a large fleshy plant with long-lasting, spectacular orange and purple flowers that seem to have been designed by a surrealist genius.
You’ll see strelitzias everywhere on Lanzarote – they’re especially popular by roadsides – but if you want one in your garden you’re going to have to plan ahead. Their root systems can quickly spread, and before long you’ll have a beautiful monster on your hands.
Bougainvillea
The vivid purple of bougainvillea can be seen creeping up walls all over the island but, while that outrageous purple is the most popular colour, it’s not the only one. This immensely popular ornamental plant is also available in white, pink, red and orange.
Flame vine
Pyrostegia Venusta originally comes from Brazil, but this vigorous creeper is found throughout the Canaries, too. Again, it’s another almost indestructible plant that laughs at pests and thrives in hot, dry conditions. And it throws off huge amounts of brilliant orange trumpetshaped flowers that can light any garden on fire.
Convolvulus
The convolvulus is not bright or gaudy – it’s a gorgeous, subtle lilac shade – but when it flowers, you’ll know why this family of plants is often called Morning Glory. It’s a real surprise to see such as delicate-looking beauty blooming in what seem the toughest of conditions, but all this plant needs is a bit of water to make the most of life. It’s also native to the Canaries.
Paris daisy
Snow white and sunshine yellow explosions of joy, daisies always cheer you up, and the Paris daisy, a Canarian species that went on to conquer the world, is one of the most uplifting of all.
A small hardy shrub that loves sunshine and drained soil, the margarita, as it’s known here, will burst into glorious flower at this time of year. If you want to get an idea of its beauty, head to the north of Lanzarote and just look around – there are sure to be plenty following the rains of mid-March.
Flower Routes
Rains in mid-March mean that Lanzarote is likely to burst into flower during April. Here are some of the best places to go to appreciate this brief explosion of natural beauty:
Presa de Mala: The dam above Mala is one of the most wonderfully verdant wildlife areas after the rains.
Barranco de Tenegüime: This valley, located in the hill above Guatiza, is one of several barrancos in Haría that are filled with poppies, daisies and mustard flowers.
Llanos de Maguez: The meadows just above Maguéz are utterly beautiful at this time of year, with a wide range of flowers, grasses, cacti and sweeping views down to the sea.
Puerto Calero: The road to the marina is often one of the most gorgeous routes during wildflower time.
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