It’s summertime when the gardens truly come to life. As the sun beats down and dry east-winds blow in from the Sahara, an array of tropical blooms awaken. The beautiful flowers of the baobab tree burst into view in the African and Madagascan sections, where bright whites and orange transform the smooth, dark bark. Elsewhere, the distinctive yellow petals of Metrosideros laurifolia, a tree from New Caledonia, make themselves known. In the area dedicated to South American flora, delicate water hyanciths from the Amazon basin float gently in the stream.
Welcome to The Santa Cruz Palmetum Gardens in Tenerife, where visitors can embark on a truly global voyage of discovery, enjoying 3,000 species of plants from tropical and subtropical climates from around the world across 12 hectares of landscaped greenery.
This includes one of the biggest – and best – collections of palm trees to be found on the planet, gleaned from island territories including Madagascar, the Caribbean and Polynesia, as well as a multitude of bird species, such as redfish, hoopoe, blue tit and blackbird, which have all taken up residence over the years.
With two lakes linked by a stream, three waterfalls and beautiful corners decorated with immense volcanic rocks, it’s no surprise these birds have made the splendid setting their home.
