Parque Nacional Garajonay

Tree heath (Erica arborea)

This is a species with a Mediterranean distribution and also from the large mountains in East Africa. The standing it achieves on La Gomera, of up to 20 metres, is only comparable with the height achieved in some mountainous areas of Africa. It is easily recognisable thanks to its acicular leaves of half a millimetre?s width and one centimetre in length, as well as for its browny-red trunk which grow diagonally, heather is excellent at capturing moisture brought by the Trade Winds, known as horizontal rain. The wood was once used in the ovens to make charcoal, pipes and kitchen utensils. This is the most common tree species in the Park because in its natural state it competes with advantage with other species in the drier and more sunny spaces or exposed to the wind, and it is also the first tree to colonise abandoned or degraded areas.  Flowering: mid February-mid March