Flora

The national park, a paradise for any lover of botany, hosts one of the best examples of Monteverde in the Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde and a sector of the African coast). The Monteverde encompasses the laurel and the fayal-brezal, a drier and poorer forest in tree species. The laurel forest of the Macaronesia is a "living fossil" that has its origin in the ancient flora that existed in the Mediterranean region during the Tertiary, and that the climate changes related to glaciation have led to the disappearance of almost all of its area of distribution.

The key protagonists of the jungle that occupy the park are the trees. Trees that are the support of the laurel forest, formed by about 20 tree species, some of which are very abundant and other tremendously rare. As its name indicates, the laurisilva is a forest (silva) of laurels.
However, unlike a pine forest, where the pine predominates overwhelmingly, in the laurisilva forest there are, not only laurels, but also many trees that inhabit there and are similar to the laurel: giants with leaves, usually dark green, smooth and perennial. Laurels (Laurus novocanariensis), viñátigos (Persea indica), tiles (Ocotea foetens), acebiños (Ilex canariensis), palos blancos (Picconia excelsa) or follaos (Viburnum rigidum) are some of the inhabitants of the wettest part of the mountain.

Hayas (Morella faya) and brezos (Erica arborea) are the main components of the fayal-brezal, a forest ecosystem which is drier and poorer in species, but not of less beauty and conservation value.

Other tree species are less abundant but equally important: the barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the mocán (Visnea mocanera), the sanguino (Rhamnus glandulosa), the aderno (Heberdenia excelsa), the bojo (Ilex perado ssp.platyphylla) or the Sauce (Salix canariensis).

Much more rare and scarce are the peralillo (Gymnosporia casinoides), the cedro (Juniperus cedrus), the sángano (Prunus lusitanica ssp.hixa) the tabaiba monte (Euphorbia mellifera) or the saúco (Sambucus nigra ssp.palmensis).

Of course, we must not forget that Garajonay is an important refuge for the canary flora, with more than 700 plant species, of which about half are lichens, and more than 1000 species of fungi. Without all of them, the puzzle would not be complete. Ferns, herbaceous plants, shrubs, mosses, lichens, fungi... A plant kingdom with 2,000 species living in the 3,984 hectares of the National Park!

Of these 2,000 species, a large percentage is indigenous and, of these, many are endemic (unique) to the Canary Islands and to La Gomera. Some of them are so scarce that the national park has been working for years in a programme of "Genetic Rescue", in order to prevent their disappearance. Others are very rare in other parts of the State, but relatively abundant in the mountains of La Gomera. The following chart lists the taxa and their protection categories as "endangered" (END) and "vulnerable" (VUL), as shown in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species or in the Canary Island Catalogue of Protected Species:

Especie	Categoría	Common Name
Pteris incompleta	VU	helecha de monte o rasgundo dentado
Hymenophyllum wilsonii	EX	helechilla
Christella dentata	EX	helecha
Diplazium caudatum	VU	helecho de monte
Juniperus cedrus	VU	cedro
Morella rivas-martinezii	EX	faya herreña
Ruta microcarpa	EX	ruda gomera
Euphorbia mellifera	EX	tabaiba de monte
Cistus chinamadensis ssp. gomerae	VU	jara blanca
Crambe wildpretiiEE	EX	mostaza salvaje
Salix canariensis	VU	sauce, sao
Ilex perado ssp. lopezlilloi	EX	bojo
Sambucus nigra ssp. palmensis	EX	saúco
Echium acanthocarpum.	EX	tajinaste de monte
Asparagus fallax	EX	espárrago

These species are extremely rare plants, located in very specific areas of the island. The park administration drafted recovery plans for many of them, in order to improve their populations.

Inside the gomero mountain, a series of plant formations can be distinguished, influenced by altitude, exposure, gradient, etc.

Monteverde seco (Dry evergreen laurel forest). It corresponds to the lower limit of the mountain (between 500 and 800 m.) and, therefore, to areas less affected by the mists where the Mediterranean climate dominates, with slightly higher temperatures and less humidity than in the summits. Its characteristic trees are the barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the mocán (visnea mocanera), the peralillo (Gymnosporia cassinoides) and the marmolán (Sideroxylon canariense), which are mixed with brezo (Erica arborea) and the haya (Morella faya), very widely distributed. The granadillo (Hypericum canariense), a shrub that can exceed 5 m in height, is the most characteristic shrub.

Monteverde seco (Dry evergreen laurel forest)- It corresponds to the lower limit of the mountain (between 500 and 800 m.) and, therefore, to areas less affected by the mists where the Mediterranean climate dominates, with slightly higher temperatures and less humidity than in the summits. Its characteristic trees are the barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the mocán (visnea mocanera), the peralillo (Gymnosporia cassinoides) and the marmolán (Sideroxylon canariense), which are mixed with brezo (Erica arborea) and the haya (Morella faya), very widely distributed. The granadillo (Hypericum canariense), a shrub that can exceed 5 m in height, is the most characteristic shrub.

Monteverde húmedo de ladera (Humid evergreen laurel forest of the hillside).- This type of ecosystem is characterized by settling on the slopes. The most representative species are the laurel (Laurus novocanariensis), the follao (Viburnum rigidum), the haya (Morella faya), the acebiño (Ilex canariensis) and the brezo (Erica arborea). In this part of the forest, corresponding to the windward slopes, the understorey abounds in creeper plants, such as the hiedra canaria (Hedera canariensis) and the tambaruche (Tamus edulis), and some species of ferns: the penco de estrella (Polystichum setiferum), the penco (Dryopteris oligodonta), the pata de gallina (Polypodium macaronesicum) and the bechochina (Davallia canariensis).

Brezal de crestería (Erica platycodon ridge-crest evergreen forest).- It is one of the most special and fascinating forests in the park, located along the crests in its Northern slope and forming a narrow band. Its forests, of small size with twisted trunks and covered with mosses, indicate the high humidity. In higher altitudes, above 1200 meters, where there is an incidence of fog during many months of the year, the brezo (Erica arborea) dominates and it can reach up to 20 meters (maybe the largest brezos in the world!). At lower altitudes, where the fog has an impact throughout the year, the prevailing one is the tejo or flejo (Erica Platycodon). More scarce, but also present in this type of ecosystem, are the hayas, acebiños, laureles and, occasionally, the cedros canarios (Juniperus cedrus spp. cedrus). This last tree is a scarce endemism shared with Madeira. In the park, it is located on rock formations and a few summits.

Fayal-brezal.- Naturally, it is primarily located on the Southern slopes of the park (drier), especially on the ones corresponding to the highest peaks, and on rocky places of scarce soil. The fact of being species that are more resilient and less demanding, they can also be found in those places where the most demanding laurels were exploited by mankind. It deserves special mention the haya herreña (Morella rivas-martinezii), a very small tree discovered in the seventies and also found in El Hierro and La Palma. On the edges of tracks and where the trees are not very dense, various plants embellish the mountain with beautiful colours during spring: the morgallón (Ranunculus cortusifolius), the siempreviva (Myosotis latifolia) and the patacuervo (Geranium canariense). In places like the Laguna Grande or Las Creces, the latter plant shapes, at the beginning of spring, a beautiful carpet of purple-pink flowers on the floor of the mountain, one of the most beautiful landscapes that the mountain of La Gomera can offer.

Rock Outcrop Communities.- The plants that grow on the fissures and crevices of the rocks are probably the ones that mostly attract the attention of the visitors. With almost no space to "cling on" , the beas (Aeonium sp.), melosillas (Aychrison sp. ), cerrajones (Sonchus spp.) and melosas (Monanthes sp.) defy the laws of gravity and the lack of soil, creating a unique and surprising ecosystem. The flora of these environments is characterized by thick and fleshy tissues, in which it is possible to retain a large amount of water - that is why they are called succulents plants.

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