The name of the Tajinaste was not chosen randomly, but assigned to fascinated Swiss botanist Hermann Wildpret.
Anyone who has visited the natural area of Las Cañadas in spring has been captivated by the endemic display of colors from the spear-shaped Tajinaste plant. You can read all about it in our article TAJINASTES. At an average altitude of 2,200 meters, the red tajinaste thrives in its natural habitat.
A dozen species of tajinastes grow wild on the islands, and the name “tajinaste” did not come about by chance.
After a blooming period that lasts throughout the spring, these plants now scatter their vibrant colors, much to the delight of many, especially photography enthusiasts. The stunning native plant, scientifically known as Echium wildpretii, bears its name as a tribute to the Swiss botanist Hermann Wildpret (1834–1908), who was in charge of the Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava in the 19th century.
Wolfredo Wildpret
Wolfredo Wildpret, the great-grandson of Hermann Wildpret, shares his ancestor’s fascination with the Echium. He and his wife discovered a hybrid on Tenerife’s high plains—a variety with a color somewhere between red and blue. They hope to gather seeds to cultivate this plant.
Wolfredo knows the tajinastes not only professionally but also through inheritance, as the flora gene runs in his family. Thanks to his Swiss great-grandfather Hermann Wildpret, the red tajinaste (Echium wildpretii) carries their family name. In the mid-19th century, Hermann Wildpret labeled the plant after being hired by another Swiss gardener to work at the Botanical Garden in La Orotava. This garden was established to cultivate species from the tropics and endemic flora from Macaronesia—a region that includes the Azores, the Ilhas Selvagens, Madeira, and the Cape Verde Islands—in order to preserve these species.
Wolfredo, carrying both Swiss and Canarian chromosomes, is also the grandson of the Gran Canarian painter Néstor de la Torre.
Tajinaste Varieties
The red tajinaste, also known as sangre del Teide (Teide’s blood), is endemic to Tenerife and La Palma, while the blue tajinaste is more abundant on Gran Canaria. It is a shrub that develops a rosette of very dense, lance-shaped leaves, longer at the base than at the top, with silvery tones. The flowers are coral red and grow in a pointed shape, with the plant reaching heights of up to three meters.
In late spring, the tajinaste is at its most beautiful, creating a striking color contrast with the dark tones of the lava and magma.
Honey
On Tenerife, the red tajinaste is more easily found from March to the end of June compared to the white and blue varieties. It is particularly prominent in Las Cañadas del Teide, the National Park, and even in mid-altitude areas such as Vilaflor, located at just over 1,000 meters above sea level. This “high bloomer” attracts honeybees during its long blooming period, thanks to its abundance of pollen and nectar. The honey produced from it is light-colored, almost transparent with yellow hues, of the highest quality, and carries a designation of origin.
Do Not Pick
Veteran biologist Wolfredo Wildpret de la Torre urges people to respect nature and stick to the trails of Teide National Park when observing the explosion of colors from the tajinastes. Picking the flowers to plant them in a personal garden equates to ecological vandalism. It is also futile, as the flowers die immediately upon removal from their habitat. Ignoring conservation regulations is strictly fined by the government.
Willy Van De Wiele © Photography
The Name of the Tajinaste ©
More TRIVIA can be read [HERE].
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