Pinus canariensis Canary Islands Pine Endemic
This Pine has evolved to be both drought and fire tolerant which is ideal living on the side of Mount Teide an active Volcano and often said to be the highest mountain in Spain. There isn't an awful lot of rain falling directly onto Tenerife which begs the question where does all the water come from to service the needs of thousands of tourists?
The answer is that the fine branches and leaves of Pinus canariensis trap moisture which forms clouds in the cool of the night in the high forests and the droplets of tree dew are collected to make a significant contribution to the island's water supply. The volcanic rock is not suitable for making dams to collect rainwater above ground. However water will collect in spaces within the impervious rock. Wells are drilled into these water galleries containing ample underground supplies. There are over a thousand such wells on Tenerife.
Pinus canariensis is found on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma and El Hierro forming forests in which it is the dominant tree species at over 1000 metres on Tenerife for example.
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| Pinus canariensis Pinus canariensis with Mount Teide |
LHS: Aguamansa Pine Forest 10th Feb 2009 RHS: Teno Mountains 16th February 2009 Tenerife
Added on 5th October 2011