Tenerife​—A Rock Garden Above the Clouds

The largest island, Tenerife, is dominated by Pico de Teide, a dormant volcano towering above the clouds that roll in from the Atlantic. Surrounding the volcanic dome lies a huge subalpine amphitheater, which along with the majestic volcano constitutes the Teide National Park. The park is host to a unique flora that comes to life in the late spring and early summer when the plants take advantage of accumulated moisture from winter snows. Suddenly the stark volcanic terrain is transformed into a rock garden ablaze with color.

Two of the most unusual flowers of the park are found nowhere else in the world. They are the red tajinaste and the Teide violet. The red tajinaste is arguably the most impressive plant of the archipelago​—a myriad clusters of red flowers growing in tight spirals around a solitary stalk that reaches a height of six feet or more. The tall blooms look like red floral chimneys saluting the deep-​blue sky.

The Teide violet, which decorates the volcano’s throat with a lilac garland, is remarkable for its tenacity. It grows just a few feet from the 12,000-​foot [3,700 m] summit, where no other vegetation survives.

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Tenerife is dominated by Pico de Teide, a dormant volcano