Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo
Encyclopedia
Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo is the full name of the botanical garden
on Gran Canaria
, one of the Canary Islands
. “Jardín Botánico Canario” means “Botanical Garden of the Canaries”, while the additional words “Viera y Clavijo” honor the pioneering Spanish cleric and scholar José Viera y Clavijo (1731–1813), who attempted to found a botanical garden in the Canary Islands in the late eighteenth century.
The Botanical Garden Viera y Clavijo is located in the northeast of Gran Canaria, in Tafira Alta, approximately 7 kilometers southwest of the capital city Las Palmas
. Thus it is located inland from Las Palmas, a few kilometers away from Santa Brígida
.
In 1983, the garden established a seed bank for the roughly 400 tree species endemic to the Canaries and other Macronesian Islands. A germplasm bank was subsequently established as well. A great number of species have been identified and described by botanists associated with the garden over the past several years, and the garden contributes to species preservation programs through its research work. Its facilities include a library, a herbarium, and laboratories, and it publishes the journal Botánica Macaronésica.
The garden is open to visitors year round.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
on Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
, one of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. “Jardín Botánico Canario” means “Botanical Garden of the Canaries”, while the additional words “Viera y Clavijo” honor the pioneering Spanish cleric and scholar José Viera y Clavijo (1731–1813), who attempted to found a botanical garden in the Canary Islands in the late eighteenth century.
The Botanical Garden Viera y Clavijo is located in the northeast of Gran Canaria, in Tafira Alta, approximately 7 kilometers southwest of the capital city Las Palmas
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
. Thus it is located inland from Las Palmas, a few kilometers away from Santa Brígida
Santa Brígida, Las Palmas
Villa de Santa Brígida is a Canarian municipality in the northeastern portion of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas of the Canary Islands. The suburbs of Las Palmas. The population is 18,817 , its density is 790.3/km² and the area is 23.81 km²...
.
History
Establishing this botanical garden was the life work of the Swedish-Spanish botanist Erik Ragnar Svensson (1910–1973), who devoted many years to searching for the optimal site, one that could successfully accommodate as many as possible of the highly diverse plant species of the Canary Islands. He finally settled on a steep slope of the Barranco de Guiniguada in the vicinity of Tafira Alta, featuring a waterfall and shallow caves in the cliff face. Work on laying out the garden began in 1952, and the Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo was officially opened in 1959. Svensson served as its first director. Following his death in a traffic accident in 1973, David Bramwell was appointed his successor in 1974.Description
The Botanical Garden Viera y Clavijo comprises approximately 27 acres (10 hectares), on which approximately 500 plant species endemic to the Canary Islands are cultivated. Important divisions are the “Garden of the Islands” (Jardín de las Islas), the “Garden of Cacti and Succulents” (Jardín de Cactus y Suculentas), where approximately 10,000 cultivars of succulents are on display, the “Macronesian Ornamental Garden” (Jardín Macaronésico Ornamental), and the “Hidden Garden” (El Jardín Escondido) with greenhouse. Also worthy of mention are the pinetum (El Pínar) and the “Laurel-leaved Forests” (Bosque de Laurísílva), featuring trees which once covered most of Macronesia prior to Spanish settlement. At the “Fountain of the Wisemen” (La Fuente de Los Sabios), important individuals are honored.In 1983, the garden established a seed bank for the roughly 400 tree species endemic to the Canaries and other Macronesian Islands. A germplasm bank was subsequently established as well. A great number of species have been identified and described by botanists associated with the garden over the past several years, and the garden contributes to species preservation programs through its research work. Its facilities include a library, a herbarium, and laboratories, and it publishes the journal Botánica Macaronésica.
The garden is open to visitors year round.