🇪🇸 The flowers of Spain

99 pages from Spain: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 30 cities and regions.

Spain is home to more species of flowering plants than any other European country, with a remarkable variety shaped by its mountains, coasts, islands, and climate zones. About a quarter of these plants are found nowhere else. Remnants of oak and pine forests, Mediterranean shrublands, and unique island flora set Spain's plant life apart.

The plant life of Spain

Spain's plant life is shaped by its varied geography and climates, from the high plateaus and mountain ranges of the mainland to the distinct environments of the Canary and Balearic Islands. The country supports between 8,000 and 9,000 species of vascular plants, more than anywhere else in Europe. Mediterranean forests once covered much of the interior, dominated by holm and cork oaks, but now dense shrublands called maquis are common. Pine forests thrive on sandy and limestone soils, while river valleys and the northwest coast hold remnants of deciduous woodlands. The southeast features subtropical steppe vegetation.

From region to region in Spain

Flora changes sharply across Spain. The north, with its oceanic climate, supports lush deciduous forests. The Mediterranean interior and coast are home to oak and pine woodlands and dense shrublands. Higher elevations see Pyrenean oak, Scots pine, and juniper. The southeast is drier, with steppe-like plants. The Canary and Balearic Islands each have their own sets of unique species, some not found on the mainland.

Flowers to know in Spain

Spain has a high number of endemic flowering plants—822 on the mainland and 103 in the Balearics. Some species, like borage and wild arum, grow almost everywhere in the country, including the islands. Others, such as the southern maidenhair fern and Cynoglossum creticum, are widespread but absent from some eastern Canary Islands. The natural forests that once dominated are now mostly replaced by shrublands and scattered trees.

Threats and protection in Spain

A significant portion of Spain's endemic plants are threatened, more so than in any other European country. About 27% of the land is protected through parks and reserves, as part of the Natura 2000 network. Conservation efforts focus on safeguarding rare species and habitats, especially in the islands and mountainous regions.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Wildlife of Spain", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in Spain

All 4

🇪🇸 Barcelona · All yearThe flower kiosks of La RamblaA stretch of Barcelona's central promenade lined with flower kiosks since the nineteenth century, busiest on 23 April.

🇪🇸 Granada · Apr to OctThe Generalife gardens above the AlhambraThe summer estate of Granada's Nasrid rulers, where water channels run between roses, myrtle, jasmine and orange trees.

🇪🇸 Plasencia · Mar to AprCherry blossom in the Jerte valleyA mountain valley in Extremadura where terraces of cherry orchards flower white together for about ten days in early spring.

🇪🇸 Córdoba · MayThe patios of Córdoba in MayFor two weeks each May, families in Córdoba's old quarters open their flower-filled courtyards to anyone who walks in.

RosemarySalvia rosmarinus A fragrant evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 more · Flowering shrub

Bay laurelLaurus nobilis Evergreen tree with aromatic leaves used as bay leaf in cooking 🇬🇷 Greece and 9 more · Flowering tree

Bitter orangeCitrus × aurantium The citrus tree behind Seville orange marmalade and Neroli oil 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Flowering tree

CarnationDianthus caryophyllus A fragrant flower with ruffled petals, grown worldwide for decoration and meaning 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower

Crocus Small corm-grown flowers in white, yellow, orange or purple 🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Wildflower

LupinLupinus Tall, spiky-flowered legumes grown for gardens, food, and soil health 🇺🇸 United States and 7 more · Wildflower

MallowMalva Edible and ornamental flowering plants with pink, purple or white blooms 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Wildflower

FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea Tall spikes of bell-shaped, spotted flowers in purple, pink, white or yellow 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 more · Wildflower

SaffronCrocus sativus The crimson threads of an autumn crocus, dried for colour, flavour and scent 🇮🇷 Iran and 6 more · Bulb flower

Celosia Flame-like flowers grown for food and garden colour 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 5 more · Garden flower

Italian lords-and-ladiesArum italicum A shade-loving perennial with white spring flowers and red berries 🇮🇹 Italy and 6 more · Herb or useful flower

French lavenderLavandula stoechas A Mediterranean lavender with purple bracts atop its flower spikes 🇪🇸 Spain and 2 more · Wildflower

MonkshoodAconitum napellus A tall European herb with deep purple helmet-shaped flowers and extreme toxicity 🇮🇹 Italy and 2 more · Wildflower

Scarlet runner beanPhaseolus coccineus A climbing bean with bright red flowers and edible pods and seeds 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

Common peonyPaeonia officinalis A deep pink or red peony from the mountains of southern Europe 🇮🇹 Italy and 7 more · Wildflower

Garden dahliaDahlia pinnata A showy perennial with pink to deep purple blooms, grown in gardens worldwide 🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 more · Garden flower

Common snapdragonAntirrhinum majus A tall garden flower with dragon-shaped blooms that open when squeezed 🇫🇷 France and 2 more · Garden flower

Mountain arnicaArnica montana A yellow-flowered herb from Europe's uplands, used in herbal traditions 🇫🇷 France and 7 more · Wildflower

Dame's-violetHesperis matronalis A tall, fragrant flower with purple, pink, or white blooms in spring 🇪🇸 Spain and 4 more · Wildflower

Fringed Water-lilyNymphoides peltata A floating yellow aquatic plant with wavy leaves and fringed flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Water flower

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Saffron: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bay laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
Celosia: Reaperman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mountain arnica: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhlers Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
Mallow: Luis Fernández García, CC BY-SA 2.5 es, source
French lavender: Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rosemary: Miguel Angel Masegosa Martínez, CC BY 2.0, source
Bitter orange: A. Barra, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dianthus: Darkone ( talk · contribs ), CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Foxglove: Bernd Haynold, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Crocus: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lupin: Jean-Claude Echardour [CC BY-SA], via Tela Botanica, CC BY 2.0, source
Scarlet runner bean: Mickaël Schauli, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Common peony: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Common snapdragon: Victor M. Vicente Selvas, Public domain, source
Dame's-violet: AnRo0002, CC0, source
Fringed Water-lily: TeunSpaans at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Generalife: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Garden dahlia: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Italian lords-and-ladies: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), GFDL 1.2, source
Monkshood: Francesco Bellamoli, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Jerte Valley Cherry Blossom: DavidGranda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rambla De Les Flors Barcelona: Ralf Roletschek, GFDL 1.2, source
Cordoba Patios Route: Jose María Ligero Loarte, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Spain: User:Captain Blood~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, source