WHY GROW NATIVE PLANTS? - The first plantings here were of exotic drought tolerant trees as part of the HDRA's 'Drought Defeaters' programme. These have gradually been replaced by native species. The advantages of local plants was first pointed out by Gus Hutchinson, the noted wildlife gardener, who was himself inspired by Dr. David Bramwell, the Canaries' foremost botanist.

- they are so easy to grow! Having evolved over millions of years to suit local conditions they can tolerate Lanzarote's wind, heat and aridity better than most imported alternatives. While neighbours struggle to keep their roses alive this garden blossoms and stays green throughout the year with minimal care.

-they are beautiful! Planted in a garden, protected from goats, Lanzarote's native plants can develop far beyond the stunted specimens found in the wild, into the most spectacular forms.

-they have medicinal properties. The Canarian people have a long tradition of herbal medicine based on their unique plants.

-they are a source of potentially valuable genetic material. The limited genetic variety of modern food crops has often required plant breeders to find wild relatives whose genes can resist disease. Perhaps the Acebuchi, Lanzarote's rare relative of the cultivated olive might one day prove valuable in this way.

-they are the basis of a unique ecosystem. Every species of plant provides food and habitat for a variety of insects, birds etc. As well as visible associated species a single species of tree may be the sole host to a variety of micro-organisms living in the soil around the roots. As tree species become extinct so do associated fungal species - possible sources of new antibiotics are lost before they have even been investigated.