An endemic flora
The Madeira archipelago is home to many endemic species. Such is the case of the Madeira cranesbill (Geranium maderense), which grows mainly in forests. Its slender, stiff stems are topped by a cluster of small, bright-pink flowers with crimson centers, and its base is covered with bushy, drooping foliage.
The rarer Imperatoria(Imperatoria lowei)thrives in rocky, damp areas, forming long, spindly stems topped with small yellow umbellules. It was first classified by Thomas Lowe, who likened it to the Imperatoria(Eucedanum ostruthium) of central European mountains and gave it his name to distinguish it.
We should also mention the widespread Madeira foxglove(Isoplexis spectrum), a shrub with long, dark-green leaves and dark-orange flowers; the equally widespread heather(Erica maderensis), with its clustered inflorescence dotted with small pink flowers (it grows in mountains at altitudes of over 1,200 meters); the Madeira violet, which also grows at altitude; not forgetting the elegant viperine(Echium candicans), one of Madeira's most emblematic species. This herbaceous shrub (up to two meters high) has long, ribbed leaves that enable it to absorb water drop by drop. Its small, intensely blue flowers grow in spikes. Finally, the Madeira orchid(Dactylorhiza foliosa/Orchis maderensis) forms a pretty spike of small, mottled purple flowers.
Species from around the world
Native to South Africa (and not Madeira, as you might think!), the strelitzia has become the island's plant emblem. It's more commonly known as the "bird of paradise" (its shape is reminiscent of a bird's head). A perennial plant, it has bushy foliage with oblong leaves that open out in a fan shape. Its thick floral spike is topped by a bright orange flower with blue contrasts. Another species native to Africa, the bearded protoea(Protea neriifolia) has red petals assembled in a ball like scales and ending in a row of hairs... hence its nickname "bearded". Common on Madeira, the African agapanthus(Agapanthus africanus) has a long, rigid stem flanked by a circular cluster of small blue flowers. The astonishing Chorisia speciosa , with its thorn-covered trunk, imported from America, produces magnificent pink flowers in winter. The dwarf banana was imported from Asia. Finally, hydrangeas, bougainvilleas, camellias, hibiscus and poinsettias complete the list of ornamental species most represented in Madeira's floral landscape.
The art of the garden
You don't have to go far to get acquainted with the profusion of flowers on Madeira Island. In the parks, tropical and botanical gardens and quintas that dot the capital, you can already admire a surprising collection of tropical and endemic plants and flowers. Indeed, the art of gardening has been cultivated in Madeira for centuries: just admire the sophisticated arrangements in the garden of Quinta do Palheiro, east of Funchal, to get an idea of the magnificence of Madeiran gardens. This English-style garden, comprising over 3,000 plant species, has belonged to the Blandy family since 1885. In the paths of the Funchal Botanical Garden, created in 1960, rare and endemic species occupy a privileged place. But its three hectares are also home to a wide variety of plant species from all five continents (cacti, succulents, palms, orchids...). Then, still on the heights of the city, garden enthusiasts won't want to miss the paths of the Monte Palace tropical garden, which wraps around the former home of British consul Charles Murray, bought in 1987 by businessman José Berardo. Finally, in the north of the island, the Quinta do Arco rose garden boasts one of the largest concentrations of rose bushes in Portugal.
