Cardones

The cacti are endemic Canary bushes, and you can see them all over the islands, although there are less in Lanzarote. There are several different species, such as Cardoncillo of La Gomera. They are also known as candelabras, which is a name that really suits them well. It's a common shrub, perennial, which grows on rocky slopes and lava flows. The stems are thick, with small spines. They reach 4m in height, and can live more than one hundred years. It is a wild species under formal protection. They are very decorative. Some of the varieties are used to kill fish.