Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands

Authors: Chris Thorogood, Mark Carine, Alfredo Reyes-Betancourt, 486 pages, 1145 illustrations, 234 x 156 mm. Paperback, ISBN 9781842468227, Kew Publishing, 2025.

Situated in the North Atlantic off the coast of north-western Africa, the Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago, comprising of seven large and several smaller islands. The region attracts millions of visitors every year, with an abundance of eco-tourists drawn by its famously rich flora. This book presents previously inaccessible information on the islands through the collaboration of British scientists and local experts.

This long-awaited field guide covers more than 2000 of the region’s exceptionally diverse and important plant-life, from the most common species to local endemics. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs, each species profile includes nomenclature, description, dimensions, habitat, flowering times and distribution.

With comprehensive, up-to-date coverage sorted by habitat, this is the essential guide for students, professional botanists, scientists, gardeners and plant-enthusiasts alike.

Chris Thorogood is Deputy Director and Head of Science of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum. He is a wildlife artist, botanical illustrator, and an international best-selling author of popular titles and specialist field guides, including Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Eastern Mediterranean (Kew Publishing, 2019). Mark Carine is Principal Curator in Charge at the Natural History Museum, London. Alfredo Reyes-Betancourt is Director of the La Orotava Acclimatisation Gardens in Tenerife with the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias.