Tajinaste Rojo (Echium wildpretii), also known as Tower of Jewels or Red Bugloss is endemic to the Canary Islands. It is particularly abundant at the top of Mount Teide on Tenerife.
When we were visiting last week, we asked where we might see some and were told that their season is only just starting, but that with luck we might be able to find some just south of the Parador in the National Park. Fortunately, this was indeed the case!
So, here is a Tower conveniently posed in front of El Teide. 😉
And here is a close up of its Jewels. 😉😉
Frogend dweller's Blog 
The word ‘bugloss’ always has seemed odd to me, and looking at these beautiful plants, I finally figured out why. The name comes from the French buglosse, from Latin buglossa, and from Greek bouglossos. Its literal meaning is “ox-tongued,” which refers to the shape and texture of its leaves. That’s somewhat different from the way I’ve always read it, as “bug-loss.” Now I can stop wondering what the bugs lost!
But now I am imagining cows licking them like lollies 🤣
Your timing was perfect. What an amazing flower. Great pictures too.
Yes! Good job we didn’t go for Easter (also good job we didn’t go this week, with all the flight chaos!). Thanks!
They are spectacular. They have become popular with gardeners on the US west coast, which has similar growing conditions, so long as it doesn’t get too cold in winter.
How marvellous! It’s the bitter winds/gales that tend to do them for here 😦
Oh, wonderful! How lucky you were to see some!
Yes indeed! The woman in the Info Centre said that they start from ~5th May, just in case you need to know!
What an amazing sight – and an amazing sky too! I expect you have been having or have had a wonderful time…!
It was glorious, thanks Cathy! (A nostalgic break, with many photo opportunities: I made son number 2 stand in front of the fountain in the Botanical garden that son number 1 sat on as a baby 🤣)
😁