Cardón Canario. Characteristics, uses and curiosities
The Canarian cardón is an endemic species of the islands, you can see some varieties throughout the archipelago and it is a plant with hundreds of years of history, characterized by being strong and resistant to arid climates.
In this article we will know everything about this particular species including the curious uses that have been given so far.
Where is the Cardón Canario
We must start by saying that this plant called Cardón Canario, is an endemic species of the islands, that is, it was born and developed all its characteristics naturally in the archipelago.
The species is not in all the islands but in most of them, being present especially in the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera.
In the latter it is considered an endemic species, while we can also observe it on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria where it is common but was introduced by man. On the other hand, on the island of Fuerteventura, although it can be seen, it is not found in abundance in the place.
Discover in Canarias Shop the best jams of Canarian tuno
This is because the distribution of the species is mainly determined by local conditions and, although it is a species that resists arid and hot climates, it is mostly seen in areas with an altitude greater than 900 or 1000 meters above sea level.
Characteristics of Cardón Canario
This Canarian plant has characteristics that are difficult to see in other species. It is a very characteristic plant and easy to identify by the area in which it is located and by its physical appearance.
If size is one of the most peculiar characteristics, the Cardón Canario can reach about 2 or 4 meters in height. The stems are robust, with a hexagonal shape, woody at the base, green in color and in the oldest parts acquires a silver or gray coloration.
The roots usually remain on the surface, since they inhabit areas of little rainfall and require absorbing the little rainfall of these regions, they are strong and extend through the upper layers of the soil.
We can see the Canarian cardon grouped in a circular shape, occupying up to 30m2. It has spines on the edge of its stem that extend in parallel lines at each of its vertices.
Other features include the following:
Leaves
It has no leaves, however, it has leaf rudiments at the edges, these are a kind of tubers that extend on their edges and deform joining the thorns.
Flowers
The flowers of the Canarian cardon are small and little noticeable, they can be observed in a green or reddish color and are located in the parts of the stem where there are no thorns. However, they are scarce. They are arranged in 5 groups of male flowers and a central female flower.
Fruits
The fruits, on the other hand, are a little more colorful than the flowers. They can be brown or reddish in color and are located on the top of the stem. They are a kind of capsules that have small seeds inside.
Uses of Cardón Canario
The Canarian cardón is known for being an ancient plant whose use has been diverse in the Canarian culture. It is important to know that many of the components of the Canarian cardon can be a bit dangerous if they are not used carefully, so we recommend that you be very careful if you want to apply any of these uses.
Insecticides
The latex of the Canarian cardon has been used as an insecticide that was sprayed on the fields of grapes. Due to its toxicity, it was used not only to scare away lizards and animals but also to discover who tried to steal the grapes, because of the swelling that this toxic produced in the hands of whoever touched it.
Attractive traps
The latex extracted from the Canarian cardon was used to make traps for hunting animals.
Veterinary use
It has been used topically to cure conditions in animals, such as mastitis in livestock, skin inflammations, and latex to help fix fractures and injuries.
Firewood and smoking
The aborigines used the remains of this plant as firewood to make their large campfires. It is also known for its use for the smoking of the famous Tenerife cheese.
Construction of objects
It has been used for the manufacture of various handicrafts, toys and sports instruments. It has also served for the construction of musical instruments such as the tambourine.
Medicinal use
It is said that due to its anesthetic properties, it has been used as a painkiller for toothaches or analgesics in topical form. Latex has also been a dental component to cover fissures in teeth.
5 curiosities of Cardón Canario
As you can see, the Canarian cardón is a unique species, not only for the fact of being native to the Canary Islands, but for its characteristics that make it so attractive and have allowed it to survive for hundreds of years.
And if you think little what you have read so far, we want to say goodbye with a list of 5 curiosities of the Canarian cardón that will surprise you:
It is toxic
Caustic sap is a component contained in the canary cardon, some people have used it as a purgative, however it has been known that this is highly toxic to the body.
It was used for fishing
The Cardón Canario has sedative properties, this at one time served as a great strategy used by the aborigines, spilling their sage on the seashore, which "numbed" the fish, making fishing much easier.
Has cured animal diseases
There are many uses that have been given at theveterinary level, serving as an analgesic, antiseptic, ointment to treat scabies in horses, etc.
Used in times of drought
In times of drought the natives of Tenerife, removed the bark and latex from the cardon exposing the pulp of the same to extract the water contained in it.
Find out how old they are
One of the most curious features is that you can know its age thanks to the lines found on the stem, which are separated by different shades of green, this last feature can tell us, in what climatic conditions it grew during each year.