The La Orotava Acclimatisation Garden, also known as the Botanical Garden, endured severe effects from Storm Dorothea. The powerful winds, which exceeded 70 kilometres per hour, resulted in the breaking of branches and the substantial loss of foliage due to the exceptionally high temperatures, which caused significant dehydration of the environment and damage to the leaves.
The facility is gradually recovering, as evidenced by its reopening over the weekend after being closed to the public for a week. This pause was necessary to inspect all the plants, remove debris that is composted and repurposed as organic matter within the garden itself, and conduct cleaning. However, the restoration process is not yet complete. An additional final inspection will be conducted next week to assess whether assistance from a tree pruning service is required, particularly for trees towering over 30 metres that require specialised equipment and skilled personnel.
This is corroborated by its director, Alfredo Reyes Betancort, who notes that the most impacted area was the Southeast. In this region, the tree most adversely affected was the yellow caya (Sideroxylon foetidissimum), which lost 3 out of its 5 major branches. Its crown will need significant reduction to prevent it from becoming unbalanced. To achieve this, a process termed “balancing of the branch” will be implemented, which involves removing the damaged parts while maintaining growth through suckers, as he explains.
The African tulip trees (Spathodea campanulata) situated along the pathways to the upper pond also experienced loss of foliage and thick branches, while the rose apple (Syzygium jambos) has been left entirely stripped of leaves.
Additional trees that faced damage include the jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), which had one of its main branches severed by the fierce winds, as well as the “impressive” Agathis, which lost numerous shorter branches. The Lord Howe fig trees (Ficus macrophylla f. columnaris) also suffered similarly, with a considerable number of secondary branches lost. In this regard, Reyes states, “it is one of the species most adversely affected by this kind of wind due to the softness of its wood; however, it is likely the one that recovers most quickly due to its rapid growth.”
“These scenarios arise following such storms and cause extensive damage to large branches, resulting in the loss of part of the crown, whereas smaller branches tend to endure less severe damage,” Reyes adds.
“The injuries are considerable, and some trees will struggle to recuperate,” the director emphasises. In such cases, they ought to be monitored more frequently and meticulously, as “the new growth on branches that have endured significant cuts is weaker and may be more susceptible to being damaged by another storm.”
The Botanical Garden currently showcases approximately 1,000 distinct species, in addition to those in the nurseries. Fortunately, the section of the Garden undergoing expansion works has remained unharmed. The plants positioned there withstood the winds without any reported damage.
Alfredo Reyes points out that storms similar to Dorothea require time for recovery, and while some trees have suffered considerably, “we have not lost any species,” he affirms.
La Hijuela del Botánico, protected by buildings
At La Hijuela del Botánico in La Orotava, the winds were even stronger, yet the protection provided by the surrounding buildings appears to have mitigated any severe damage, as confirmed by Alfredo Reyes. Nevertheless, the wind did topple a banana stem, a tree fern, and an “aged and battered” stem of the New Zealand laurel (Corynocarpus laevigatus). Within this enclosure, the trees that suffered most from losing numerous shorter branches were the African podocarp (Afrocarpus falcatus) and the Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla).
