The geobotanical image of Gran Canaria five hundred years ago has suffered a great change. The need for wood, the ploughing up of the soil for farming, and above all, the urban settlements, have wiped out most of the forests such as thermophile forests, bushes, the evergreen shrubs, made of laurisilva (humid laurel trees) and fayal-brezal (faya trees and heath trees) forests.

Even so, the catalogue of plants in this Island is ample. It has 1,316 classifications, out of which 46 are ferns, 7 gymnosperms, 1020 dicotyledon angiosperms, and 243 monocotyledon angiosperms. Out of these, 104 are endemic to Gran Canaria -such as Knapweed, Sowthistle, White Bugloss, Canary Rock Rose, Caespitose Houseleek, White retama and Pine-scented Savory- to which are added other 166 Canarian endemic plants and 51 Macaronesian plants.

Following is a summary of the varieties of the flora catalogued within the different ecosystems to Gran Canaria. From the coast to the mountain tops we can distinguish the following terrestrial communities:

• Thermophile forest: This is one of the most attractive terrestrial communities within the island's ecosystem, though it was one of the most affected vegetation during the periods of deforestation. It is an ecosystem of the low lands, approximately 200 to 600 meters high in its North slope, and between 600 and 1,000 meters in the South side. This type of vegetation, composed of trees and shrubs, such as Mount Atlas pistache, lentisc, Canary juniper and wild olive tree, as well as by other very symbolic ones such as the Canarian palm tree, the dragon tree or the Canary Island hypericum, has a high implantation in Bandama, Tafira Baja and the ravine Barranco de Los Cernícalos. Note the importance of the palm tree, which can be found in different parts of the island, including ravines in the interior, where there are important groves of palm trees. The presence of the mythic dragon tree, however, is minimal in Gran Canaria. They are sparsely found in abrupt areas with difficult access in the Southern ravines.
  

• Pine forests: the relentless reforestation efforts are resulting into thicker and larger forests of pinnus canariensis, located on the mountain tops of Gran Canaria. Its undergrowth present a variety of leguminous bushes such as the small-leaved brooms, sticky brooms and tagasaste.
  The two main extensions of pine forests are those of Tamadaba which, because of its location on the NW, is more humid than the second in importance, Pajonales-Inagua and Ayagaures, which are drier mainly because they are located in the southwestern parts of Gran Canaria.
  
  
• The sea level area is characterized by its population of Common Canary spurges and Canary Islands cactus spurge. These species are almost exclusively located on the west coast of the island. Human degradation was instrumental in the destruction of this vegetation in other parts of the island. The groups of Canary Islands cactus spurge extend through all the Southeastern sector (between Andén Verde and Amurga) and it shares its place with spurge bushes.
  
  
• The evergreen forest (laurisilva and fayal-brezal): this ecosystem is practically non-existent today in Gran Canaria: only 1% of the original forest is currently alive. The small surviving portions are located in the northeast of the transition zones of Gran Canaria. One of the most important areas is located in Tilos de Moya, and the ravines of Barranco Oscuro and Barranco de la Virgen.
  
  
• Canary Island tamarisk areas (tamarix canariensis) : they are located on the northern and western coasts and in the areas of arborescent bushes at the bottom of the ravines of the south part of Gran Canaria.