La Palma is one of a group of islands with distinct environmental conditions and a characteristic plant world. La Palma is closely related to neighbouring islands such as the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens and Cape Verde which, together with the Canaries, comprise the bio-geographical region known as Macaronesia.

The Canary Islands archipelago is a paradise with one of the richest and most interesting flora on this planet. The high percentage of native species (almost 50%) make the islands a living laboratory for researchers. It appears that plant life first developed on the island of La Palma as it emerged from the bottom of the ocean, approximately two million years ago.

Many species from the European Mediterranean, North Africa and the older neighbouring islands took refuge on the island at that time, and species that now exist only as fossils in Europe and Africa can be found in La Palma and the other islands of the archipelago.