PlantsMap

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10 plants worth knowing

Argentina

Argentina stretches more than 3,500 km from north to south: from the subtropical forests of Misiones and the mountain Yungas, through the dry Chaco forests, the endless grassy Pampas, the semi-desert scrub of the Monte and the steppes of Patagonia, all the way to the southern beech forests of Tierra del Fuego. Along the western border rise the Andes, crowned by Aconcagua, with famous vineyards spread out at their foot.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Cockspur coral tree 1

    tree · National flower of Argentina (since 1942)

    Cockspur coral tree

    Erythrina crista-galli

    The scarlet flowers of the ceibo adorn the banks of the Paraná Delta – Argentina’s national flower and the heroine of the Guaraní legend of Anahí.
  2. Yerba mate 2

    tree · Mate is by law the “national infusion” of Argentina

    Yerba mate

    Ilex paraguariensis

    Argentines drink mate everywhere and all day long – the country is the world’s largest producer of yerba, grown in Misiones and Corrientes.
  3. Grapevine 3

    crop

    Grapevine

    Vitis vinifera

    Malbec from the foot of the Andes – a French grape that, in sunny Mendoza, became the wine the whole world associates with Argentina.
  4. Red quebracho 4

    tree · National forest tree of Argentina (since 1956)

    Red quebracho

    Schinopsis balansae

    The “axe-breaker” – quebracho wood is so hard it blunts blades, and for decades its tannin was used to tan leather around the world.
  5. Lenga beech 5

    tree

    Lenga beech

    Nothofagus pumilio

    A southern beech that turns Patagonia’s slopes red in autumn – its forests run from the lakes of Neuquén all the way to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.
  6. Blue jacaranda 6

    tree

    Blue jacaranda

    Jacaranda mimosifolia

    Every spring jacarandas turn the streets of Buenos Aires purple – a tree native to the mountain forests of north-western Argentina.
  7. Ombú 7

    tree

    Ombú

    Phytolacca dioica

    A lone ombú on the endless plain is the classic image of the Argentine pampas, immortalised in poetry and gaucho literature.
  8. Monkey puzzle tree 8

    tree

    Monkey puzzle tree

    Araucaria araucana

    An ancient tree and “living fossil” that gives the volcanic Andes of Neuquén their character – its seeds have fed the Pehuenche people for centuries.
  9. Floss silk tree 9

    tree

    Floss silk tree

    Ceiba speciosa

    The palo borracho, with its barrel-shaped, spiny trunk and pink flowers, graces the streets of Buenos Aires and grows wild in the Chaco forests.
  10. Algarrobo blanco 10

    tree

    Algarrobo blanco

    Neltuma alba

    To the peoples of the Chaco and the north-west, the algarrobo blanco was simply “the tree” – its pods are made into flour and traditional drinks.