PlantsMap

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8 plants worth knowing

Uruguay

Uruguay is a land of gently rolling grasslands – the grassy campos, part of the Pampas biome, cover most of its territory and have served as pasture for centuries. Natural forests occupy only a small part of the country: they grow mainly along rivers, in ravines in the north and on the hills of the east, while the Atlantic coast is lined with lagoons, dunes and unique palm groves.

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

where it grows

  1. Cockspur coral tree 1

    tree · National flower of Uruguay

    Cockspur coral tree

    Erythrina crista-galli

    The ceibo, with scarlet flowers like a rooster’s comb, grows beside every Uruguayan river – and is the country’s national flower.
  2. Ombú 2

    tree · Symbol of the Uruguayan and Argentine pampas

    Ombú

    Phytolacca dioica

    A lone ombú on an empty grassland is the icon of the pampas – a thick-trunked “tree” that is really a gigantic herbaceous plant.
  3. Pindo palm 3

    palm

    Pindo palm

    Butia odorata

    Tens of thousands of hectares of butiá palms in the east – their golden fruit is made into jams and “caña con butiá” liqueur.
  4. Grapevine 4

    crop

    Grapevine

    Vitis vinifera

    Tannat – a grape from south-western France that found a second home in Uruguay and became its “national grape”.
  5. Feijoa 5

    shrub

    Feijoa

    Acca sellowiana

    “Guayabo del país” – a native shrub with edible petals and fragrant fruit, now grown worldwide as feijoa.
  6. Tala 6

    tree

    Tala

    Celtis tala

    The thorny tala is one of the commonest trees of Uruguay’s monte nativo – it grows along rivers and on the slopes of the sierras nationwide.
  7. Pitanga 7

    shrub

    Pitanga

    Eugenia uniflora

    Ribbed red pitanga fruits grow in Uruguay’s native forests, and “caña con pitanga” is a traditional Uruguayan drink.
  8. Pampas grass 8

    grass

    Pampas grass

    Cortaderia selloana

    The silvery plumes of pampas grass, a familiar garden plant, are a native feature of Uruguay’s wetland landscapes.