La Principal" covers an area of about two hectares, dedicated primarily to the cultivation of the Strelitzia reginae plant for commercial purposes, being the first to produce these flowers on the island of La Palma.

This trade is carried out both locally (flower shops and private clients) and through export to several places in the EEC, especially Germany, Holland, Britain and Belgium.

Strelitzia reginae is also commonly known as the "Bird of Paradise" flower, due to its shape and the contrast in colours between the orange and the bright blue of its corolla and the green and red of the bracts. It is a herbaceous perennial and a vigorous plant that belongs to the family Musaceae and is therefore a very close relative of the banana tree (the main crop of the island). The plant comes from South Africa and has been cultivated in the Canaries for cut flowers since the beginning of the '60s, from sea-level up to about 600 metres of altitude. It has a flowering period that runs from September to May, with a maximum crop between December and January. It almost totally stops flowering during the summer months during which time the plants rest and recuperate. Advantage is taken of this period to prune and propagate the plants. Once cut, the flowers last for at least three weeks, which make them very useful in flower arranging. Each flower can measure between 0.40 and 1.90 metres.

For those tourists who visit our island and want to take home some fresh and carefully selected flowers (1st Category and Extra) they are available in special cardboard boxes so that they can be easily transported without risk of deterioration in any form of transportation. They can be checked in to arrive with the rest of your luggage.